The tech experts at Digital Foundry have unveiled the final tech specifications for the Nintendo Switch 2, shedding light on the potential impact of the new GameChat feature on system performance. According to Digital Foundry, the GameChat functionality has a "significant impact" on system resources, raising concerns among developers.
During last month’s Nintendo Direct, Nintendo introduced the Switch 2’s GameChat feature, which can be activated by pressing the C button on the new Joy-Con. This feature allows players to watch each other playing the same or different games and even see each other through a camera. The built-in microphone is designed to be reliable across various gaming environments, making the C button's chat menu an all-in-one solution for multiplayer interaction. This could potentially be Nintendo's most successful online feature in years.
Digital Foundry mentioned that Nintendo provides developers with a GameChat testing tool that simulates API latency and L3 cache misses, allowing developers to test the feature's impact without active GameChat sessions. This raises questions about whether GameChat affects game performance for end users. If GameChat resources are allocated within the system's limits, there should be no difference in performance. However, the provision of emulation tools suggests that there might be some performance hit that developers need to account for.
As Digital Foundry stated, "We'll be interested to see how GameChat may (or may not) impact game performance as this does seem to be an area of developer concern." The true impact won't be known until the Switch 2 launches on June 5.
In addition to GameChat, Digital Foundry revealed the final tech specs for the Switch 2. The console has a Memory System Reservation of 3GB, leaving 9GB available for games. This contrasts with the original Switch, which had a 0.8GB Memory System Reservation and 3.2GB available for games. This means a significant portion of the Switch 2's resources is reserved for system functions, and developers do not have access to the full GPU resources.
Nintendo Switch 2 System and Accessories Gallery
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The Switch 2 features a 7.9-inch wide color gamut LCD screen capable of outputting at 1080p (1920x1080), a significant upgrade from the original Switch's 6.2-inch screen, the Switch OLED's 7-inch screen, and the Switch Lite's 5.5-inch screen. Additionally, it supports HDR10 and Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) up to 120 Hz, allowing games to reach 120fps if supported by the game and the user's setup.
When docked, the Switch 2 can play games in 4K (3840x2160) at 60fps or 1080p/1440p (1920x1080/2560x1440) at 120fps, thanks to a "custom processor made by NVIDIA." For a deeper dive into the Switch 2's capabilities, Digital Foundry's detailed specs reveal is highly recommended.
