How DLSS on the Nintendo Switch 2 could redefine handheld gaming performance

The launch of the Nintendo Switch 2 was nothing short of extraordinary, pricing issues aside. Nintendo delivered everything we hoped for and then some more. According to the company, the Switch 2 is powered by an Nvidia chip, which can play many games at up to 1080p when handheld or 4K when docked natively.

However, demanding AAA games may not run at such high resolutions natively. This is where a technology like DLSS comes in, upscaling demanding games to 4K while also helping them maintain a smooth 60 FPS

In this article, we will analyze the performance impact that DLSS can have on the Switch 2 and explain how it can redefine handheld gaming.

Note: Aspects of this article are subjective and reflect the writer's opinions.

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Why DLSS can be a game changer on the Nintendo Switch 2: Explained

4K support in Metroid 4 (Image via Nintendo)

The Switch 2 is powered by an Nvidia chip, which is powerful enough to deliver up to 1080p with 60 FPS in handheld mode or 4K with 60 FPS in docked mode. Nintendo demonstrated it in a game called Metroid Prime 4: Beyond - Switch 2 Edition.

Thanks to the Nvidia chip, the Switch 2 console was able to deliver such a performance level natively without any use of any upscaling or frame generation technology. However, Metroid 4 Beyond is not a graphically demanding game, which is why it can run at such high resolutions.

Graphically demanding games like Cyberpunk 2077, Split Fiction, Elden Ring, Hogwarts Legacy, and more might have trouble running at high resolutions without upscaling technologies like DLSS.

According to a blog post by Nvidia, the Switch 2 chipset features dedicated ray tracing and tensor cores. The inclusion of Tensor cores allows this chip to use Nvidia's famed DLSS technology, which can be a game-changer for the handheld device.

How DLSS works

Performance difference of an Nvidia GPU with DLSS on and off (Image via Nvidia)

Running any game at 1080 will always deliver a lower FPS than running it at 720p. The lower the resolution, the higher the FPS. However, a lower-resolution picture doesn't look good, which is why the need for higher resolutions, such as 1080p, 1440p, or even 4K, exists.

Nvidia DLSS can deliver frame rates seen in lower resolutions while delivering higher resolution-like picture quality. Let's say a game runs at 1080p with 30 FPS. To achieve this, DLSS will run the game at 720p with 60 FPS and then use AI to turn the 720p image to 1080p without hampering the frame rate. Essentially, it will deliver 1080p gaming with 60 FPS. This is why DLSS can redefine gaming, and its results have been quite promising in the PC gaming space.

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Can DLSS help games achieve 60 FPS or 4K resolution?

DLSS is highly configurable and can be tweaked to deliver 1080p visuals with up to 120 FPS or 4K with up to 60 FPS. However, Nintendo has left it up to the developers to choose whether they want to use DLSS or not. Therefore, a game can run at 4K natively or via DLSS, but it will be up to the developers to make that choice.

Developers can also let players make their own decisions by introducing Quality and Performance modes, like how it was demonstrated in the Metroid 4 Beyond Switch 2 Edition.

The Quality mode will run games at higher resolutions with a lower FPS, while the performance mode will play at lower resolutions with more FPS.

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Games confirmed with DLSS

As of this writing, neither Nintendo nor Nvidia has confirmed which games will potentially use DLSS and to what capacity. However, we will update this article once we learn more.