Nintendo might be working on a DLSS-like technology for the Nintendo Switch

[jsilva]

In context: Earlier this year, rumors claimed Nintendo was planning to launch a Switch model powered by a new Nvidia SoC supporting a DLSS-like technology and an OLED display. Instead, Nintendo released a new Switch console featuring one of the rumored specifications, the OLED display.

Even after Nintendo announced the Switch OLED model, many kept believing the game company would launch a 4K Switch due to reports claiming developers are creating games using Nintendo's 4K development kits. These reports led Nintendo to publicly deny the existence of such kits.

Despite Nintendo's statement regarding the 4K development kits, a recently published patent from the company suggests otherwise. The patent named "systems and methods for machine learned image conversion" was filed on March 25th, 2020, by Alexandre Delattre and Théo Charvet, two researchers working for Nintendo European R&D. However, the patent was only been made accessible to the public on September 30, 2021.

In summary, the patent describes how Nintendo plans to implement a DLSS-like technology using Nvidia Tensor Cores to pick a low-resolution image and break it into blocks that receive context data. These blocks are then introduced to an "activation matrix," which goes through a trained neural network to convert it into a higher resolution image with minimal loss of quality.

At the time of writing, the patent hasn't been approved yet. Moreover, the patent doesn't specifically tell us where it will be implemented, but it shows how it can be used. For example, the technology could allow the console to render games at a predefined resolution when using the battery and increase the resolution when docked, similar to the feature found on current Switch models.

Another use case would be cloud gaming, where cloud servers would send compressed images to the console, which would then be upscaled to higher resolutions to reduce network latency.

Implementing an upscaling technology on Nintendo Switch consoles would be welcomed by its users. Switch consoles are significantly inferior to PS5 and Xbox Series X|S consoles in terms of performance. However, using an upscaling technology such as the one mentioned in the patent would help close the gap.

Image credit: Alvaro Reyes

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[Sausagemeat]

I’d take anything at this point. The switch has some of the best games of this generation and they really could use some graphical hardware love. Imagine what Breath of the Wild could be if it could be rendered above the 720-900p it currently renders at and at more than 30fps.

 

[yRaz]

Can we just get a 4k switch already?

 

[Dimitriid]

Maybe they'll use it to keep the visuals mostly the same but being able to greatly lower power requirement so the next switch can work out of a much lower power requirement and boast tremendous battery life endurance and such, or just you know: saves them a bunch of money by upgrading visuals on extremely similar hardware so the software solution translates into bigger margins.

 

[fireworksordie]

I’d take anything at this point. The switch has some of the best games of this generation and they really could use some graphical hardware love. Imagine what Breath of the Wild could be if it could be rendered above the 720-900p it currently renders at and at more than 30fps.

You don't have to imagine

 

[Sausagemeat]

You don't have to imagine

Zelda BOTW is for me personally the best game the world has seen in years. I just watched that entire video and all I could think is what a shame. So many RTX cards out there yet not one of them running the best gaming experience around.

Whoever did this video is a hero.

 

[Aceseven]

Botw was one of the most boring games I ever tried to play

 

[Fearghast]

Oh, it's that time of the month ... again and again ... and again.

 

[pencea]

Zelda BOTW is for me personally the best game the world has seen in years. I just watched that entire video and all I could think is what a shame. So many RTX cards out there yet not one of them running the best gaming experience around.

Whoever did this video is a hero.

I've been gaming since the Atari 2600 days back in the 80s. Played through countless titles throughout the generations. It's a good game but I wouldn't go as far as saying it's the best game in the world.

 

[Sausagemeat]

I've been gaming since the Atari 2600 days back in the 80s. Played through countless titles throughout the generations. It's a good game but I wouldn't go as far as saying it's the best game in the world.

It’s one of. I think it’s the best game to have come in the last few years at least.

 

[Red34jfp]

It’s one of. I think it’s the best game to have come in the last few years at least.

That's RDR2, I got bored playing BOTW after a couple of hours and I used to be a huge fan of Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask back in the days (Nintendo lost me with Wind Waker, though, I switched to the PS3 after the Game Cube in part because of that horrible game, in part because the Wii was literally a glorified Game Cube with a new controller).

 

[Xex360]

You don't have to imagine

No need for RayTracing to get the same result, use resources to fix the awful collision system.