The Nintendo Switch 2 is anticipated to debut before April 2025, and recent leaks have provided insights into its features. It was previously known that the device could be powered by the Nvidia Tegra T239, and the latest spec leak reaffirms this information.
AMD's Bid and Battery Life
According to Moore's Law is Dead, AMD had a chance to supply the processor for the new handheld, but their proposal was rejected due to concerns about battery life. AMD aimed for a 15W power usage in handheld mode to create a true next-gen gaming experience, but Nintendo chose to focus on longer battery life instead.
Nintendo also wanted to avoid a heavy battery. Consequently, they opted for the Nvidia chip over an AMD APU, which is reported to deliver similar performance but with better energy efficiency.
Cost-Effectiveness and Battery Specifications
The Nvidia SoC in the Nintendo Switch 2 is also important for keeping production costs down as it is less expensive to manufacture. A recent leak has revealed potential details about the console's battery life.
The Switch 2 may come equipped with a 20-Wh battery, which is 4-Wh larger than the OLED model (available on Amazon). If the Nvidia SoC proves to be energy-efficient, we could expect a noticeable improvement in battery runtime while in handheld mode. For context, the Switch OLED can last between 4.5 hours and 9 hours depending on the game played.
