Nintendo Switch 2's most mysterious feature may have been revealed
A developer has seemingly spilled the beans at last
👀 The Nintendo Switch 2 reportedly supports DLSS 3.1, as revealed by developer LynxByte Games
👍 DLSS 3.1, introduced in September 2022, includes frame generation and improved image quality compared to earlier versions
💪 While DLSS has been used sparingly in Switch 2 games, Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition showcases its benefits with superior image quality and stable frame rates
👉 Upscaling tech has become the norm for PC and video game consoles, including the PS5 Pro
After two months on sale, we know practically everything there is to know about the Nintendo Switch 2. However, one technical aspect about the console has remained a mystery: the version of Nvidia's DLSS upscaling developers have access to.
Not even Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour shared what version of DLSS Switch 2 uses, but according to LynxByte Games, a developer and indie game publishing company, Nintendo Switch 2 uses DLSS 3.1 – or at least, that's what developers can implement in their games.
An infographic from the publisher was shared on BlueSky (thanks, My Nintendo News) that outlines the Nintendo Switch 2's unique features, which include: "DLSS 3.1, ray tracing, 4K HDR (TV), 120 Hz handheld".
Nvidia's Deep Learning Super Sampling technology has gone through various iterations since February 2019. Since the first version, DLSS 1.0, the company has continued to improve the tech, and it recently launched DLSS 4.0 in January 2025.
If the Switch 2 is capable of Nvidia DLSS 3.1, that's a fantastic result for Nintendo's console. DLSS 3.0 launched in September 2022 and introduced frame generation on RTX 40 series GPUs. Image quality and performance were also vastly improved from previous versions, although improvements have been made since.
Economies of upscale
Upscaling tech has become a mainstay for PC and consoles, as it allows developers to get more performance without sacrificing image quality. The PS5 Pro uses Sony's proprietary tech, PSSR, though AMD's FSR4 is coming to the console next year.
So far, DLSS has been used sparingly in the best Switch 2 games, with Nintendo even opting not to use it in games like Mario Kart World or Donkey Kong Bananza.
However, Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition makes good use of the tech to offer superior image quality to the Xbox Series S and PS4 versions of the game. It also offers a relatively stable 30 to 40fps frame rate.
Expect to see more games using DLSS on Switch 2 in the future, especially as the demands placed on the hardware will only increase as the generation progresses.
Adam Vjestica is The Shortcut’s Senior Editor. Formerly TechRadar’s Gaming Hardware Editor, Adam has also worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor, where he helped launch the Nintendo Switch. Follow him on X @ItsMrProducts.