Nintendo Switch Specs Leak Suggests Weaker Chips Than PS4 & Xbox One For The 2017 Console

Nintendo Switch details are expected to arrive in January, but one famed industry leaker has offered some impressions of the 2017 console’s devkit. Those expecting to get a portable with PS4 or Xbox One performance may want to manage their expectations.

The evidence comes from the Twitter account of NWPlayer123, one of a select few trusted insiders in the Nintendo community. “This is supposedly the specs of the devki,” she wrote back in October. However, the wider public is just grabbing hold of it now. Let’s get to the raw details.

• Four ARM Cortex-A57 cores, max 2GHz
• NVidia second-generation Maxwell architecture
• 256 CUDA cores, max 1 GHz, 1024 FLOPS/cycle
• 4GB RAM (25.6 GB/s, VRAM shared)
• 32 GB storage (Max transfer 400 MB/s)
• USB 2.0 & 3.0
• 1280 x 720 6.2" IPS LCD
• 1080p at 60 fps or 4k at 30 fps max video output
• Capcitance method, 10-point multi-touch

Amongst observers of the leak there are two main subjects worth talking about. The first of which is the 32 GB internal storage limit. Speculation suggests Switch cartridges will top out at just 16 GB at launch, so that means the unit might only be able to hold one or two large games as the console’s lifecycle gets deeper. On the bright side, 400 MB/s is a pretty fast transfer rate, so load times should be pretty short or nonexistent when content is played locally. Expandable SD card memory seems like a pretty sure thing too.

The other major issue, of course, is GPU power. After all, that’s the main metric for gauging how well this hybrid console will stack up against PS4 and Xbox One. The above-mentioned Maxwell chip generally sounds like the kit is based on a Tegra X1 as opposed to X2. Many had hoped Switch would leverage a more bleeding-edge Pascal design, but that doesn’t appear to be the case here.

What we’re looking at, then, is a device that more closely resembles an NVIDIA Shield than anything else. When analyzing the X1 late last year, the hardware experts at Digital Foundry concluded that the chip was capable of playing last-gen games with flying colors but was more spotty on current-gen titles.

Optimistically, the Switch seems like it could position itself as something between a Wii U and Xbox One based on these specs. There are a few caveats worth noting, though. For one, this might be an old devkit that could change at any time closer to release. It’s also genuinely hard to gauge console horsepower based purely on a spec sheet. External factors like software optimization aren’t taken into account, and Nintendo typically performs very well in that area.

As for why we’re digging up this old leak now, the information was recently reverified by insider Emily Rogers in a new tweet. It also lines up with the assessment of Wall Street Journal reporter Takashi Mochizuki. Both analysts have a pretty spotless track record for providing accurate info about the Switch.

The Nintendo Switch is expected to be available in March 2017.

What do you think of the specs in this devkit leak? Are they accurate? Tell us in the comments section!