NVIDIA’s Tegra239 Chip Verified for Nintendo’s Switch 2; First Images Emerge

It seems like Nintendo has once again tapped into NVIDIA’s expertise for its newest console, the Switch 2. Everyone’s been curious about what powers this next-gen device, and it’s now confirmed: the Tegra239 chip is at the heart of it all.

When the Nintendo Switch 2 was announced, many were excited to learn about its capabilities, especially its ability to deliver 4K resolution at 60 frames per second when docked. However, details on the exact chip inside remained a mystery for a while. We were aware that Nintendo had a partnership with NVIDIA for custom Tegra System-on-Chips (SoCs), leading many to suspect the Tegra239 would be the engine driving it. Finally, this speculation has been put to rest. Thanks to a Twitter user, @Kurnalsalts, we’ve gotten our first glimpse of the Tegra239 chip, clearly marked as “T239.”

Though the Twitter post didn’t dive into specifics, we have some pretty sound insights into the Tegra239’s expected specifications. The chip packs a punch with eight Arm Cortex-A78C cores and a GPU that blends elements from the Ada Lovelace and Ampere architectures, boasting 1536 CUDA cores. The CPU’s clock speeds range from 1.1 GHz to 1.5 GHz, likely fluctuating depending on whether the console is docked. Coupled with a 128-bit memory interface, the device utilizes LPDDR5 technology for speedy performance.

Even though information on the Tegra239 remains somewhat sparse, one key feature stands out: the chip’s compatibility with NVIDIA’s DLSS upscaling technology, greatly enhancing the console’s performance capabilities. We’ve explored the Switch 2’s specs in more detail in another post, if you’re eager to dive deeper. This collaboration demonstrates NVIDIA’s commitment to creating custom ASIC solutions, and through its ongoing partnership with ARM and Nintendo, it continues to have exclusive ties with the Switch series.

Amidst this excitement, a bigger question looms: when will NVIDIA step more firmly into the AI PC arena? There’s been ongoing speculation about a future NVIDIA collaboration with MediaTek to release ARM-focused SoCs, possibly named the N1X and N1 series. However, updates on this front have been surprisingly quiet.