As we close in on Nintendo's latest console release the final technical specifications for the Switch are still yet to be confirmed, and it'll likely be unofficial diagnostics that try to pin them down. Digital Foundry has been digging deep into the subject, trying to obtain as much information as possible about the system with help from a leaked developer document combined with a Chinese parts company revealing details about the retail hardware.

The full scope of the findings is very in depth, with a number of details re-emphasizing reports from last year. Digital Foundry, though, having assessed leaks and also seen updated documentation, has referenced a new mode available to developers to help performance in the system's portable setup. The GPU clock speed was originally reported at 307.2MHz when running outside of the dock, however an optional 'boost' mode now allows for 384MHz, meaning a 25% improvement. It should be noted that this 'boost mode' is at developer level, giving them a little extra to work with when a game is running on the undocked portable - it's not an option that users are expected to have as a toggle in game, for example. Developers can also opt to use the original speed, of course.

See below for the current layout, including the newest inclusions in bold:

Current Switch Technical.JPG

Refinements to the resources available to developers also affect memory bandwidth. Previously developers could decide between 1600MHz or 1331.2MHz when the Switch is docked ("boost mode") although this appears to have changed, meaning they are now limited to only 1600MHz. In the general consensus, this is not that big of a change in the docked side of things.

For the full technical layout you can read Digital Foundry's findings here; it has all the tech-head terminology you could possibly want.

It's not uncommon for console manufacturers to adjust the access developers have to a system's resources, such as the CPU and - in this case - the GPU. Both Sony and Microsoft made adjustments like these with PS4 and Xbox One, allocating more resources to developers.

In any case, more resources are certainly good news if they help developers deliver quality projects.

[source eurogamer.net]