Nintendo has recently filed a patent that hints at exciting developments for its next gaming console. This patent, submitted in July 2023 and published on January 1, 2025, describes a machine learning system designed to enhance image resolution. Such technology aligns with DLSS (deep learning super sampling), which uses AI to upscale game graphics, enabling higher visual quality without requiring more powerful hardware.
In the gaming world, upscaling technologies are becoming more common. Sony’s PlayStation 5 Pro uses its own method, PSSR, while AMD’s FSR is popular on various platforms, applied individually to games. Nintendo’s patent suggests it plans to incorporate a similar feature into its upcoming console, potentially offering impressive graphics on a portable device.
An interesting aspect of this patent is its focus on reducing game file sizes. By storing games in a lower resolution and upscaling them in real-time during play, the overall storage needed could be significantly decreased. For instance, a game with native 4K textures might require a 60GB download, but a 1080p version could need only 20GB. This reduction would allow games to fit onto smaller, more affordable physical media, like the current 32GB Switch cartridges.
Perhaps the most interesting piece of this, after a lengthy read, is that one example use case given is explicitly to reduce overall game sizes, to fit a modern game onto "smaller capacity physical media", e.g. Switch carts, which get exponentially more expensive for larger cart capacities. — Laura Kate Dale – LauraKBuzz (@laurakbuzz.bsky.social) 2025-01-01T13:41:57.130Z
On the same day this patent was published, images claiming to show the internal components of Nintendo’s next console appeared online. These images suggest that, like the current Switch, the new system will be powered by Nvidia hardware. While Nintendo hasn’t officially announced its new console yet, it has stated plans to do so within its current fiscal year, ending in March 2025.
This patent filing adds to the anticipation surrounding Nintendo’s next console. The potential use of AI-driven upscaling could mean we can look forward to high-quality graphics and more efficient storage solutions. As we await official details, it’s exciting to consider how these innovations might enhance our gaming experiences.
Night_Thastus on January 2nd, 2025 at 01:40 UTC »
tl;dr - Switch 2 may get AI upscaling