We now have an additional subtle indicator that Nintendo and Nvidia have huge expectations for the Switch 2.
As reported by TweakTown, they found this communication on Nintendo’s website about the upcoming console:
“Connecting to a TV is easy – Compatible TVs can automatically turn themselves on when they detect the Nintendo Switch 2 system powering on while docked. The system supports Consumer Electronics Control (CEC), where the TV automatically detects and changes to the correct input. And with Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM), you can even have your compatible TV automatically change to its game-mode setting.”
When Nintendo first announced the console, Nvidia emerged to confirm that they provided several of their high-profile technologies to the Switch 2. The big standout among them was G-Sync, their implementation of VRR. With VRR or variable refresh rate, the game synchronizes its refresh rate to the TV or monitor that it is outputting video too. The result of this is a smoother visual experience, as stutters and screen tearing is reduced, if not eliminated completely.
And as it turns out, G-Sync is enabled on the Switch 2’s own internal screen. It’s because of G-Sync that Metroid Prime 4: Beyond can run at a staggering 4K 60 FPS, as well as 1440p or 1080p at 120 FPS even while undocked. It would not be unreasonable that expect that other games, even the AAAs from third party developers, could take advantage of this technology as well.
Now, Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) has broader adoption than G-Sync, as it is part of the HDMI 2.1 standard. To borrow the HDMI Forum’s definition on their own website:
“Auto Low Latency Mode enables the ideal latency setting to automatically be set allowing for smooth, lag-free and uninterrupted viewing and interactivity.”
Most gamers know this as Game Mode, but there’s something that they may take for granted. The original Switch did not have Auto Low Latency Mode. For gamers who expected the Switch 2 to be a marginal upgrade over the original Switch, they may not have been surprised if the console did not even have it.
Its inclusion on top of G-Sync and DLSS should be an indicator that Nintendo commissioned Nvidia to make a Switch 2 that’s meant to genuinely compete with the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. We have already seen that Nintendo has made this a console that third parties are eager to bring their AAA games to, not just older or last generation games. These are indications of that ambition, which, truth be told, also shows us that Nintendo’s current president, Shuntaro Furukawa, is prepared to move on from the philosophy of his predecessor, Satoru Iwata, and chart his own path, for a new direction for the company.
