NVIDIA’s Tegra239 SoC Confirmed for Nintendo Switch 2; First Glimpse of the Chip Surfaces

Seems like Nintendo’s next-gen console, the Switch 2, is once again benefiting from NVIDIA’s tech wizardry, much like its predecessor. We’ve finally caught a glimpse of the chip fueling this device online.

So, it’s official—NVIDIA’s Tegra239 is the powerhouse behind the Nintendo Switch 2, featuring an ARM-based design that’s packing quite the punch. Since the Switch 2 launched, we’ve been curious about its capabilities, particularly its smooth 4K, 60 FPS performance when docked. Although the specifics of the chip remained under wraps initially, it was clear that Nintendo’s partnership with NVIDIA meant something special. Rumors were swirling about the new Tegra239 chip being under the hood, and now thanks to @Kurnalsalts on Twitter, we know this is true. The photo they shared gives us our first real look at the “T239” chip.

While the tweet doesn’t dive into the detailed specs, we can lean on earlier reports. The Tegra239 is rumored to have eight Arm Cortex-A78C cores and a hybrid GPU utilizing both Ada Lovelace and Ampere architecture with 1536 CUDA cores. The CPU is expected to clock between 1.1 GHz and 1.5 GHz, depending on whether the console is docked. The system also boasts a 128-bit memory interface using LPDDR5, ensuring quick and efficient performance.

A photo shared by the Twitter user hints at minimal additional details, leaving us to fill in the gaps with existing knowledge. The standout feature of the Tegra239 appears to be its support for DLSS upscaling, greatly enhancing the console’s performance prowess. If you’re looking for a deep dive into the specifics, we’ve covered the device comprehensively in another post. The introduction of the Tegra239 illustrates NVIDIA’s ongoing ambition in custom ASIC development, incorporating ARM technology to keep the Switch lineup exclusive with their innovative solutions.

However, the elephant in the room is when NVIDIA plans to introduce a similar game-changer for the AI PC market. There have been whispers about NVIDIA collaborating with MediaTek on an ARM-centric SoC line, potentially named the N1X and N1 series. Yet, there’s no concrete news on this front just yet. We’ll be keeping a close watch!