As the rumours of Nintendo's next console continue to become ever more prominent, mention of Nvidia's Deep Learning Super Sampling technology crop up time and again. But what is DLSS and how might it be implemented in the Switch successor?
In this guide, we'll look at what Nvidia's DLSS technology can achieve and whether it will be used in the Switch 2.
What Is DLSS?
DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling) is an AI upscaling technology currently exclusive to Nvidia's GeForce RTX graphics cards. The technology uses AI to improve performance in real-time and offers several different functions, from creating additional frames to boosting image quality.
At its most basic, DLSS is able to take a rendered frame and upscale it in real-time to increase the fidelity of the visuals. This means machines with modest specs using this tech are able to output frames at much higher resolutions than those being rendered by the system itself.
As with most upscaling solutions, the results aren't as crisp as those rendered at native resolutions, but the technology can produce very impressive results nonetheless.
What Can DLSS Do?
Nvidia breaks the main functions of DLSS down into the following categories:
- Frame Generation - DLSS analyses sequential frames as well as motion data to generate additional frames and subsequently increase the FPS of a given game.
- Ray Reconstruction - The technology can create additional pixels in ray-traced sequences to better replicate the way that light reflects and refracts in the real world.
- Super Resolution - DLSS can improve image resolution by using the standard frames and motion to reconstruct the image in higher quality.
What's The Difference Between DLSS 3 and DLSS 3.5?
There are three different versions of DLSS: 2, 3 and 3.5. The differences between them are simply down to the number of the above features that they can achieve.
DLSS 2 can only reconstruct the higher resolution; DLSS 3 can create higher resolution and generate additional frames; DLSS 3.5 is capable of both the former features and it can also improve intense ray-tracing sequences with the Ray Reconstruction feature.
Does The Switch OLED Use DLSS?
No, the Switch OLED does not use DLSS. The console uses the same Nvidia Tegra X1 chip that you would find in the Switch Lite and is therefore not capable of utilising DLSS technology.
Will DLSS Be In 'Switch 2?
We can't say for sure, though recent rumours would have us believe that yes, DLSS will be used in some capacity in the 'Switch 2'.
In reports published by both Eurogamer and VGC, sources claim that Nintendo was showing the 'Switch 2' to select developers behind closed doors at Gamescom 2023. What's more, the demoed footage is claimed to have been utilising Nvidia's DLSS technology with advanced ray tracing enabled, producing graphics comparable to the PS5 and Xbox Series X.
Podcast host Nate the Hate went a step further, claiming that the DLSS used in the hardware demo was version 3.5, although it may "not have been utilising the full feature set", with only ray-tracing improvements being specifically mentioned.
It's possible that Nintendo is working on a way to output 4K visuals natively from its next console (even though the current Switch is technically capable of hitting 4K 60fps over HDMI 2.0), though we know that Nintendo was working on upscaling technology back in 2021, so there is every chance that an upscaled solution is also on the cards.
If you're looking for more information on Nintendo's next console, be sure to check out our Switch 2 guide for everything we know so far, rumours and more. We will be updating the above guide with more information about DLSS as we learn how it might impact the Switch successor.