Image: Nintendo
The Nintendo Switch’s successor is already being shown off in behind-the-scenes tech demos.
Nintendo reportedly held behind-the-scenes tech demos at Gamescom 2023 to show off the Switch 2 to game developers. According to Eurogamer and VGC, the successor to the Nintendo Switch was unveiled using game demos that showed off its flashy new hardware capabilities.
One of the games Nintendo used to show off the Switch 2 was a ‘souped-up’ version of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, presumably to demonstrate how much better the 2017 game looks on newer Nintendo hardware. VGC reported that the Switch 2 ran Breath of the Wild at a higher framerate and resolution, though exact numbers (was it a stable 30fps at least?) were not given. There is also no indication that a next-gen version of the game will be released for the Switch 2.
Nintendo also used Epic Games’ The Matrix Awakens tech demo running on Unreal Engine 5 to show off the Switch 2’s hardware power. This is notable, considering that this tech demo was specifically built to take advantage of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S - two consoles the Switch currently lags behind performance-wise by a wide margin. VGC also reported that this demo ran on the Switch 2 with NVIDIA’s DLSS upscaling technology, which allows for advanced ray tracing and better visuals, “comparable to Sony and Microsoft’s current-gen consoles.”
VGC is careful to highlight that the Switch 2 probably won’t match the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S in hardware power, considering that it will likely be a portable device. Showing off an early version of the Switch 2 is already a big step forward for Nintendo however, especially considering that newer first-party games like Pokemon Scarlet and Violet and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom seem to be stretching the current hardware lineup to its absolute limits.
As previously reported, the Nintendo Switch 2 is planned for a release in the second half of 2024, though VGC notes that Nintendo intends to release the console sooner if possible. Early details for the console hint that it won’t differ much from the Switch’s handheld appeal, only provide better performance with modern hardware.
