Nintendo Switch 2 leaks hint at a more powerful system than players expect

With the slew of Nintendo Switch 2 leaks lately, brand-new tech details suggest the elusive next-gen system from Nintendo may have some oomph to it. According to longtime leaker Necro Felipe, the upcoming hybrid system will boast meatier specs than what some players could be expecting. Given the current Nintendo Switch model lacks in the power department, many players have low expectations.

However, new details coupled with what we have heard over the past few days likely hint at a silver lining for both Nintendo and potential purchasers of their next-gen platform.

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Latest Nintendo Switch 2 leaks suggest a powerhouse may be in the making

As per the leaker, the next-gen Nintendo Switch will boast 12 GB of RAM. This is a big jump from the current rendition's 4 GB. Many fans assumed Nintendo would opt for 8 GB as they have largely been conservative compared to their competition when it comes to tech specs. If true, this is good news for future buyers as it can hold its own against the ever-increasing complexity of modern games.

Furthermore, he reiterates previous Nintendo Switch 2 leaks, saying that ray-tracing is indeed possible on the upcoming successor system. Insiders recently claimed that the device was showcased to developers behind closed doors at Gamescom 2023. One of the demos featured raytracing as well as DLSS tech in action.

Given multiple unrelated sources are claiming the same thing, this has a high chance of being true. Although Necro did add that the DLSS version used in the Nintendo Switch 2 leaks for the demo was 3.1 and not 3.5, as some insiders thought. Back to the main topic, all reports paint the upcoming successor in a good light.

With Nintendo opting for 2015's Tegra X1 in the current Nintendo Switch, fans would be forgiven for thinking their next system would be low-powered too, as a cost-saving measure. But even going off just the 12 GB RAM part, that does suggest the rest of the package will be equally premium. For the record, the Steam Deck boasts 16 GB RAM.

Since games would be more tightly optimized for the Nintendo Switch 2 over a handheld PC, it should be able to get away with less. As for the CPU and GPU, a hefty markup in RAM should have similarly competent tech to go alongside it. We speculate the final hardware will feature the Tegra Orin SOC boasting an octa-core processor with the rumored Nvidia Ampere GPU architecture.

The latter would also explain the existence of discreet Tensor Cores to enable ray tracing on such a power-efficient device. Past leaks have pegged performance and visual fidelity comparable to PS5, but there is a catch. It is impossible for handheld tech to be on par with a home console of the same generation.

So in terms of raw power, fans should expect real-world performance similar to a PS4 Pro, but with the modern features of the PS5. This is still not a bad deal by any means as it opens doors for countless exciting ports to the platform if the leaks are true. Looking at the current onslaught of Nintendo Switch 2 leaks, we may hear more in the upcoming weeks.