A recent patent filed by Nintendo reveals plans to use machine learning for image upscaling, similar to NVIDIA DLSS, potentially hinting at a key feature for the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2.
This patent follows previous leaks and rumors, including a glimpse at the Switch 2 motherboard which revealed an Nvidia SoC and 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM. Additionally, leaks have suggested that the Switch 2 will support 4K 30 FPS gaming when docked.
AI Upscaling Details
The patent describes the use of a trained neural network to upscale images, citing examples such as upscaling 540p to 1080p and 720p to 4K. These resolution conversions are similar to DLSS 2.0's 'Performance' and 'Ultra Performance' modes, suggesting a comparable technology is in development.
The upscaling will leverage dedicated hardware, likely similar to Nvidia's Tensor cores. By default, this upscaling feature will be enabled when the console is docked and connected to a power source, but can be manually enabled while on battery, although this will likely affect battery life.
While companies often file patents for future products that may not materialize for years, this technology seems highly likely for the Nintendo Switch 2. The console will need every bit of performance boost it can get. The use of technologies such as DLSS and FSR is becoming a critical part of squeezing more performance out of modern gaming hardware.
