• News

NVIDIA leak shows potentially new Nintendo Switch model DLSS API

The recent NVIDIA leak may have given up details about an upcoming Switch model.

Donovan Erskine

March 1, 2022 10:10 AM

2

A recent cyberattack saw NVIDIA code and other sensitive information about the company and the people working for it being held for ransom. Found within all of the chaos was some interesting language that seems to point at a new Nintendo Switch model that utilizes NVIDIA’s DLSS technology.

The NVIDIA cyberattack took place on March 1, 2022. As discussed by users on the Famiboard forum, some of the leaked files related to the company’s business with Nintendo. Specifically, a supposed NVN folder and an NVNDLSS Driver. NVN is an application program interface that NVIDIA’s designs specifically for Nintendo’s devices. The NVN API is not utilized for any other company’s gaming hardware.

Connecting the dots, it would appear that NVIDIA is working on code and drivers that allow the Switch to take advantage of DLSS. The interesting part is, the currently available Switch models aren’t capable of supporting the feature. This would imply that there’s a new model of the Nintendo Switch currently in the works that The Big N is yet to announce.

If you’re not familiar, DLSS (short for Deep Learning Super Sampling) is a visual upscaling technology created by NVIDIA. Available for only select hardware, DLSS provides a boost to performance (frames per second) without having to sacrifice image quality. Despite the Nintendo Switch’s undeniable success over the last 5 years, the console’s graphical capabilities have been a common criticism.

It’s long been rumored that Nintendo is working on a more powerful Switch model, and the information found in the NVIDIA leak serves as the latest evidence to its existence. Of course, it’s important to keep in mind that this is all unconfirmed information and that there have been no official announcements from NVIDIA or Nintendo. We’ll continue to follow the situation and keep you updated with any important details.

Donovan Erskine

News Editor

Donovan is a journalist from Maryland. His oldest gaming memory is playing Pajama Sam on his mom's desktop during weekends. Pokémon Emerald, Halo 2, and the original Star Wars Battlefront 2 were some of the most influential titles in awakening his love for video games. After interning for Shacknews throughout college, Donovan graduated from Bowie State University in 2020 with a major in broadcast journalism and joined the team full-time. He is a huge film fanatic and will talk with you about movies and games all day. You can follow him on twitter @Donimals_