Nintendo Switch 2 NVIDIA DLSS Delivers Impressive Upscaling From 540p to 1080p in Street Fighter 6

NVIDIA DLSS support for the Nintendo Switch 2 is set to be a game-changer, judging from the results seen in Street Fighter 6.

[Vits]

If it goes from 540p to 1080p, it means it's using DLSS Performance. That would be fine for handheld mode, but this is docked. It's half of the native resolution that you find on the Series S version.

[drivxr]

It's a handled first. It has a limited power profile for a reason.

Compared to a console you plug to the wall...

[Vits]

Compared to the weak console released half a decade ago, that costs less and which some claimed was holding back game development. And again, that was its performance while docked, where the Switch 2 can stretch its legs.

But sure, I’ll indulge you. It’s about 80% of the native resolution you get on the Steam Deck running on medium settings. So no, it's not good.

[CrimsonWing69]

No, it’s a hybrid console. Docked, it’s not a handheld…

[GhostTurtle]

Rasterization it's weaker than the damn base PS4......

[badz149]

@drivxr

But they are charging PS5 price for this thing. 540p base res to ensure 60fps? That's pathetically weak.

[Profchaos]

It's a handheld system.

It's competing against the steam deck and ROG let's not move the goalposts to a system that can draw power from the wall and doesn't have to manage heat in a mobile package

[gigoran8]

Of course. Its makes perfect sense now. Because it comes with a docking station to connect to a TV a separate purchase of a camera to connect to it. because its a handheld. Wow, thanks for opening my eyes.

[Si-Fly]

If you’ve ever used DLSS Performance mode you know that the image quality is awful, I avoid it at all costs. The impressive part here is that Switch 2 is upscaling from 540p but the image is so clean for SF6 that most assumed it was native!

[badz149]

because the screen is small. if it keeps using it in docked mode, the artifacts will be more visible on TVs

[NotoriousWhiz]

I don't care how it achieves its performance. I only care that it performs. Does it look and perform well?

[thesoftware730]

@Notorious

Exactly this!!

[ABizzel1]

Cyberpunk is running the same resolution and uses DLSS to upscale the game. So as some of us have been saying Switch 2 is not a Series S or PS4 Pro etc…. It’s much closer to an XBO handheld / PS4+ docked.

What helps Switch 2 push above the last-gen consoles are its current-gen modernizations:

More RAM 12GB vs 8GB (huge for developers, it has more than even the SeriesS)
A better CPU (huge for physics, logic, and higher framerates more 40fps / 60fps games)
Faster storage (huge for developers data transfer & huge for gamers loading times)
Finally one of the top 2 consoles AI upscalers this generation DLSS-lite vs PSSR (2x - 4x resolution boost)

The majority of its library will be XBO/PS4 quality games running a bit better in docked mode due to the generational advancements in hardware.

[thesoftware730]

That sounds perfectly fine to me..Nintendo always managed to make games look better than many high end consoles games... Metroid Prime games, Mario: Odyssey, MK8, Zelda: Breath of the wild, Zelda:Wind Waker, Donkey Kong: and a few other still look great on so much weaker hardware.

So to get better than PS4, they will work magic.

[OpenGL]

The AI upscaler point is irrelevant, the PS5 and Series X run this game at native 4K60.

[badz149]

@thesoftware730

being nostalgic is fine but to say that these games:

"Metroid Prime games, Mario: Odyssey, MK8, Zelda: Breath of the wild, Zelda:Wind Waker, Donkey Kong:"

as "look better than many high end console games" is outright delusional! what games do you compare them to? Dave the Diver? White Tiger?

[thesoftware730]

@ bad

I think Mario: Odyssey looks better than Knack games, and not too far off of first Astrobot, I think smash brother looked better than PlayStation All stars, I think Breath of the Wild looks better than Atomfall, and in some respects Eden Ring .

Overall some Nite do games seems to punch above their weight..this is known.

[badz149]

@software730

If you think Odyssey looks better than Knack, you haven't play Knack at all especially Knack 2. Odyssey may be the better game but graphically, it's not even close to Knack nonmatter what you think.

And which Astrobot game you're referring to? Astro playroom graphically shat on Odyssey, no contest. It's a free game too but it's on PS5, so that's a given. And right now Nintendo can only dream of making something like Rescue Mission as they don't have a tool for it. Thanks to VR, Rescue Mission is the best platformer there is. Nintendo can try again when they have their own VR.

And no, BoTW doesn't look better than Elden Ring, not even close. Just take that Nintendo tinted glasses and see reality already.

[ABizzel1]

@OpenGL

It isn’t irrelevant. The PS5 and SeriesX also runs games at Native 1080p and sometimes lower, and use their upscalers (FSR) to push back up to 1440p targeted resolutions. The Series S is worst off. A good upscaler can be a huge benefit for performance and resolution and DLSS has been the best (FSR4 is competition with all but the full DLSS4 model), so yeas it does matter.

And my point was an AI upscaler is something that the previous generation of consoles doesn’t have, which is why the Switch 2 is a slight step ahead of them especially in docked mode, and again at times seems on par with Series S / PS4 Pro, even though technologically it’s not.

[ABizzel1]

@thesoftware

I think you’re talking about a preference of art style over graphics. Those “high end console games” are graphically and technologically superior, but to your point an art style can carry a game graphically as well.

[Tacoboto]

And there are videos showing the Switch 2 version supposedly looking preferable to the Series S version.

What does the native res matter when something like that is even up to debate?

[ABizzel1]

What games/videos are you talking about? If you’re saying SF, it’s because the Xbox consoles have a known graphics bug that was never fixed. But to your last point I don’t think anyone would say native res “matters”, if there’s no perceptional difference, but there can be difference and some people who are more on the tech side like to understand the reason behind these things.

Switch 2 > Series S
There are plenty of games on different versions of AI upscalers, some games are FSR 2.0 (not good at low resolutions like SS/Switch 2) only while having DLSS 3.0, some don’t have FSR at all and have DLSS. In cases like that, then there may very well be examples where the Switch 2 looks better than the Series S, but those will be one offs, and not the norm.

Native vs AI
There are some things that make AI look better than Native images, and in some cases AI introduces additional artifacts that Native doesn’t. At higher resolutions AI is usually the better solution than Native, but when we’re talking about sub 1080p resolutions that’s when AI starts to break down. Most of the time a native 1080p image is better than an upscaled 1080p image, not always but most of the time.

Native 4K
Then there’s the final thing, playing upscaled sub HD upscaled content, on a potential Native 4K screen. All of the issues with AI upscaling at a sub resolution become even more apparent.

So that’s the “how it’s possible” and the “why it matters, technologically”. Now does anyone have to care no, most people are just playing games, and if it looks good it looks good.

[hiawa23]

To be fair it is a handheld hybrid console. From everything I have seen on the console it is not on the level of a Series S power wise in dock mode so I hope Nintendo fans are not expecting that. I was excited for the Switch 2 before info on it released, but after much of the info has come out about it, I think I will continue with the Switch1 and sit back on the S2 at launch. Seems to me the S2 should be compared to other handhelds and not the regular consoles. The point of a S2 is for the Nintendo games for my tastes, not games I would generally get on Series X or PS5 Pro.

[ABizzel1]

There are a lot of people confusing the 3TF to make them believe it is on par with the Series S / PS4 Pro.

It’s a great piece of tech, that pushes above its weight class thanks to current console/PC modernizations and DLSS-lite.

It should have been $399 IMO, but the only real downside I’ve seen is the price on games, MANY games basically being download and not on cartridge, and foolishness such as charging people for what is essentially an Introduction to the hardware demo.

There are some games I’d just rather get on my PS5 Pro for the best experience, but some games I’d be okay with on the go as well, as well as 1st party software, but I’m probably going to wait on Switch 2 unless I randomly fall into one that’s available without preorder. I see a 3DS like event happening for Switch 2, unless all of these companies are okay with holding tight to their pricing for the rest of the generation.

[originaljohn]

You can list pixel counts all day. The comparisons I've seen for Street Fighter 6 have Switch more comparable to PS5 for image quality not PS4 or Series S.

[Goodguy01]

Definitely gunna need ai upscaling for a handheld device. Wonder how well will dlss fair for the switch 2 in its lifetime.

[Profchaos]

I think if Devs target the system then we will see support for a long time most Devs have commented that scaling down a ps5 game for switch 2 is doable.

As for next gen systems coming ps6 as a example the rumours of a portable PS5 launching alongside it kind of tell us one key thing cross gen will be hanging around for a very long time so the switch 2 theoretically will be the lowest spec target for current gen and we are looking at a super long cross gen period

[porkChop]

Nvidia can continue to update the algorithms for DLSS on the Switch 2 just as they have on PC. Even without having access to newer generations of DLSS, just the updated algorithms can increase visual fidelity and performance over time. It would just need to be included in Nintendo's firmware updates.

[badz149]

all this confirmed is the Switch 2 will have the worst version of 3rd party games for the whole gen AGAIN! and now probably for more money as well considering how Nintendo been pricing their own games.

[barom]

Can’t help but feel a bit disappointed. Don’t Steam Deck run the games better than this?

[gigoran8]

Suddenly it doesn't seem worth the price increase. They really are 2 generations behind the competition.

[hiawa23]

The original Switch was behind even the base Xbox 1 and PS4, so is this really a surprise?

[Mike69]

It does!

[gold_drake]

is that really .. such a flex tho?

there are some thrid party games that are coming soon, or one that i know of, that has 1080p with 60fps on the switch 2, while ps5 and xbox has 4k and 60 fps.

i meanz at this pointz its already being left behind and its not even out yet.

im not sure if nintendo just doesnt give a fuck or if they are slowly moving away from 3rd part support.

[ZycoFox]

Anyone except those not familiar with hardware requirements should know that buying this for 3rd party (except games light on hardware) isn't a good idea. You buy a PS5 / Xbox whatever, or move up to PC for multiplats.

What pisses me off is that Nintendo will likely have some good games but also skimp on content again for others, then proceed to drag it out over 8 years like they did the first Switch..

Plus if PS5 is going to struggle to hold 30FPS with GTA 6 (maybe an outlier for now) then Switch 2 is flat out not going to be able to run certain games at all, and some will look like utter crap if cut down a lot to make them work.

[Stwert]

I mostly agree, I have my PC/PS5 Pro and XsX for their exclusives and multi platform releases. Switch and Switch 2 are and will be primarily for the Nintendo exclusives.

Having said that, I’m not a graphics whore, I like games to look nice whenever possible, but gameplay matters more than anything to me. And I also kind of think of it in the same terms as anything else, cameras for instance.
I have a DSLR and a ton of lenses for when I know I’m specifically going to go somewhere and want the best images possible.
But, the VAST majority of photos I actually take are done with my phone. And why? Because the best camera you have, is the one you have with you. It’s a very old saying in photography circles, but it’s never been more true than in the past decade or so.

I’m the same when it comes to games, the best system is the one I have access to. If I’m at home, obviously I’m usually playing either PS5 Pro or PC. But I spent 8 months living in hospital and all I had games wise were my Steam Deck and my Switch. I played through Doom and Doom Eternal on the Switch (shocking, I know). Did they look as good as playing on PC/PS5/XsX….. Well, we all know the bloody obvious answer to that lol.
Did I enjoy them any less really though? No, not really, I still got a blast from playing them, even if they were low resolution, low texture quality, paired back effects and lower frame rates.

I’ll be the same with Switch 2. Already pre-ordered Cyberpunk despite having it on PC and PS5. Sure, I could just use my Steam Deck or Legion Go for playing it on the go, but they’re less likely to be with me than Switch 2 is, so with cross save compatibility, I can keep playing wherever.

We don’t all have to like any system, thank god (there’s a reason my Series X gathers dust after all), but we should be glad there’s continued competition.
After all look what’s happening with Sony and Microsoft, MS trails behind for a couple of generations, so what does Sony do now? Increase the price of the PS5 twice already and release an eye watering expensive Pro version. Competition in any market is good for pushing innovation and helping to keep prices down and at the end of the day, we’re the ones who benefit most from that.
So bring on the Switch 2, 3 and 4, even if they’re underpowered (although for a handheld, I don’t think the S2 is too bad).

[jznrpg]

It’s not impressive

[Rage77]

A lot of people here crying "so disappointed" while having the discussion points of a doorknob, very predictable.
Goalposts are not even goalposts anymore ..they are a literal hockey puck being flung from side to side.
These amazing takes are from people who for years has made this site an exercise in "where can i find the most idiotic fanboys from across the world on a consistent level"
For years, people scoffed at the possibility of Switch 2 ending up with great hardware (DF being one of the many place promoting this) even though the Facts always there (leaks from Nvidia hack way back) that all ended up being true (to DF's chagrin) Now that "the impossible" has come true, everybody and their mother are trying still to belittle what it represents: "Best in class" (compared to X1 from switch 1) of possible choices available at the time of deciding, sure they could of gone with more advanced node and chipset, but that would have dragged the already late timeframe and costs. But funny enough it ends up outclassing all other mobile options around in sheer hardware features/Api (Nvidia based) plus aside from being ampere based it also carries features from Ada as well. it sits at (upon confirmation and teardowns) 1.7tf portable and 3.1tf docked (this while not factoring hardware based feature set) anyone trying to math this in a way to either make this seem bad (PS4 level, weaker than steam deck) is just delusional or hanging on every bias known to a gamer. Bitch about the prices, Bitch about game key cards, try to make whats in Switch 2 seem weak, all the healthy signs of a troll/has no iota of an idea what they are talking about.

PS: Oh and for the drones harping foul at 540p going to 1080p being a "shit" DLSS upscale...this is not a desktop chipset that is doing the conventional DLSS as we know it, its a mobile variant that is being customized for its needs.
furthermore it is also public knowledge that Nintendo "patented" a custom dlss like solution to be used for certain use cases. how good/comparable this will be? time will tell but assuming anything else at this point is being ignorant for ignorance sake.

[Doomeduk]

TLDR Secret Sauce again ?

[Rage77]

"DoomedUK" tells me everything i need to know from you, LOL
Not trying to hate, but if you have been around for awhile and dont fall for "rewriting history" BS
You would know British folk has had a hard on for bringing Nintendo down, since the 16 bit era.
That hasn't seem to have gone away, nor it will i believe.
Their motivation In a nutshell:
1) they were mostly relegated to long waiting for ports (if they even got any)
2) they embraced Sega as their "Fuck you" to Nintendo early on over there.
3) When Sega went 3rd party, they jumped to Sony as their new "saviour" (how is that working for ya)
4) Still spiteful towards Nintendo because at one point tried to re write history by claiming: "the 1983 gaming crash never happened" once again by trying to declare that their local scene was anything but a blip at the time. So very salty to hear people say Nintendo saved gaming back then. (which they did by the way, sorry to hurt your feelings, LOL)

[Destiny1080]

540p

impressively more powerful then playstation one

[gigoran8]

based fact

[badz149]

that's as powerful as the PS Vita

[RedDevils]

It's better be, PS1 was 30 years ago...

/s

[PRIMORDUS]

I have the Switch 2 preorder just waiting for the email from Nintendo but honestly console tech doesn't get me excited, since I have a gaming PC it's more like been there done that lol.

[DragoonUS]

I'm supposed to be impressed? I was expecting upscale to 4k from 1080p...

[Good-Smurf]

That's some aggressive upscaling from 540p at docked mode lol I bet they're really struggling to find balance out good looks and performance with adequate battery life, and it shows, again Nintendo cheapening out on battery size when they're the one used to getting the most battery life out of any handheld system it used to be their highest priority while designing a portable system.
Going with Nvidia is never going to give you the most power efficient mobile chip they're so far behind in that regard compared to AMD it's a joke, the only saving grace going with Nvidia is DLSS.

[Good-Smurf]

A lot of Nintendo fans are going to cope a lot with their Switch 2 getting the worst looking and performing version of games again AND it's very likely to be the most expensive version to play as well.
Deal with it, that's the consequence of going portable you're not getting the best of both worlds like you want to believe.
It's a fighting game and Switch 2's already struggling lol.

[UltimateOwnage]

lol, there’s so much hyperbole in the replies. Plenty of people to this day still insist Switch is too weak and assumed it would fail. Hate to break it to you, it’s one of the best selling systems of all time with the largest library of almost any non-PC platform. Switch 2 is going to do just fine. These are launch games, this is a quick and dirty port and DLSS is pulling all the weight, and this is hardly representative of what any optimized title will be able to achieve.

[fsfsxii]

The games are looking to be a smeary mess

[Rage77]

@GhostTurtle: Where you get that info from ...a dev kit? No, then let me guess again: DF?
If not you have no clue what the hell you are even talking about. But thats par for the course here on N4G: "home of the Loudest PS trolls" It was funny back when it was Xbox vs PS like 10 years ago or more, when at least from both sides there were substantial arguments for each, but by God those people moved on, and now what's left is the mindset of 12 year olds, equivalent to monkeys throwing shit to each other and screeching sounds. If you live for the console warring BS, at least educate yourselves and research, (and no that doesn't mean taking DF word as gospel for mud slinging) Actually try to understand how shit work so you dont look like a dufus.