Nintendo Switch Pro could use Nvidia Ada Lovelace GPU — what you need to know

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Nintendo's new Switch could use Nvidia Ada Lovelace GPU architecture

Nintendo Switch with larger display remix
(Image credit: Niphon Subsri / Shutterstock | Remix via Nick Bush)

The Nintendo Switch Pro could be powered by a new Nvidia GPU that runs on the rumored “Ada Lovelace” architecture. In theory, this tech could make the new Switch quite powerful; in practice, it’s one rumor stacked on top of another.

Information comes from VideoCardz, a website primarily concerned with news about GPUs and CPUs. After VideoCardz published a report about the next Switch potentially employing Nvidia’s DLSS technology (briefly: it optimizes game graphics without using a lot of system resources), a leaker called “kopite7kimi” replied on Twitter with three letters: “ada.”

At first glance, this looks like the Twitter equivalent of a butt dial. But dig a little deeper, and you’ll find that kopite7kimi is something of an established Nvidia leaker. Previously, kopite7kimi accurately revealed many of the specs for Nvidia’s current Ampere GPU architecture. When they say “ada,” it’s a reference to “Ada Lovelace,” the purported name for Ampere’s eventual replacement.

From a practical perspective, it’s difficult to tell what this means, as Ada Lovelace (if that’s the correct name) doesn’t have any stats associated with it yet. We can assume that, in general, it would be more powerful than Ampere GPUs — but which GPUs? It doesn’t seem likely that a handheld console would have something on a par with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090. On the other hand, console GPUs often employ creative architectures due to space constraints. A Switch GPU probably wouldn’t be directly comparable to anything that would live in the best gaming PCs.

However, there’s one other important thing to keep in mind. kopite7kimi isn’t just the person who suggested that the next Switch would employ Ada Lovelace; they’re also the person who “revealed” Ada Lovelace architecture in the first place. They could be right on one count, right on both counts, or right on zero counts — in which case, Nvidia might not call its next GPU architecture “Ada Lovelace at all.”

As is often the case, how much stock you put in this rumor depends on how much stock you put in the leaker. kopite7kimi has been right in the past, but rumors, in general, are a lot more likely to be wrong than right. Furthermore, even if kopite7kimi has accurately called Ada Lovelace’s name and its inclusion in the next Switch, those facts in isolation don’t necessarily tell us much.

We just learned yesterday that the Switch Pro will likely offer 4K upscaling via Nvidia DLSS technology, and could retail for about $400. Check out our Nintendo Switch Pro hub for more info and leaks as we get closer to launch, which will reportedly be later this year. 

Marshall Honorof
Marshall Honorof

Marshall Honorof was a senior editor for Tom's Guide, overseeing the site's coverage of gaming hardware and software. He comes from a science writing background, having studied paleomammalogy, biological anthropology, and the history of science and technology. After hours, you can find him practicing taekwondo or doing deep dives on classic sci-fi.