A new leak has reignited concerns about the Nintendo Switch 2 ’s technical capabilities after Chinese tech YouTuber Geekerwan shared a detailed look at what is claimed to be the console’s motherboard and custom NVIDIA Tegra processor. According to Geekerwan, the device was purchased through unofficial channels and appears to confirm several long-standing rumors about the system’s hardware.

The footage shows that the new custom NVIDIA SoC is significantly larger than the original Tegra X1 chip used in the first Switch — measuring 207 mm² compared to 118 mm² . In fact, it even surpasses the die size of the mobile RTX 3050 Ti, suggesting more processing power on paper. However, appearances can be deceiving.

Despite previous speculation that the chip would be built on an 8nm process , Geekerwan claims it resembles Samsung’s 10nm node, possibly a customized variant. More concerning is the fact that the chip was reportedly manufactured back in 2021, supporting earlier rumors that Nintendo had completed its hardware design years ago but delayed the launch.

The most important component — the GPU — appears to be based on a hybrid between NVIDIA’s Ampere and Ada Lovelace architectures , featuring 6 TPC clusters with 2 SM units each , totaling 1536 CUDA cores . This configuration is comparable to entry-level to mid-tier mobile RTX GPUs found in budget gaming laptops.

In a performance test using Cyberpunk 2077 at 1080p with minimum settings and DLSS set to Quality mode , the console managed only around 35 FPS — a far cry from smooth triple-A performance expected on next-gen hardware.

While the Switch 2 may offer a noticeable improvement over its predecessor, the use of a four-year-old chip raises serious questions about its future-proofing. As seen with the original Switch, initial performance might seem acceptable, but within a few years, users are likely to face increasing complaints about poor frame rates and graphical limitations .

This leak suggests that Nintendo is once again betting on portability and software optimization rather than raw power — a strategy that could pay off in the short term but may struggle to keep pace with modern gaming demands as the console ages.

Main image: youtube.com

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