An interesting Nintendo Switch 2 dev kit substitute has been put together by the popular YouTuber Austin Evans to see what kind of performance a next-gen Switch console could potentially offer. Evans used an Nvidia Jetson Orin NX 16 GB kit for benchmarking and then built a “Switch 2” PC to replicate the performance in gaming tests.
A new video from Austin Evans has followed his attempt to put together a sort of Nintendo Switch 2 dev kit to test for processing performance and gaming ability. As the YouTuber points out, the simulation was just for fun and based on the most common rumors about the next-gen Switch’s components. Evans ordered an Nvidia Jetson Orin NX 16 GB kit (at US$899), while also reminding his audience that “NX” was used for the Nintendo Switch’s codename. However, he clearly knows that NX for the kit stands for “Nano Xavier”. He opens up the kit to show off the SoC inside it and describes its key specs: 8-core CPU (TE980-M) and GPU with 1,024 shader processors alongside 16 GB LPDDR5 RAM.
After benchmarking the developer kit on Geekbench and GravityMark, Evans proceeds to build a “Switch 2” PC utilizing an underclocked AMD Ryzen 7 2700X (@2.25 GHz; no SMT) and underclocked Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 as these parts produced the most similar results to the Orin NX 16 GB. An RTX 3050 was also tested, as it offers the same Ampere architecture as the Tegra kit, but it was deemed unstable. As can be seen in the screenshots below for The Witcher 3, Apex Legends, and Fortnite, the Nintendo Switch 2 dev kit substitute offered much better output than its Switch OLED Model rival. FPS rates for the dev kit doppelganger went anywhere from 1.5x higher to as much as over 4.5x greater than the console, with the added bonus of higher resolution (see table below).
| Nintendo Switch OLED | Nintendo Switch 2 PC | |
|---|---|---|
| The Witcher 3 | Docked 720p 30 FPS/handheld 544p 30 FPS | 1080p 40-50 FPS |
| Apex Legends | Docked 720p 30 FPS/handheld 512p 30 FPS | 60 FPS |
| Fortnite | Docked 880p 30 FPS/handheld 660p 30 FPS | 120-140 FPS |
Evans also addresses rumors of the Nintendo Switch 2 utilizing some variant of the Jetson AGX Orin 64 GB kit, which is much more powerful (12x CPU cores, 2,048 GPU shaders) than its NX stablemate. It’s clearly too powerful for something like a next-generation Nintendo console, although it could arrive in a heavily customized form. The YouTuber reckons the most likely contender, like many already believe, is the still somewhat mysterious Nvidia Tegra 239 (also known as T239 and “Drake”). This chip will likely be reconfigured in such a manner that it is ideal for a Switch 2 or the like, and it would sport a more reasonable 8-core CPU, 1,024-shader GPU, 16 GB RAM configuration. Even then, Evans guesses Nintendo fans can expect around 3-4x the current performance for the Switch successor, helping it square off against the competition such as the Steam Deck and the upcoming Asus ROG Ally.
Buy the Nintendo Switch OLED Model The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom edition on Amazon
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Daniel R Deakin – Managing Editor News & Magazine – 2979 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2012
My interest in technology began after I was presented with an Atari 800XL home computer in the mid-1980s. I especially enjoy writing about technological advances, compelling rumors, and intriguing tech-related leaks. I have a degree in International Relations and Strategic Studies and count my family, reading, writing, and travel as the main passions of my life. I have been with Notebookcheck since 2012.
Daniel R Deakin, 2023-04-16 (Update: 2023-04-16)
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