Nintendo's AI Trick for 4K Gaming on Switch 2

On January 1, 2025, gaming industry expert Laura Kate Dale discovered a patent filed by Nintendo on New Year’s Eve. This patent reveals Nintendo’s plans to use AI upscaling to enhance game resolution on the upcoming Switch 2. Previous rumors suggested that Nintendo might adopt technology similar to Nvidia’s DLSS to reach 4K resolution without native support. Dale, who spotted the patent, explained that Nintendo wants to use this tech to reduce game file sizes, fitting them on Switch game cards. For instance, a 4K texture game would require 60GB, while a 1080p version would need only 20GB. The console could then upscale these textures in real-time. The patent’s examples mention upscaling from 540p to 1080p or 1080p to 4K resolutions.

Despite not matching the power of the latest PlayStation or Xbox, Nintendo’s innovations like AI upscaling could provide a true next-gen experience on the Switch 2. Dale noted on Bluesky that Nintendo's art style could work well with this technology, making the Switch 2 a potential beneficiary of upscaling.

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