The announcement of the Nintendo Switch 2 is more imminent than ever. But while waiting for an official statement from the Japanese manufacturer, an official document announces the arrival of a technology making it possible to considerably improve the performance of future video games. Explanations.
The overdose of leaks linked to Switch 2
The more the weeks go by, the more leaks and other unverifiable information abound around the Nintendo Switch 2, the future console that Nintendo must announce in the year 2025. Obviously, when information leaks, it is repeated in every way, until it becomes uncontrollable. In the space of a few months, the console has been the subject of all speculation and rumors: design, sensory Joy-con, motherboard with impressive performance, or the precise date of Nintendo’s announcement.
Of course, none of this information has been confirmed by Big N. Only the long-awaited announcement will put an end to the rumors. But a recent official patent filed in July 2023 and made public on December 31, 2024 relating to l’upscaling d’images thanks to artificial intelligence deserves our attention.
Nintendo could take a step forward by resolving this major problem
The document does not explicitly mention the Nintendo Switch 2but of a technology, applicable to others, and capable of “convert images from one resolution to another resolution (for example higher), and which can be used in real-time applications from images generated, for example, by a video game engine”. Understanding a game displaying a rather low resolution of 540p, could see it increased to 1080p thanks to a process managed by AI. “Whenever 1080p is mentioned in relation to a target image, the techniques […] can also be applied to 4K images.”.
-In addition, the patent indicates that the system would also be used to reduce file size “so that they fit on a relatively smaller physical medium”, note Nintendo. We of course think of the small cartridges of the Switch.
This technology echoes that used by Sony for its PS5 Pro, namely PSSR (PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution, which – remember – allows the white monolith to manage the resolution of a game without altering the visual quality, while by allowing rendering in 60 images per second If this patent is applied by the Japanese manufacturer, the firm would solve a big power problem historic, and which has always been one of the main criticisms made by players with regard to its consoles.
