Mario Kart 9 Glimpse Hints at Significantly More Powerful Nintendo Switch 2, Developer Says

The recent unveiling of the Nintendo Switch 2 has left fans buzzing with excitement, yet Nintendo has remained tight-lipped about the console's technical capabilities. While we've seen new Joy-Cons, a revamped kickstand, and a larger design, the true power of the Switch 2 remains a mystery. However, a brief glimpse of Mario Kart 9 in the reveal video has sparked speculation about the console's potential.

In a detailed YouTube analysis (via GamesRadar), indie developer Jerrel Dulay of Sungrand Studios, known for his work on the Wii U and 3DS, suggests that the Switch 2 is poised to be significantly more powerful than its predecessor. Dulay's insights into the Mario Kart 9 footage provide a fascinating look at what the new console might be capable of.

Mario Kart 9 - First Look

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Dulay points out the use of "physically-based shaders" on cars and other textures in the Mario Kart footage. These shaders, which can be influenced by reflections and lighting, were challenging to implement on the original Switch due to hardware limitations. The new footage also showcases additional material reflections, suggesting a significant upgrade in graphical capabilities.

A late 2023 report from Digital Foundry (extensive report) hinted at the Switch 2's use of the Nvidia T239 ARM mobile chip, boasting 1536 CUDA Cores—a 500% increase over the original Switch's Tegra X1 chip with just 256 CUDA cores. This was further supported by Switch 2’s motherboard leaks, which indicated an 8nm chip.

Dulay also highlighted the high-resolution ground textures in the footage, noting that such textures require substantial RAM. The original Switch has 4GB of RAM, while the Switch 2 is rumored to have 12GB, as evidenced by the two SK Hynix LPDDR5 modules seen in the motherboard leak. Although the specific speed of these RAM modules is unknown, similar SK Hynix parts can reach up to 7500MHz, significantly boosting bandwidth and texture loading speeds.

The Mario Kart teaser also features "true volumetric lighting," a demanding feature for any GPU. Dulay emphasized that the ability to run these effects at 60 frames per second indicates a substantial increase in the Switch 2's power. He also noted the presence of shadows at far distances, which were costly to render on the original Switch.

The combination of increased CUDA cores, higher RAM capacity, and faster RAM speeds suggests that the Switch 2 will offer developers a much more robust platform. Dulay pointed out the high number of onscreen textures, high poly-count characters, and real-time cloth physics on flagpoles as evidence of this leap in power.

As we await further details and footage from Nintendo, Dulay's analysis provides a compelling preview of the Switch 2's graphical prowess. Nintendo is set to reveal more in a dedicated Direct in April. Stay tuned to IGN’s Switch 2 coverage for the latest updates.