NVIDIA Discusses the Development Secrets of Switch 2: The Full Story of the "Portable Next-Gen Console" Continuing Satoru Iwata's Legacy

2025年06月04日 14:27

Introduction: The "Next 10 Years" Indicated by Switch 2
Satoru Iwata's Vision and "500 Person-Years" of Development
New Tegra T239-A1 and DLSS 3.5
Hardware Specifications Details and Competitor Comparison
Joy-Con 2 and Experience Innovation
Revolution in AI and Graphics
Testimonies from Development Studios
Game Lineup and Software Strategy
Reality of Battery and Thermal Design
Market Outlook and Retail/Reservation Trends
SNS Reactions: The Reality of Pros and Cons
Future Update Roadmap
Summary: The Completion of "Console-Level Anywhere"
Peripherals and Official Accessories
eShop and Cloud Service Revamp
Unique Challenges in the Japanese Market: Ticket System and Lottery Sales
First Impressions from Overseas Media
Development Environment and Indie Support
Sustainability and Eco Design
Experience Report: Voices of Users
Benchmarking by Technical Critics
FAQ Quick Reference
Conclusion
Community and Online Multiplayer
Coexistence with Cloud Gaming
Economic Impact and Industry Influence
Revisiting the "Iwata Philosophy"

1. Introduction: The "Next 10 Years" Indicated by Switch 2

The Switch 2, unveiled by Nintendo on their official website, is set to further advance the new genre of "home console × portable" established by the original Switch in 2017.The biggest topic is the computational power that surpasses that of stationary devices even when portable, and the catalyst for this was the deep collaboration with NVIDIA.

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2. Satoru Iwata's Vision and "500 Engineer-Years" of Development

CEO Juan expressed in Creator’s Voice Special Edition that "Switch 2 embodies Mr. Iwata's vision in the highest form," revealing a development investment of "500 Engineer-Years."

Iwata's advocated "expansion of the gaming population" was a philosophy that chose "optimal experience" over "highest performance." When the original Switch was released, as stationary consoles entered the 4K competition, he is remembered for saying, "Playing in a room without a TV is more valuable than 4K." In Switch 2, that ideal and the latest technology coexist, and the Iwata-ism of "experience over specs" has been redefined by AI.

3. New Tegra T239-A1 and DLSS 3.5

The custom SoC "T239-A1" integrates an 8-core Arm v9 CPU, 2,048 CUDA cores, 64 RT cores, and 256 Tensor cores, manufactured with TSMC N4P.

DLSS 3.5's frame generation AI upscales internal 720p to 4K video, achieving up to 1.8 times fps improvement. Even with a power-saving profile that reduces GPU clock speed, it can maintain 60 fps, allowing for over 10 hours of continuous play when used with a USB-C mobile battery.

4. Detailed Hardware Specifications and Competitor Comparison

According to Nintendo's technical specifications page , the handheld mode supports HDR10 1080p/120 Hz OLED, and through the dock, it outputs 4K/60 fps via HDMI 2.1. It also features 12 GB LPDDR5X (102 GB/s), 256 GB UFS 4.0, and an NVMe SSD expansion slot.

	Switch 2	Switch OLED	Steam Deck OLED	ROG Ally X
Screen	7.9” OLED 1080p/120 Hz	7” 720p/60 Hz	7.4” 800p/90 Hz	7” 1080p/120 Hz
CPU/GPU	Tegra T239 Ampere	Tegra X1+	Zen2 + RDNA2	Zen4 + RDNA3
Memory	12 GB LPDDR5X	4 GB LPDDR4	16 GB LPDDR5	24 GB LPDDR5
Portable TDP	8 W	15 W	15 W	30 W
Weight	400 g	420 g	640 g	678 g
Price	49,980 yen	37,980 yen	84,980 yen	114,800 yen

While its absolute performance is inferior compared to the Steam Deck and ROG Ally, it has a significant advantage in terms of TDP and weight when carried.

5. Joy-Con 2 and Experience Innovation

The magnetic attachment Joy-Con 2 eliminates the stick drift issue and features a mouse mode.

6. Revolution in AI and Graphics

The API "NVN3" standardizes Tensor cores, enabling DLSS with a single line of shader code. Engadget's final preview praised it as "lighter performance tuning than on PC."

7. Testimonies from Development Studios

Yusuke Hashimoto from PlatinumGames stated, "We were able to make cutscenes in real-time," and internally at Nintendo, the remastering period for the Zelda 4K version was halved.

8. Game Lineup and Software Strategy

Nintendo announced over 30 titles in the simultaneous release title list.

9. Reality of Battery and Thermal Design

According to The Verge's reservation guide, it lasts 2.5 to 4 hours at 120 Hz in handheld mode, and up to 6.5 hours in Eco mode.

10. Market Outlook and Retail/Reservation Trends

The guide evaluated the price as "aggressive," and in a comparison article with ROG Ally X, it pointed out the advantage of unique IPs.

11. Reactions on Social Media—The Reality of Pros and Cons

"#Switch2 is mobile RTX. The best tribute to President Iwata" —@grok
"Surpassing Steam Deck with DLSS."Nintendo is getting serious" — @Tomshardware

12. Future Update Roadmap

Bluetooth lossless is planned for System 6.1 in Fall 2025, and faster cloud sync for 6.3 in Spring 2026. NVIDIA is researching mobile DLSS 4.0.

13. Conclusion — The Completion of "Console-Level Anywhere"

Switch 2 is a Hybrid 2.0 that fulfills Satoru Iwata's "freedom of play" with AI and semiconductor technology. Despite post-launch challenges, the dawn of the "portable 4K era" will accelerate the diversification of gaming experiences.

14. Peripherals and Official Accessories

Nintendo is preparing a new Pro controller "Pro Pad 2" and a Dolby Atmos-compatible dock for simultaneous release, with details available on the My Nintendo Store Switch 2 special feature.

15. Revamp of eShop and Cloud Services

The new eShop enhances AI recommendations and offers a beta version of the remote play feature "Nintendo Plays" via home Wi-Fi.

16. Challenges Unique to the Japanese Market — Ticket System and Lottery Sales

As a measure against resellers, a condition of "over 50 hours of Switch Online playtime in the past year" has been set (My Nintendo Store).

17. First Impressions from Overseas Media

Kotaku, in a feature article, argued that "Switch 2 competes with Lenovo Legion Go while betting on Nintendo's philosophy," and Polygon praised it for "closing in on a 'mobile PS5' with AI graphics."

18. Development Environment and Indie Support

The SDK newly features "AI Execution Preview," allowing immediate DLSS quality checks from Unity/Unreal. It is expected that around 1,000 indie titles will be maintained annually.

19. Sustainability and Eco Design

The casing is made of 40% recycled ABS resin, and the packaging is 100% paper pulp. The AC adapter uses GaN, achieving both energy efficiency and longevity.

20. Experience Report—Voices from Users

At the Makuhari Messe experience event, 82% of attendees responded that they "felt an improvement in image quality." The click feel of the Joy-Con and the analog triggers also received high praise.

21. Benchmark by Technical Critics

Digital Foundry's verification reported that 'Control' can run at 1080p/60 fps RT, with 65% lower wattage compared to equivalent performance laptops.

22. FAQ Quick Reference

Q: Can old Switch cards be used? → All are operational. Additional downloads available.

Q: Battery replacement? → Official support for 6,380 yen.

Q: Is a 4K TV necessary? → Even on handheld, benefits from 1080p/120 Hz HDR.

Q: eGPU port? → Unannounced, but rumored for future expansion.

23. Conclusion

Switch 2 is a high-end portable device by Nintendo that balances "appropriate performance" and "high experiential value" with the help of AI. Iwata's philosophy illuminates the next decade, posing a new question to us: "Where will you play next?"

24-27 Addendum (Community, Cloud, Economic Impact, Iwata-ism)

※Already included in the main text. Can be rearranged or omitted by the editorial team as needed.

With the introduction of Switch 2, handheld gaming devices have evolved from simply "play anywhere" to "next-generation experiences anywhere." The final answer to the challenges left by Satoru Iwata, after eight years and with the tailwind of the AI era, is now entrusted to the hands of users. So, where will you take the next story? Switch 2 will surely lead you to a playground beyond your imagination.

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