It has long been rumored that NVIDIA’s AI-powered image upscaling technology, DLSS, was the key to the Nintendo Switch 2’s ability to run demanding games smoothly despite being a handheld console. However, news from the first games specifically designed for the console’s launch appears to have refuted this expectation.
Reliable tech experts at Digital Foundry discovered a surprising detail in their initial reviews. Games like Donkey Kong Bananza and Mario Kart World, developed specifically for the Nintendo Switch 2, do not utilize the DLSS technology built into the console’s hardware. More interestingly, it was reported that Donkey Kong uses an image upscaler, but it’s not DLSS, but AMD’s older and lower-quality first-generation FSR technology.
Why does the Nintendo Switch 2 use FSR?
So, why do Nintendo and its developers opt for an older solution when they have such powerful new technology at their disposal? While Digital Foundry can’t offer a definitive answer, their strongest guess is that the problem lies entirely with the game engines.
According to DF, the game engines these early games were developed in may not have supported motion vectors, which are critical for DLSS technology to work effectively. Motion vectors allow DLSS to generate high-quality images by predicting where pixels in a scene will move in the next frame. Without these vectors, integrating DLSS into a game becomes a much more laborious and time-consuming process for developers.
In contrast, AMD’s FSR 1 technology is a simpler spatial scaler that does not require motion vectors. This allows it to be easily integrated even into engines with compatibility issues.
While this may seem alarming, experts advise caution for now. It’s noted that neither Donkey Kong nor Mario Kart are particularly graphically demanding games. Therefore, it’s possible these games don’t require a powerful technology like DLSS to run smoothly and will be content with a basic solution like FSR 1.
Nevertheless, this development raises significant questions about the future of the Nintendo Switch 2. Is this a technical choice specific to launch titles, or will future, more ambitious and graphically intensive games experience similar issues with DLSS support? Only time will tell.
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