Nintendo Switch 2 could be disappointingly underpowered — here’s what we know

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By Rory Mellon
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Latest Nintendo Switch 2 spec leak is a little concerning

Nintendo switch oledn handheld display
(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

Over the last few console generations, Nintendo hardware has lagged behind its rivals when it comes to raw power, and according to a new leak, that trend will continue with the Nintendo Switch 2. 

If this (currently unconfirmed) spec sheet suggestion is accurate, the Switch successor won’t hold a candle to the PS5 or Xbox Series X, and it won't even match the Xbox Series S.

The latest Nintendo Switch 2 rumors (spotted by NotebookCheck) come via Paul Eccleston aka RedGamingTech on YouTube, and also mix in some reporting from Korean outlet United Daily News. Eccleston has provided a set of Switch 2 specs that are a little underwhelming, although there is some good news sprinkled in there as well. 

According to the tech YouTuber's latest video, the Nintendo Switch 2 will pack an eight-core Cortex-A78AE processor, 10 streaming multiprocessors (SMs), 8GB of RAM and just 64GB of eMMC storage. 

The same source claims that Switch 2 visuals will be “roughly on par with PS4 when docked” but does note that “comparisons aren’t exactly one-to-one.” While these specs would be an upgrade over the original Switch, Nintendo’s new hardware wouldn’t be able to compete with the current generation of consoles.

On a more positive note, the same source suggests the Nintendo Switch 2 will sport a 7-inch OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. But this goes against a previous rumor that claims Nintendo will stick with an LCD panel for its next Switch system. 

Eccleston’s sources have also indicated that the Switch 2 will be fully backwards compatible not just with all of the best Nintendo Switch games but also with many accessories released for the hybrid hardware. 

Let’s go Nintendo Switch 2 Pro 

In the same video, Eccleston also touches on the possibility of the Nintendo Switch 2 being available in two models, a regular Switch 2 and a suped-up Nintendo Switch 2 Pro. 

This more powerful version of the console could pack an increased 12GB of RAM and 12 SMs. This boost in overall power would help with performance but it still wouldn’t be able to match the latest consoles from Sony and Microsoft. Nevertheless, a Switch 2 Pro could be a solid solution to any performance woes that would come from Nintendo releasing a relatively underpowered base model. 

However, don’t place your bets quite yet as Eccleston states, “I really would not put a huge amount of faith in [Switch Pro] happening because Nintendo cancels things all of the time.” Nintendo may also prefer to release just a single Switch 2 SKU for the sake of simplicity. 

There’s plenty of interesting information within this video, but it’s important to note that for now all these details should be classified as speculation. Nothing in this video is a confirmed fact. Until we get some form of official word from Nintendo itself, all the Switch 2 specs we have are just rumors.

The Nintendo Switch 2 rumor mill continues to spit out new tidbits at a regular clip, and with various sources claiming the hot-anticipated followup to the best-selling Nintendo Switch will launch this year, hopefully, we get some concrete information soon. 

Although, when the Switch 2, or whatever Nintendo’s next hardware is eventually revealed to be called, gets its official unveiling, let's hope that the internal specifications are a little more impressive than the ones listed in this latest rumor.   

More from Tom's Guide

Rory Mellon
Rory Mellon
Entertainment Editor (UK)

Rory is an Entertainment Editor at Tom’s Guide based in the UK. He covers a wide range of topics but with a particular focus on gaming and streaming. When he’s not reviewing the latest games, searching for hidden gems on Netflix, or writing hot takes on new gaming hardware, TV shows and movies, he can be found attending music festivals and getting far too emotionally invested in his favorite football team. 

4 Comments Comment from the forums
  • throughfire
    Okay, I know we are all really excited about the Switch 2 and all, but what is the point of this article? Are you really going to complain that the Switch 2 won't be on par with a Series S and/or other non-mobile consoles? If you were expecting it to be a powerhouse, you don't know enough about Nintendo to be writing about them. A better comparison would be to the Steam Deck. How does its power compare to that? Much more reasonable. Or just tell us about the rumored specs without complaining that it's not going to be as powerful as devices that it's not designed to beat anyway.
    Reply
  • yonisanu
    throughfire said:
    Okay, I know we are all really excited about the Switch 2 and all, but what is the point of this article? Are you really going to complain that the Switch 2 won't be on par with a Series S and/or other non-mobile consoles? If you were expecting it to be a powerhouse, you don't know enough about Nintendo to be writing about them. A better comparison would be to the Steam Deck. How does its power compare to that? Much more reasonable. Or just tell us about the rumored specs without complaining that it's not going to be as powerful as devices that it's not designed to beat anyway.
    It's amazing how people still don't understand Nintendo but then it took me until well into the life of the PS3 before I realised why the Wii was so awesome.

    As long as their first party games are catered for and look good as always (with gameplay first and foremost), local multiplayer (at least 4) runs smoothly, and also portability now seems to be a constant, what more do Nintendo fans need.

    Third party triple A's take a back seat and Nintendo are in a strong position to actually promote smarter programming for heavy games, while keeping it all in a nice tidy package - fun for all ages!

    Oh and the patents for the dual screen would make a lot of sense, focus the power on getting it fanless and multi functional for DS and Wii U asymmetry - monetise all legacy content! 🤙
    Reply
  • limpjuice1984
    i'm no journalist but the article should at least have the rumored specs organized vertically.

    also imo, these should be in the article:
    - comparison with the last gen switch OLED specs
    - comparison with steamdeck OLED specs
    - comparison with ASUS Rog Ally Z1 and Z1 extreme specs
    - comparison with Lenovo Legion GO specs

    then the docked performance then could be compared with a PS4.

    you should then guess the starting price of the console and set a ceiling of what you think is too high to buy at launch.
    Reply
  • Nobody83
    This is painfully hardware illiterate.

    First off, the actual person doing this from the article in the Tiawanese Economic Forums was a financial analyst, speculating, when put on the spot based on trying to recall information they saw online (which would be the lapsu$ ransom attack info, which they butchered) as stated in the actual article this information comes from.

    Second off, the cortex a78ae is a specialized safety processor that runs all of its calculations twice to double check them. It can not be used for a video game system. Because duh.

    We know what the cpu is thanks to Nvidia employees making commits to the initialization calls in a public Linux archive they thought no one paid attention to.

    I would state it again, but I'm done providing information to useless media outlets who will just butcher it and somehow turn it into misinformation.
    Reply