New Nintendo Patent Is Good News for Switch 2 Upscaling

Summary

Nintendo Switch 2 patent reveals AI-based upscaling for handheld mode.
AI upscaler to convert 540p image to 1080p with higher frame rates.
Details on features, pricing, and release date to be announced on April 2 Nintendo Direct.

On March 13, Nintendo filed a patent that confirmed the Nintendo Switch 2 will use upscaling technology while in handheld mode to improve performance in compatible games. The Nintendo Switch 2 patent listed examples of how the upscaling technology would work and included examples of the original and upscaled resolutions that would be utilized.

The Nintendo Switch 2 is the successor to the original Switch console, and discussions over its power and capabilities have made it the worst-kept secret in Nintendo’s recent history before its January reveal. While it has a bigger screen than the Switch and new Joy-Con controllers, the Switch 2 will also be backward compatible with most physical and digital Switch games, barring a few exceptions. Although the original Switch will still see support from Nintendo via upcoming titles like Metroid Prime 4: Beyond and Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition, it remains to be seen if the performance of those games will be improved on the Switch 2.

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Although some FCC filings have confirmed the wireless capabilities of the Switch 2 system, a new patent indicates there’s more to Nintendo’s upcoming console. First spotted by Mike Odyssey on Twitter, Nintendo filed a patent with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on March 13 that shared examples of how the Nintendo Switch 2 could use AI-based upscaling technology to render games at a lower resolution to a higher one in Handheld Mode.

New Nintendo Switch 2 Patent Shows AI-Based Upscaling In Handheld Mode

Nintendo filed a patent with the USPTO on March 13 over the Switch 2’s technologies.
The new patent covered how an AI-based upscaler could be used in games.
Nintendo’s patent demonstrated using upscaling in handheld mode to convert a 540p image to 1080p.
More details about Switch 2 will be revealed during the April 2 Nintendo Direct broadcast.

The patent listed a 540p image as an example of how the AI upscaler could be used. Like Nvidia DLSS or AMD FSR, the Switch 2’s AI upscaling would run the rendered image through a neural network and reorganize it. The result of Nintendo’s example image would be output at 1080p, double the resolution of the original render, with higher frame rates than a full render.

However, the patent did not state the impact upscaling would have on battery life or if higher resolutions could be used with the Switch 2 in Docked Mode. What Switch 2 games will support upscaling remains to be seen. The AI-upscaling patent is the latest in a string of Nintendo patents, with some including support for proximity-based voice chat in compatible games and applications.

The Switch 2’s price, release date, and features will be revealed during the April 2 Nintendo Direct broadcast. Although questions about the Switch 2’s stock remain unanswered, only time will tell how Nintendo’s upcoming console will perform compared to other systems.