Nvidia Says Switch 2 Realizes Iwata Vision with Cutting-Edge Portable Graphics

NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang has commended the Nintendo Switch 2, stating that the forthcoming console fulfills the vision of the late Nintendo president, Satoru Iwata. Iwata contributed to the concept for the original Switch platform before his passing in 2015.

In a Nintendo-published Creator's Voice video, Huang recounted his personal collaboration with Iwata on Nintendo's then-bold ambitions for a hybrid console that could deliver home-console-quality gaming on the go.

Now, following another partnership with Nintendo on the chip powering the Switch 2, Huang declared the new console features "the most advanced graphics ever seen in a mobile device" and represents "a new chapter worthy of Iwata-san's vision."

"We have collaborated with Nintendo for over a decade, united by a shared conviction: technology should empower creativity, and joy is worth engineering for," Huang stated.

"I vividly recall the day Iwata-san shared his dream with us. He aimed to create something unprecedented: a console powerful enough for expansive, cinematic games, yet compact enough to take anywhere. It seemed impossible, yet that vision materialized as the original Nintendo Switch.

"We lost Iwata-san before the launch, but his clarity and purpose continue to inspire our work daily," Huang continued. "Together, we devoted our all to that system. The Nintendo Switch required over 500 engineer-years at NVIDIA. We reimagined the entire stack—chip architecture, OS, APIs, game engines—so the magic could travel with you. The results speak for themselves: over 150 million consoles sold."

With the Switch 2, Huang added, NVIDIA and Nintendo are delivering not only the best visuals ever in a portable gaming device but also hardware enabling ray tracing and HDR support, while maintaining backward compatibility with most original Switch games.

Nintendo has yet to officially reveal the Switch 2's final technical specifications, though Digital Foundry recently provided an analysis. A notable point of discussion remains the system resources consumed by the GameChat feature, which Digital Foundry reported has a "significant impact," prompting concerns among some developers.

Nintendo Switch 2 System and Accessories Gallery

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"The Switch 2 is more than a new console," Huang concluded. "It's a new chapter worthy of Iwata-san's vision. To our friends at Nintendo, congratulations. We are honored to be on this journey with you."

The Nintendo Switch 2 launches this week on Thursday, June 5, and is anticipated to sell out quickly. In fact, Nintendo is already distributing 'Out of Stock' signage to some retailers to manage expectations amid overwhelming demand.

IGN has gone hands-on with the Switch 2, reporting today that Mario Kart World's open world differs from expectations—it is not a Nintendo version of Forza Horizon. We have also played the $10 mini-game collection, Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour. While enjoyable, it arguably should have been offered for free.