We now have two sources corroborating their reports that Nintendo showed off some demos for the Switch 2 on Gamescom.
It had been rumored for some time that Nintendo would be bringing their next console to this year’s Gamescom event. While the speculation that Nintendo would actually show the console to the public was obviously ill-conceived, even people outside the industry could reasonably guess that Nintendo probably brought the console at the event, because they would be pitching it to game publishers and developers from Europe.
Eurogamer reports that Nintendo had Switch 2 demos for several games on hand backstage. They identified one interesting demo in particular – a version of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, that now runs better than it did on the Wii U and even the Switch. Eurogamer clarifies that this is only a demo, and not confirmation that Nintendo will be rereleasing the game again. If it were, that would be a record breaking third consecutive console that Nintendo published the same The Legend of Zelda game.
While it was originally conceived of as a system seller for the Wii U, Nintendo’s choice to also make The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild a launch title for the Nintendo Switch paid dividends. This rumor is of particular interest on a technical level, as many fans have sought to outperform the Wii U and Nintendo Switch by emulating The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild on various Windows based computers, including gaming handhelds.
Some gamers may brag that emulators provide a superior experience, but actually, they all have a drawback. Emulating The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild with higher performance specs requires that you cache in shaders for any levels or sections you enter for the first time. They may say it’s not a big deal, but you won’t see those levels properly and you may see framerates dip while those shaders go in.
To put it simply, a new version of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild that does away with all performance issues on more powerful hardware would be a godsend. It would give gamers a better experience than what emulation can provide.
Video Games Chronicle corroborates Eurogamer’s report, citing their own sources who were at the event. They add that another demo Nintendo had on hand is a real shocker – the Matrix Awakens Unreal Engine 5 demo. Unreal 5 works on the Switch 2!
The Matrix Awakens Unreal Engine 5 demo was originally released in 2021 to show off the technical capabilities of the Xbox Series X (not the S) and the PlayStation 5. Video Games Chronicle claims this demo was running off of DLSS, the proprietary upscaling technology used by Nintendo’s SOC supplier, Nvidia.
It goes without saying that not only would this rumor be incredible if true, it’s also completely credible, AKA, it is believable. This should go without saying, but Nintendo signing Nvidia on as their processor partner has been a real game changer for the Switch, and is potentially transformative for Nintendo.
The reason the Nintendo Switch has so many ‘impossible’ ports, is that Nvidia’s technology, even more than those supplied by Nintendo’s old partner AMD, enabled greater compatibility with PC games. That put them on a more even playing field with PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S on a technical level.
It’s time to believe that the Switch 2 could have hardware to match, or even sometimes outdo, the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One. Nintendo may have been comfortable being a few steps behind in previous years, but Nvidia is here to ensure that Nintendo won’t be that far behind anymore.
