NVIDIA’s Tegra239 SoC Confirmed for Nintendo Switch 2, Chip Spotted First Time

The buzz around Nintendo’s latest console, the Switch 2, is unmistakable, especially with whispers about NVIDIA’s tech magic playing a central role once again. Just recently, a revealing image surfaced online, shedding light on the processor under the hood.

The mystery is now solved: NVIDIA’s Tegra239 chip is indeed driving the Nintendo Switch 2. This impressive piece of hardware boasts an ARM-based architecture, promising solid performance enhancements. While we’d already been treated to some specs, like a sweet 4K 60 FPS output when docked, the exact chip details were somewhat elusive—until now. Thanks to a share from @Kurnalsalts, we catch our first glimpse of the Tegra239 chip, marked distinctly with “T239.”

Unfortunately, that social media post didn’t spill additional secrets about its capabilities. So, we’re left to lean on what we’ve previously unearthed. The Tegra239 is armed with eight Arm Cortex-A78C cores and features a unique hybrid GPU blending Ada Lovelace and Ampere elements, alongside 1536 CUDA cores. CPU performance clocks in between 1.1 GHz and 1.5 GHz, depending on whether the device is docked. As for memory, it unrolls a 128-bit interface coupled with LPDDR5 tech.

Although details about the Tegra239 remain somewhat scarce, one thing’s for sure—it supports DLSS upscaling. This technology plays a vital role in juicing up the console’s performance, demonstrating NVIDIA’s commitment to cutting-edge custom ASICs and its exclusive ties with Nintendo. For a deeper dive into the specs, we’ve got you covered with an extensive post dissecting the device.

The real cliffhanger is the question of when NVIDIA will step into the AI PC market arena with its anticipated ARM-centric SoCs, rumored to be named the N1X and N1 series. Team Green was supposed to collaborate with MediaTek for this venture, but updates have been radio-silent so far. Enthusiasts and tech watchers alike are on the edge of their seats for any new developments.