Video Gamer is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Prices subject to change. Learn more
Nintendo Switch will be based on Nvidia’s previous generation Maxwell architecture, featuring a custom Tegra part, and not the new generation Pascal, sources have told GamesBeat.
The report notes that Nintendo chose to go with Maxwell because it was concerned about release timing, and didn’t want to delay the launch of Switch to accommodate Pascal.
GamesBeat notes that Switch, powered by the Tegra part, should produce around one teraflop of performance, around half that of the 1.8 teraflops the base PS4 can deliver. The website believes developers could achieve improved game performance by rendering games below the rumoured 720p resolution of the Switch.
“I don’t see Nintendo’s strategy as a risk,” said Jon Peddie, analyst at market researcher Jon Peddie Research and a long-time graphics expert. “Too many pundits and fan boys and investors make a serious mistake when they try to compare and contrast Nintendo with Sony and Microsoft. Nintendo has a niche in the affordable, accessible product, and performance is never a leading criteria for them. It is gameplay and immersion. They are never a technology pioneer. Trying to compare Nintendo to Sony is like comparing a Volkswagen to a Corvette. It’s a facetious and fallacious analogy and a discredit to fans who love Nintendo.”
Using the older technology could well enable Nintendo to sell the Switch at a low price point and still turn a profit on each unit.
We’ll know much more about Nintendo Switch after the planned live stream at 4am on January 13.
Source: GamesBeat
