Why That Brief Look at Mario Kart 9 Suggests Nintendo Switch 2 Is 'Significantly More Powerful' Than the Original — According to a Developer

An indie developer with extensive experience creating games for the original Nintendo Switch has offered compelling reasons why the brief glimpse of Mario Kart 9 strongly suggests the Switch 2 boasts significantly enhanced processing power.

Last week's unveiling of the Nintendo Switch 2 generated considerable excitement. However, Nintendo has remained notably tight-lipped regarding the console's technical capabilities. While upgrades like new Joy-Cons, a redesigned kickstand, and a larger form factor are evident, the Switch 2's raw power remains officially undisclosed.

But could the fleeting Mario Kart 9 footage from the reveal video offer clues? In a recent YouTube video (via GamesRadar), indie developer Jerrel Dulay of Sungrand Studios—a veteran credited with working on titles for the Wii U and 3DS—argues for a substantial power increase in the Switch 2. His intimate familiarity with Nintendo hardware lends weight to his analysis.

Mario Kart 9 - A First Look

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Dulay posits that the Mario Kart 9 trailer showcases the Switch 2's potential. He highlights the use of "physically-based shaders" on vehicles and textures, capable of reacting realistically to reflections and lighting.

Late in 2023, Digital Foundry released a comprehensive report (link provided) detailing the Switch 2's alleged hardware, including the Nvidia T239 ARM mobile chip. This chip reportedly features 1536 CUDA cores—40% fewer than the desktop RTX 3050 but still a significant leap from the original Switch's Tegra X1 chip with only 256 CUDA cores (representing a 500% increase). This aligns with leaked Switch 2 motherboard images suggesting an 8nm chip.

Dulay emphasizes the extensive use of physically-based rendering in the Mario Kart 9 footage, noting that this was computationally demanding on the original Switch, often impacting frame rates. He also points to detailed material reflections and high-resolution ground textures, demanding both processing power and significant RAM.

The original Switch's 4GB of RAM is dwarfed by the rumored 12GB in the Switch 2 (supported by leaked motherboard images showing two 6GB SK Hynix LPDDR5 modules). While the exact RAM speed is unknown, the potential for speeds up to 7500MHz (compared to the original Switch's 1600MHz) suggests a substantial increase in bandwidth, accelerating texture loading and enhancing visual fidelity. Dulay highlights not only the high resolution but also the sheer number of unique textures employed.

The Mario Kart 9 trailer also demonstrates "true volumetric lighting"—computationally expensive for any GPU—taking into account distance and density for realistic light rays. Dulay considers this a strong indicator of the Switch 2's power, particularly given the aim for a smooth 60 frames per second. He further notes the presence of far-distance shadows, another computationally intensive effect.

The combination of high-resolution textures, high polygon count characters, real-time cloth physics, and advanced lighting effects showcased in the trailer, according to Dulay, represents a substantial leap in graphical capabilities compared to the original Switch.

While awaiting further details and footage, Dulay's analysis provides valuable insight into the anticipated graphical power of the Nintendo Switch 2. Nintendo's April Direct promises more information.