Specifications of the Nintendo Switch leaked
A Nintendo Switch developer guide containing a full list of console specs has appeared online. The specifications point to a quad-core-arm processor with Nvidia Maxwell GPU and 4GB ram.
The guide has been shared on Reddit and consists of three parts. The first part is about the possibilities and hardware of the console, the second part about the use of the SDK and the third about the software of the console. It is probably an old version of the manual, since the console is named with its working title ‘NX’.
The specifications show that the console has a soc based on the Nvidia Tegra X1, which has four Cortex A57 cores that can run at a maximum of 2GHz. Game developers get access to only three of those cores. The GPU is based on Nvidia’s Maxwell architecture, has 256 cuda cores and can run at a maximum of 1GHz. The clock speeds that are actually available for games are not yet shared, just marked with a ‘not yet decided’ tag. The specs confirm rumors that the Switch will run on Nvidia’s older Maxwell architecture, rather than the newer Pascal.
The console has 4GB lpddr4 ram, of which at least 3.25GB is available for game developers. There is 32GB of storage, which can be expanded with a micro-SDXC card. Game cartridges can be up to 32GB in size. The console has 5GHz WiFi, but can also be connected to the internet using a USB dongle with a cable. Further connectivity consists of bluetooth 4.0, usb 2.0 and usb 3.0. The battery has a capacity of 4310mAh.
In addition to the hardware specifications, the manual also contains a large number of images of the user interface. The images show simplified versions of pages about games, settings menus and the on-screen keyboard. There is also an image of an app with which parents can determine the playing behavior of their children.
Nintendo will release the Switch on March 3 for $299. The console will be region-free and will receive an online service that requires payment after a trial period.
| Processor |
Four ARM Cortex-A57 cores, up to 2 GHz |
Three cores |
| GPU |
Nvidia second-generation Maxwell architecture |
Not decided yet |
| Video decoder |
H.265 (3840×2160 60 fps) |
Only support for H.264, VP9 and VP8. |
| Memory |
Capacity: 4GB |
Capacity: 3.25GB (Not decided yet, this capacity should be available eventually) |
| Storage | Capacity: 32 GB, Maximum throughput: 400 MB/s |
Space for saving game progress. (Also the location where applications are installed.) |
| SD card | Supports micro SD, SDHC and SDXC cards |
Turned off (Support for direct read and write for developer capabilities is planned.) |
| wireless lan | IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac | No limits. |
| wired lan | USB connection, 1 gigabit/s | No limits. |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 4.0 + LE | Turned off |
| usb | USB 2.0 and 3.0 | Turned off |
| Video output |
60 fps, at up to 1920×1080 pixels |
60 fps, at up to 1920×1080 pixels |
| Audio output |
Up to 192 kHz, 24-bit, 7.1 channels |
Up to 48 kHz, 16-bit, 5.1 channels |
| Built-in display |
6.2″ IPS LCD, 1280×720 pixels |
No limits. |
| Built-in speakers |
Stereo |
No limits. |
| Built-in touchscreen |
Capacitive method, 10-point multitouch, 1280×720 points |
Can’t get any values at the 15 points at the edges. |
| Built-in brightness sensor |
– |
Turned off |
The hardware specifications of the Switch as mentioned in the manual