Why That Brief Look at Mario Kart 9 Suggests Nintendo Switch 2 Is 'Significantly More Powerful' Than the Original — According to a Developer

An indie developer with extensive experience creating games for the original Nintendo Switch has offered compelling reasons why the brief glimpse of Mario Kart 9 suggests a significant power boost in the upcoming Switch 2. Last week's reveal generated considerable excitement, yet Nintendo remains tight-lipped about the Switch 2's technical capabilities. While upgrades like new Joy-Cons, a redesigned kickstand, and a larger form factor are evident, the console's raw power remains undisclosed.

However, the Mario Kart 9 footage in the reveal video may provide clues. In a recent YouTube video (via GamesRadar), Jerrel Dulay of Sungrand Studios, a developer with a history of working on Wii U and 3DS titles, shared his insights. He believes the Switch 2 will be substantially more powerful than its predecessor.

Mario Kart 9 - A Closer Look

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Dulay highlights the use of "physically-based shaders" on the karts and environments. These shaders, affected by lighting and reflections, were computationally expensive on the original Switch, often impacting frame rates. The Mario Kart 9 footage, however, showcases extensive use of these shaders, along with detailed material reflections.

Digital Foundry's late 2023 report (link provided) indicated the Switch 2 may utilize the Nvidia T239 ARM mobile chip, projected to have 1536 CUDA cores—a significant increase from the original Switch's Tegra X1 chip with only 256. This aligns with leaked Switch 2 motherboard images suggesting an 8nm chip.

Dulay emphasizes the high-resolution ground textures, noting their storage demands and the impact on available RAM. The original Switch's 4GB of RAM is dwarfed by the rumored 12GB in the Switch 2 (supported by leaked images showing two 6GB SK Hynix LPDDR5 modules). The potential for significantly faster RAM speeds (up to 7500MHz compared to the original's 1600MHz) further enhances performance, enabling faster texture loading and the use of numerous unique high-resolution textures.

The trailer also displays "true volumetric lighting," a computationally intensive effect considering distance, height, and light density. Dulay considers this a key indicator of the Switch 2's enhanced power, crucial for maintaining a smooth 60fps framerate. The detailed shadows at far distances further support this claim, as shadow rendering was a significant optimization challenge on the original Switch.

The combination of increased CUDA cores, RAM capacity, and speed allows for features like high polygon-count characters and real-time cloth physics (visible on the flagpoles), representing a considerable leap in graphical capabilities compared to the original Switch.

While awaiting further details in April's Nintendo Direct, Dulay's analysis offers valuable insight into the potential graphical power of the Nintendo Switch 2. [ttpp]