Nintendo Switch getting new NVIDIA SoC with 4K and DLSS?

Contrary to earlier rumors, NVIDIA may not be abandoning Tegra SoC chip development. Last week there was a rumor about Nintendo switching to Realtek but now Bloomberg picked up whispers that NVIDIA has a contract for a future Nintendo Switch refresh.

Nintendo Switch getting 4K and DLSS

According to the news agency, Nintendo will release a new Switch console in time for the 2021 holiday season. This Switch refresh will reportedly pack an upgraded hardware with a better NVIDIA CPU and more memory. NVIDIA's new Tegra SoC will allegedly get a better processor as well as a significantly upgraded GPU.

The new Nintendo Switch will be capable of 4K rendering and it will adopt the NVIDIA DLSS technology to enhance performance. DLSS is used on the PC, it's a machine learning-based technique that significantly enhanced performance at an almost unnoticeable visual quality cost.

The U.S. company’s new chipset will also bring a better CPU and increased memory. DLSS support will require new code to be added to games, so it’ll primarily be used to improve graphics on upcoming titles, said the people, including multiple game developers. Bloomberg News previously reported that the new Switch is likely to include a 7-inch OLED screen from Samsung Display Co. and couple the console’s release with a bounty of new games.

The downside is that Nintendo's new Switch will cost quite a bit more. The current model sells for $299, a price level that has remained stable since the Switch's initial release in 2017. Bloomberg predicts Nintendo could price the next-gen Switch as high as $399.99.