KEY POINTS

  • The Nintedo Switch Pro will reportedly feature a new and powerful SoC from Nvidia
  • Details of the said mobile chip, including its codename, recently leaked online
  • Nintendo has not yet confirmed that it is working on the Switch Pro

While earlier reports pointing to the imminent announcement of the rumored Nintendo Switch Pro before the E3 were proven inaccurate, a recent leak has revealed more details about the gaming console's system on a chip (SoC), including its rumored code name.

New information about the Nintendo Switch Pro recently surfaced online courtesy of industry insider kopite7kimi. On Twitter, the insider shared a follow-up to their previous tweet about the T239 which, according to them, would be the SoC of the console's upgraded version. "Black Knight," the tweet read. Many presumed that it's Nvidia's codename for the new SoC.

The same source also stated in the past that the Nintendo Switch Pro could feature a customized variant of the Nvidia Orin S processor. If this is true, the potential specs of this processor would destroy the specifications of the revised Switch's T214 Mariko chip, the Tegra X1+. It houses four ARM Cortex A57 and four ARM Cortex A53 cores in the processor.

In the past, Nintendo's new console sales have tended to peak in the third year after release, and then taper off
In the past, Nintendo's new console sales have tended to peak in the third year after release, and then taper off AFP / Philip FONG

For its graphics card, the Tegra X1 integrated a Maxwell-based GPU with 256 CUDA cores. It features a memory controller that supports LPDDR3 and LPDDR4 with a maximum bandwidth of 25.6 GB/s. Meanwhile, the Nvidia Orin chip uses the Ampere architecture with 2048 CUDA cores. Its CPU supports 12x ARM Cortex-A78AE cores.

Rumors about the Switch Pro getting a new SoC were further triggered by a March report from Gameractor. According to the report, someone familiar with the matter told them that Nvidia would soon stop making the Tegra X1+, also known as Tegra X1 Mariko SoC, at some point in 2021. Simply put, Nintendo would no longer have a fresh supply of this chip unless it upgraded the gaming system to use a different SoC.

However, fans are advised to temper their expectations about the Switch Pro in the absence of an official confirmation from Nintendo. In a recent interview, Nintendo of America President Doug Bowser said that the 2017 hybrid gaming console was still performing well in terms of sales. Despite this, he assured the public that the company was continuously looking at new technology.

The Nintendo Switch Pro is rumored to be in development. Industry watchers believe that it will be the new and upgraded model of the Switch that the Japanese gaming giant might debut sometime this year or in 2022.

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