Now this is something that might make the wait for Nintendo’s next console even harder. According to global development studio Virtuos, the GPU performance of the Nintendo Switch 2 could be in the same league as the Xbox Series S. Yep, you heard that right – we’re talking about a handheld (or hybrid, rather) hitting console-level graphics muscle.
Gamereactor recently highlighted this claim, quoting Virtuos’ game director, who dropped the info during a panel at the GDC Showcase.
Wait, what? A handheld rivaling the Series S?
It sounds wild, but let’s break it down. The current Nintendo Switch, released in 2017, is undeniably a fan favorite but hasn’t exactly been flexing graphical power compared to the PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X|S. Developers have had to get clever to keep games running smoothly – dialing down resolutions, skipping advanced lighting techniques, and trimming texture fidelity just to get modern titles working on the aging hardware.
Enter the potential Switch 2, which – if Virtuos’ claims are accurate – brings a massive performance leap. Virtuos has worked on ports for some major AAA titles, including The Outer Worlds and Oblivion Remastered, so their teams are no strangers to pushing hardware to its limits.
Industry whispers or concrete signs?
Virtuos’ comments aren’t exactly an official specs sheet – but they’re far from baseless. Before it launched last month, analysts and leakers had been mapping out the expected performance of the Switch 2. Rumors pointed to a custom Nvidia chipset built around DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling) scaling technology, which could allow the console to punch above its weight when docked, upscaling lower-resolution visuals to near-4K quality.
The new suggestion from Virtuos may suggest real-world testing results rather than just projections, and that’s big. If the Switch 2 can hold its own next to the Xbox Series S – which, to refresh your memory, can do ray tracing and runs plenty of current-gen titles at respectable frame rates and resolutions — then we could be looking at a dramatically improved gaming experience on the go.
What this means for gamers (and developers)
This kind of power could open doors for ports of more demanding games that have otherwise skipped the Switch entirely. Imagine running a native version of something like Elden Ring, or even a slimmed-down Hogwarts Legacy, without needing a cloud solution that tanks your experience with latency and lag.
Developers, too, are likely to breathe a sigh of relief. Up to now, getting their vision to run on the Switch has often meant making tough choices. With more GPU headroom, there’s a much wider artistic sandbox to play in. More particle effects, dynamic lighting, smoother animations — stuff that has been luxury-tier on Switch until now.
This would also mean a longer lifespan for third-party support. One of the gripes Switch owners often have is watching must-play games land everywhere else but on Switch. With a Series S-level GPU, that barrier begins to crumble — fast.
But let’s not get carried away… yet
Let’s curb the enthusiasm just a bit. The Xbox Series S, while solid, is often considered a budget-tier entry into the current-gen arena. So, while “comparable” could mean closer performance on paper, it doesn’t necessarily guarantee parity across all fronts in real-world scenarios.
There’s still a lot we don’t know – like CPU performance, RAM, storage speed, heat management, and how well the Switch 2 handles extended sessions docked vs. handheld. And then there’s the ongoing mystery of price and battery life. Power’s great, but portability without compromise is what’s kept the Switch ahead of the curve.