Nintendo Co. plans to adopt an updated version Nvidia Chip Corp. with better graphics and processing for a new Switch model slated for the end-of-year shopping season, according to people familiar with the matter.
The new iteration of Switch will support Deep Learning or Nvidia’s Super Sampling, DLSS, a new rendering technology that uses artificial intelligence to deliver more fidelity graphics more efficiently. This will allow the console, which is also configured for one The OLED screen upgrade, to play back 4K-quality gaming images when connected to a TV, people said, asking that it not be identified because the plan is not public.
The new chipset from the US company will also provide a better CPU and more memory. DLSS support will require new code to be added to the games, so it will be used primarily to improve the graphics for upcoming titles, people said, including several game developers. Bloomberg News previously reported that the new Switch is likely to include a 7-inch OLED display Samsung Display Co. and combines the console version with a lot of new games.
Representatives from Nvidia and Nintendo declined to comment.
Nintendo’s Switch game release schedule remains empty during the second half of the year, though the company announced a new partnership with Niantic Inc. in augmented reality smartphone apps, which will start with a Pikmin application in 2021.
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Analysts expect the new Switch to be offered at a price above $ 299 for the current model, a level unchanged since the Switch’s initial launch in 2017. Matthew Kanterman of Bloomberg Intelligence predicts an increase of up to $ 100.
“$ 349.99 will increase the value proposition of the device, but I think Nintendo can generate strong demand even at $ 399.99,” he said.
DLSS was first introduced as an image magnification feature in 2018 and remains exclusive to Nvidia graphics cards. It is an atypically advanced addition for Nintendo based in Kyoto, which tends to opt for a more mature technology and lower cost than rivals Sony Corp i Microsoft Corp. adopts with its consoles. The new Switch will continue to lag behind the overall performance capabilities of its more expensive rivals.
“What we value is what a new technology contributes to the fun experience and comfort a consumer can play,” said Ko Shiota, CEO of Nintendo last year.