The tech experts at Digital Foundry have unveiled the final tech specifications for the Nintendo Switch 2, sparking discussions about the impact of its new GameChat feature on system resources. According to Digital Foundry, the GameChat feature is causing significant concern among developers due to its resource demands.

During last month's Nintendo Direct, the company introduced the Switch 2's GameChat functionality, which can be activated by pressing the C button on the new Joy-Con. This feature allows players to watch each other play, either the same or different games, and even see each other through a camera, thanks to a built-in microphone that performs reliably across various gaming environments. The C button's chat menu is designed to be an all-encompassing multiplayer tool, potentially marking Nintendo's most ambitious online initiative in years.

Digital Foundry noted that Nintendo offers developers a GameChat testing tool that simulates API latency and L3 cache misses, enabling developers to test the system's performance without needing active GameChat sessions. This tool's existence suggests that there might be a performance hit when GameChat is active, prompting Digital Foundry to question how it might affect game performance for end users. They stated, "We'll be interested to see how GameChat may (or may not) impact game performance as this does seem to be an area of developer concern." The full impact will only be clear once the Switch 2 launches on June 5.

In addition to GameChat, Digital Foundry disclosed the Switch 2's final tech specs. The Switch 2 reserves 3GB of memory for the system, leaving 9GB available for games. This is a substantial increase from the original Switch, which reserved 0.8GB and provided 3.2GB for games. As with all consoles, developers of the Switch 2 do not have access to the full GPU resources, as some are reserved by the system.

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The Switch 2 boasts a 7.9-inch wide color gamut LCD screen capable of displaying at 1080p (1920x1080) resolution, a significant upgrade from the Switch 1's 6.2-inch screen, the Switch OLED's 7-inch screen, and the Switch Lite's 5.5-inch screen. It also supports HDR10 and Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) up to 120 Hz, allowing games to reach 120fps if supported by both the game and the setup.

When docked, the Switch 2 can output games at 4K (3840x2160) at 60fps or at 1080p/1440p (1920x1080/2560x1440) at 120fps. These enhanced graphics are facilitated by a "custom processor made by NVIDIA."

For a deeper dive into the Switch 2's specifications, Digital Foundry's detailed analysis is highly recommended.