NVIDIA’s Tegra239 SoC “Confirmed” for Nintendo Switch 2; First Glimpse of Chip Emerges

It seems that the Nintendo Switch 2 is harnessing some of NVIDIA’s well-known tech magic, just like its predecessor, with its chip recently making its first online appearance.

Details on NVIDIA’s Tegra239 Chip in the Nintendo Switch 2: ARM Architecture and Performance Insights

As the Nintendo Switch 2 hit the scene, we got a glimpse of its features, such as 4K 60 FPS output when docked, but details on its powering chip were sparse. We did hear that Nintendo struck a deal with NVIDIA to use their customized Tegra SoCs, sparking discussions about the device showcasing the next-gen Tegra239 chip. This speculation is now confirmed, thanks to a chip photo shared by @Kurnalsalts that shows NVIDIA’s Tegra239 chip with the "T239" label.

The tweet itself didn’t delve into specifics, so we fall back on what past insights have told us. The chip reportedly boasts eight Arm Cortex-A78C cores and a hybrid GPU with Ada Lovelace and Ampere components, housing 1536 CUDA cores. It’s estimated that the CPU clocks between 1.1 GHz and 1.5 GHz, considering performance boosts when the system is docked. Additionally, the chip features a 128-bit memory interface using LPDDR5 technology.

Though comprehensive details about the Tegra239 are scarce, it’s known that the SoC is equipped with DLSS upscaling technology. This is crucial in boosting the console’s overall performance. For a detailed spec rundown, check our dedicated post where we dissect the device thoroughly. NVIDIA’s release of the Tegra239 chip further demonstrates their ongoing commitment to custom ASICs, continuing their exclusive collaboration with Nintendo.

However, the pressing question remains: when will NVIDIA reveal its chip aimed at the AI PC market? Rumors have been circulating since last year about a possible collaboration with MediaTek for an ARM-focused SoC, potentially dubbed the N1X and N1 series, but there have been no updates as of now.