Why That Brief Look at Mario Kart 9 Suggests Nintendo Switch 2 Is 'Significantly More Powerful' Than the Original — According to a Developer

An indie developer with extensive experience creating games for the original Nintendo Switch has offered compelling reasons why the brief glimpse of Mario Kart 9 suggests a significant power boost in the Switch 2. Last week's unveiling of the Nintendo Switch 2 generated considerable excitement, yet Nintendo remains notably tight-lipped about its technical capabilities. While upgrades like new Joy-Cons, a redesigned kickstand, and a larger form factor are evident, the console's raw power remains officially undisclosed.

However, the fleeting Mario Kart 9 footage in the reveal video may offer valuable clues. In a recent YouTube video (via GamesRadar), indie developer Jerrel Dulay of Sungrand Studios—a veteran credited with working on late-stage Wii U and 3DS titles—argues for a substantial power increase in the Switch 2.

Mario Kart 9 - A First Look

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Dulay points to the use of "physically-based shaders" on vehicles and textures within the Mario Kart 9 footage as a key indicator. These shaders, responsive to lighting and reflections, were computationally demanding on the original Switch, often impacting frame rates. The trailer, however, showcases extensive use of these shaders without apparent performance issues. Further supporting this, Digital Foundry's late 2023 report (and corroborated by Switch 2 motherboard leaks) suggests the inclusion of an Nvidia T239 ARM mobile chip with 1536 CUDA cores—a significant leap from the original Switch's Tegra X1 with only 256 CUDA cores.

Dulay also highlights the high-resolution ground textures and numerous unique textures employed in the footage. These require substantial RAM, and the rumored 12GB LPDDR5 RAM in the Switch 2 (a significant upgrade from the original's 4GB) directly addresses this need. The potential for much faster RAM speeds (up to 7500MHz compared to the original's 1600MHz) further enhances performance, enabling faster texture loading and overall smoother gameplay.

The trailer also features "true volumetric lighting"—a computationally intensive process accounting for light distance and density—and far-distance shadows, both significant graphical advancements. Dulay emphasizes that these features, coupled with the high polygon count characters and real-time cloth physics on flagpoles, demonstrate a considerable leap in processing power compared to the original Switch. He concludes that the ability to render these effects smoothly at 60 frames per second strongly suggests the Switch 2 is significantly more powerful than its predecessor.

While more details are awaited from Nintendo's April Direct, Dulay's analysis provides a compelling perspective on the Switch 2's potential graphical capabilities.