How Nintendo and Nvidia Could Bring 4K to the Super Nintendo Switch

The Super Nintendo Switch rumors are back thanks to a new report from Bloomberg. You can read here what review editor Mike Minotti thinks the system needs. The Bloomberg story claims that Nintendo acquired new OLED 7-inch 720p screens from Samsung for the upgraded device. And then the system will direct 4K into dock mode.

This joins a long line of rumors related to a refresh of the Switch, which will improve the capabilities of the hardware. But how is it possible for the Switch to deliver games in 4K – after all, the current hardware struggles to work at 1080p.

Let’s take a look at some of the options Nintendo has available. These include significant hardware upgrades, the implementation of Nvidia’s deep-learning supersampling (DLSS), and a variety of post-processing and video tricks. And then we’ll try to figure out which one is the most realistic.

A super-powerful next-generation Switch processor

One possibility is that Nintendo will release a Switch with an ultra-powerful GPU from Nvidia. 2021 Switch models still use the Tegra X1 design first introduced in 2015. Since then, Nvidia has not only reduced the size of its chips, but also introduced several new generations of architectures.

This means that Nvidia and Nintendo can design a new system-on-a-chip (SOC) with significantly more power and efficiency than the X1. Maybe even enough to make some games – like Nintendo’s first party releases – run at 4K60.

How realistic is that?

A next-generation Tegra is inevitable, but it’s not the kind of thing that makes a lot of sense for a Switch upgrade. Brand new SOCs are expensive, and Nintendo wants to improve the profitability of its hardware at this point in the generation cycle. There is also still a lot that Nintendo can do with the current architecture to get more power and efficiency.

So do not expect the so-called Switch Pro to follow this route.

DLSS on switch

DLSS is Nvidia’s magic image reconstruction technology. It can take a 1080p image and scale it to a 4K image without losing detail. In some cases, the deep-learning model is so effective that DLSS 4K contains more detail than native 4K.

How realistic is that?

It looks more likely than a next-generation Switch processor, but it’s not a slam dunk. DLSS relies on Nvidia’s specialized Tensor computer core, and the Switch’s Tegra SOC has no Tensor core. But I would not assume that this means that Nvidia would not figure out how to add it.

It is possible that Nintendo and Nvidia may choose to move the Tegra X1 from the current 16 nm TSMC manufacturing process to TSMC’s 7 nm process or Samsung’s 8 nm process. In either case, it will significantly reduce the size of the die and make room for dedicated Tensor cores. An added benefit of this is that it will also drastically improve the efficiency of the Switch SOC, and Nintendo can use it to increase watches while using less battery and generating less heat.

Nvidia AI scaling

Nvidia het another AI scaling technique, cleverly called AI scaling. The company uses it to make 480p images on the Nvidia Shield set-top box look like crystal clear 1080p and even 4K. You can see that it significantly sharpens details in streaming content in the video below.

How realistic is that?

AI scaling seems to be the right answer at first glance. It’s already working on the Nvidia Shield, which uses the same Tegra X1 processor as the Nintendo Switch. But it is possible that this technique will not work so well with games.

On Shield, Nvidia only uses it with content such as YouTube video and Hulu movies / programs. My guess is that AI scaling, like many image processing, involves unacceptable delay. This will prevent it from working with Switch games.

Of course, it is possible that Nvidia and Nintendo could set up a version of it to work for games. But we saw no evidence of it.

Image Processor

Another possible solution is something like an add-on slide to the process. Nintendo can build an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) in the Switch dock that specifically handles the scaling up and enhancement of the video signal for 4K. Something like this is already possible with devices from a company called Marseille. Its MClassic dongle can scale a 720p or 1080p image to 1440p, while also adding contextual anti-aliasing, color enhancements and image sharpening.

I use the MClassic with my Switch on a 4K TV to this day, and it makes a big difference. The image is so much cleaner.

How realistic is that?

This idea works very well on paper. Put something like an MClassic in the dock to get 4K, but that does not really fit what we know. Nintendo tells developers to get their games ready for 4K, and an upscaling in the dock would not really require them to change their games that way. A post-processing of ASIC will also only improve the game in docked mode. I think Nintendo would also like to improve the performance of the Switch in the handheld.

Nintendo will do what is cheap and easy

It is important to remember the purpose of a hardware repair. This is not a new generation of hardware. Nintendo wants to save money, keep demand high and keep the average selling price high. And it wants to do it all while its biggest fans want to subsidize the distribution of more Switch systems. So Nintendo just needs to do enough to get the most loyal customers to upgrade, so we may be selling our older Switch systems or giving them away to friends or family.

While Nintendo was sketching out what a Super Nintendo Switch would look like, it just needed to see a list of features on paper. That means bringing in buzzwords like ‘4K’ and ‘OLED’ and maybe ‘HDR’. And then it will look for the cheapest and easiest way to get to the buzzwords.

So, what do I think this is? Surprisingly, I think it’s some form of a more efficient SOC with Tensor cores for DLSS. Nvidia wants to continue to push DLSS hard before AMD’s open competitor sees a chance to launch on consoles and Radeon GPUs. And one way to extend DLSS support as an industry standard is to get it up and running on one of the fastest-selling consoles.

Nvidia’s motivation will match well with a Switch refresh, and Nintendo can reap the benefits without forcing the problem itself.