The reveal of the Nintendo Switch 2 has sparked excitement and speculation across the gaming community, especially after a brief glimpse at what might be Mario Kart 9. While Nintendo has yet to detail the technical capabilities of the new console, indie developer Jerrel Dulay of Sungrand Studios, with extensive experience working on titles for the Wii U and 3DS, has provided some fascinating insights into the potential power of the Switch 2.
Mario Kart 9 - First Look
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Dulay suggests that the new Mario Kart footage offers a tantalizing hint at the capabilities of the Switch 2. He pointed out the use of "physically-based shaders" on cars and other in-game elements. These shaders, which can reflect light and other environmental effects, were challenging to implement on the original Switch due to hardware limitations. The Mario Kart teaser also showcases advanced material reflections from various surfaces, indicating a significant upgrade in graphical fidelity.
In late 2023, Digital Foundry reported on the Switch 2’s hardware, suggesting it contains the Nvidia T239 ARM mobile chip with 1536 CUDA Cores. This marks a substantial leap from the original Switch’s Tegra X1 chip, which had only 256 CUDA cores. The increase to 1536 CUDA cores represents a 500% boost in core count, allowing for much more complex shader processing.
Dulay highlighted the high-resolution ground textures visible in the footage, noting that these textures require significant RAM. The original Switch had just 4GB of RAM, whereas the Switch 2 is rumored to have 12GB, as evidenced by leaked motherboard images featuring SK Hynix LPDDR5 modules. Higher RAM capacity, combined with potentially faster RAM speeds (up to 7500MHz), could drastically improve texture loading and overall graphical performance.
Another impressive feature Dulay identified was the use of "true volumetric lighting" in the Mario Kart teaser. This technique, which considers distance, height, and light density, is highly demanding on any GPU. The ability to run this at 60 frames per second, as suggested by the footage, speaks volumes about the Switch 2’s power.
Dulay also mentioned the presence of detailed shadows at greater distances, a feature that was costly to implement on the original Switch. The new console's enhanced hardware capabilities, including CUDA cores, RAM capacity, and speed, seem to mitigate these challenges significantly.
The Mario Kart 9 teaser further showcases high poly-count characters and real-time cloth physics on flagpoles, demonstrating the potential for developers to create more visually rich and dynamic games on the Switch 2 compared to its predecessor.
As we eagerly await more details and footage from Nintendo, Dulay’s analysis offers a compelling preview of the graphical leaps we might see with the Switch 2. Nintendo has promised more information in an upcoming Direct in April, so keep an eye on IGN for comprehensive coverage of the Switch 2.
