Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Gaming
  3. News

Nintendo Switch has access to extra processing power on the go

Imad Khan
By

nintendo switch mobile processing power lzbotw tvc 3 cropped
Nintendo
There may be more power accessible by developers when the Nintendo Switch is on the go.

A major leak of Nintendo’s developer documentation suggests that Nintendo has added an update to push GPU performance while in mobile mode by 25 percent.

Recommended Videos

All the processing power is in the Switch itself, and not the dock. While in docked mode, the Switch’s internal processor clocks at a higher speed, about 40 percent more, to output gameplay between a 900p and 1080p resolution. Because the Switch’s screen is 720p, the processing unit clocks down to preserve battery. It was assumed this was locked for developers to ensure an acceptable battery life.

Get your weekly teardown of the tech behind PC gaming
Check your inbox!
Privacy Policy

But with a new update, it seems Nintendo has added additional performance modes to be used at the developer’s behest.

At default, the Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) is set to 307.2MHz. With the inclusion of the boost mode, handheld performance can go up to 384MHz.

Even with the 25-percent bump, it won’t amount to drastically better visuals while in mobile mode. Assuming a developer decides to run a game at full performance when on the go, things may look slightly crisper, but it would be hard to tell on a 6.2-inch 720p screen.

Beyond clock-speed leaks, Chinese website Taobao was able to tear apart the Nintendo Switch to reveal its innards. What it showed was a cleanly designed system with a good chunk of the inside taken up by the 4,310mAh, 16Whr battery. Interestingly, some of the parts are not soldered on, but are instead held in by screws. For example, the 32GB of eMMC NAND storage is on its own mini-daughterboard. This could allow Nintendo to easily release a “pro” or “elite” version of the Switch in the future with more hard drive space by simply swapping out the part.

Taobao
Taobao

The Nintendo Switch is set to launch on March 3 for $299.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Imad Khan
Imad Khan
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Imad has been a gamer all his life. He started blogging about games in college and quickly started moving up to various…
How to start the Nuka-World DLC in Fallout 4
People standing outside Nuka World.

The first major DLC expansion for Fallout 4 lets players go to the abandoned amusement park called Nuka-World. While there's plenty of fun and excitement to be had here, don't expect it to come from the roller coasters or carnival games since this park is the battleground between rival raider gangs. This new zone adds a ton of new quests and side activities to the base experience, but it isn't as simple to get to as a real theme park. Don't worry if your Pip-Boy isn't helping you get to Nuka-World -- we'll show you how to start this DLC.

Read more
How to start the Automatron DLC in Fallout 4
A man and a robot walking in the wastelands in Fallout 4.

Each piece of Fallout 4 DLC adds something substantial to the base experience. In the case of the Automatron expansion, an entire new questline pitting you against a robot army led by a figure known as the Mechanist. Starting it isn't as difficult as starting other DLCs like the Nuka-World expansion, but it-s still a bit cryptic. Buying the DLC doesn't automatically make it apparent how to actually start this new adventure, but we'll give you specific directions to find it in the wasteland.

Read more
One of 2023’s best indie games is getting a movie starring LaKeith Stanfield
James descends on an elevator in El Paso, Elsewhere.

El Paso, Elsewhere, one of Digital Trends' favorite indie games of 2023, now has a film adaptation in the works.

Variety reports that LaKeith Stanfield -- an actor known for his work in films like Judas and the Black Messiah, Knives Out, and Haunted Mansion, as well as TV shows like Atlanta -- is going to star in and produce the film. The adaptation is in the works at Di Bonaventure Pictures, the production company behind the Transformers, G.I. Joe, and The Meg film franchises. Little else is known about the film at this time, although we'd presume it will be a fairly direct adaptation of this intense story-driven game.

Read more