Cyberpunk 2077 & Street Fighter 6 on Nintendo Switch 2: NVIDIA DLSS Shows Its Power

The upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 is generating buzz, and a key reason is the inclusion of NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling) technology. Early demos of games like Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition and Street Fighter 6 showcase the potential of this AI-powered upscaling, promising impressive visual experiences even on a handheld console.

Cyberpunk 2077, a demanding title, is confirmed to be utilizing DLSS on the Switch 2. CD Projekt RED stated that the game uses a dedicated DLSS version for the new console, with the power of Nvidia's Tensor cores behind it. This means it will use DLSS in both handheld and docked modes. According to CD Projekt Red, the team is particularly proud of the work done to bring the huge futuristic first-person RPG to the Switch 2 as a launch title, and Charles Tremblay even claims that the handheld version is "the best way to experience the game on the go."

Digital Foundry had the opportunity to test Cyberpunk 2077 on Switch 2, and while still a work in progress, the game was instantly recognizable. Cyberpunk 2077 on Switch 2 will offer a quality and performance toggle for the handheld and docked versions. The TV will have the choice for a 30fps quality mode and a 40fps performance mode. In handheld mode, the performance mode sees the output resolution drop to 720p, with the handheld screen in 120Hz mode and 40fps as the target. Input resolutions range from 540p to 1080p, scaled up using DLSS. The Ultimate Edition arrives on June 5th, the same day the Nintendo Switch 2 drops.

Similarly, Street Fighter 6, powered by Capcom's RE Engine, demonstrates the capabilities of DLSS. Initial analysis suggested native 1080p resolution, but it turns out the game achieves this by upscaling from a base 540p resolution with DLSS. This demonstrates DLSS's potential to deliver clean, sharp images even from lower resolution sources. The result is stable 60 FPS gameplay in docked mode with some visual cutbacks.

These demonstrations suggest that DLSS could be a crucial factor in allowing the Switch 2 to handle graphically demanding games while maintaining smooth performance and visually appealing graphics. It may be using the older convolutional neural network (CNN) version of DLSS, rather than the freshly minted DLSS 4.0 transformer model.

NVIDIA DLSS compatibility had been mentioned by Nintendo and Nvidia in previous PR, but its use in Cyberpunk 2077 and Street Fighter 6 is our first confirmation of the technology being used in a launch title.

Will DLSS be enough to bridge the performance gap between the Switch 2 and other consoles? What other titles will leverage this technology to push the boundaries of handheld gaming? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

• Cyberpunk 2077
• Nintendo Switch 2
• NVIDIA DLSS