With the Nintendo Switch Lite on the way and especially with the new revision of the standard model now popping up in stores around the world, there seems to be an awful lot of chatter going around regarding the console's performance - and how it could potentially improve.
Now, we already know that the new models will benefit from a new version of Nvidia's Tegra X1 chip, but it appears that this will only be used to improve battery life, with no extra juice being awarded to game performance. So can the Switch's performance really be improved at all? And why has Nintendo chosen to prioritise improved battery life over a boost in power?
Well, the latter makes sense for a console designed to be taken on the go, but to answer the former question, we need to hand it over to the folks at Digital Foundry. Rich Leadbetter has been investigating the effects of overclocking a Nintendo Switch using SysClk, a tool which can push the Switch's processor to run at a higher speed than intended - you probably don't need us to tell you, but using a tool like this is strictly against Nintendo's user policies and would likely result in your warranty being void at the very least.
We won't spoil too much before letting you dive in, but it appears that the potential is there for the Switch to run a number of games in an improved state. The increases in frame rate achieved by overclocking aren't exactly mind-blowing, but they would be welcome nonetheless as a standard feature. Perhaps the power of the new chip could be distributed differently in a theoretical Switch Pro model?
Would you like to see a new Switch which offers true, improved performance? Use all your power to come up with a comment for us below.
[source youtube.com, via eurogamer.net]
Comments 25
Dragon Quest Builders 2 in particular strikes me as a game that would particularly benefit from an overclock.
Nintendo wouldn't provide this option to users because of the risks involved naturally, because whilst the overclock comes with improved performance, it also increases power consumption and heat generation. Too much heat can result in throttling and instability, and power consumption means a reduced battery life.
The Tegra X1 was designed with overclocking in mind, and my recollection is that the Switch runs at below stock speed compared to other devices with the same processor.
I mean all in all, I'm looking forward to that Switch upgraded model with boosted performance, maybe through something like a Tegra X2 or compatible successor processor. Just as long as all my existing games are compatible, I've accrued quite the physical collection now.
I sometimes use the boost mode clockrate on my second, hacked Switch to improve load times and frame rate in certain games.
It's safe to use but it drains the battery much faster. The chip was intended to be used at higher clockspeeds. The Switch actually operates underclocked outside of boost mode on stock firmware.
Mutant year zero would massively benefit from this as it uses dynamic resolution. On standard handheld it's ugly and pixelated like you wouldn't believe but if you click the processor docked speeds on handheld it's a night and day difference
@Slowie
Well I guess I’ll avoid getting it on Switch and just dust off my XB1 since it’s currently included in Game Pass.
@kang81 yeah it's coming to epic game store for free on the 18th so I'm getting it there as well as the switch version is really bad handheld. If you cant play it handheld then may as well go console or pc
@RupeeClock they did DQB2. The bottleneck was not resolved by overclocking.
So basically depending upon the game you would get a smallish but decent performance boost but likely limited by memory bandwidth and any major performance increase will probably happen in handheld mode
@USWITCH64 *comprends
Personally I never liked to overclock my devices, it is bad for reliability and the performance gains aren't worth it IMO. That and I never liked making things run hotter.
It can improve performance until you burn the CPU up.
@USWITCH64 Vraiment désolé*, "Je suis vraiment désolé", like "I'm really sorry
But "désolé beaucoup" doesn't make sense
What is it with this site of late, first the articles on third party docks and now this, do they won't us to brick/ fry our switches?
What an awesome video! I want to play games in handheld resolutions with full clockspeeds unlocked now. Wow, Saint's Row 3 was actually running at 60fps some of the time, and way higher in general. If developers can't get a game running at 60fps at 1080p then they should ALWAYS have an option to lower the resolution (looking at you Kirby Star Allies, Fire Emblem 3 houses, and others).
Nintendo probably didn't want to increase processing power because it would leave people with the old switch feeling ripped off.. They will probably just wait to do any ordained processing power improvements when the switch pro comes out..
Those results are interesting. I think all mobile chips, especially the ones in laptops, were designed to overclock. But given the problems people have been having with the body of the Switch falling apart, I’m not sure if it’s healthy in the long run to do this. I suppose the good aspect of using plastic is that it can give and flex a little if it is hot. The bad is that over time, the plastic and materials could degrade. Sometimes when I feel the fan buzzing a lot, I put the system down and take a rest.
It will be really interesting to see what the next more powerful Switch will be like in several years. I mean in terms of build quality, cooling, and power consumption.
Nintendo received alot of backlash for making a "better performing" 3DS because certain games could only be played on that model (Majora's Mask, for example). They would have to allow games that are optimized for a "Pro" model to still be playable on the other models.
This is pretty cool.
I’d love to hack and obtain this but, honestly, most games I play run well enough (brief dips into 20s I can handle, and stuff like DQ Builders 2 is only an issue visiting other worlds online, I just play single player).
Plus, I love the long battery life of the new Switch. 5 hrs of Fire Emblem is where it’s at.
@Kang81 I played it on PC GamePass. Well worth it. Cant wait for the expansion.
Seems like most of Switch performance issues are bound by Tegra X1 narrow memory bandwidth. Its very close to the bandwidth of the last gen consoles, and so seemes to be an unfixable bottleneck.
Still, guess a Switch Pro still could have minor performance enhancements in most games by higher CPU/GPU clocks, plus maybe 2GB extra RAM.
@nin10dobot ,
Thats false info, only Xenoblade wasnt possible on normal 3DS.
This is the best thing I have read about the Switch since the dock sock (not a typo).
It wouldn't be over-clocking but unlocking the full potential of the chip. That improves performance in most games with temperature increasing just a bit but Nintendo down-clocks the chip although they allowed a slightly higher GPU speed recently. The CPU stays locked except for loading some games.
Like people have already said, the Switch has some last-gen specs like memory bandwidth so there is a bottleneck there anyway. The low resolution helps make up for it but sometimes games can get too blurry and frame rate still doesn't hold up.
I have been playing a lot with overclocking in the last few weeks. I have an air temp gauge and have been monitoring the exhaust temps and then the back cover temps for docked mode. I have been running at one notch below full clock which is 1683/842 with a 1600mhz bus this seems like the settings the Switch would ideally run at. What my anecdotal results have shown is the Switch seems designed to safely run at the higher clocks. Air flow and temperature around the Switch dock had more effect on exhaust temps than upping the clocks. After moving my dock off my cable TV tuner the Switch ran -6F cooler, meanwhile running at the above higher clocks only produced no more than a +1.5F change. My guess is N kept it clocked down in dock mode for performance parity, and because most people shove consoles in tight spaces and they can't breath. As far as performance.....it noticeably helps in games that need the extra oomph....games that use dynamic resolution like Doom/Wolf show marked improvement and games that chug a little like FE smooth right out. I have been overclocking stuff since before the internet, generally if you keep the temps in a safe operating range there has been no downside as all my old overclocked gadgets are still humming along fine.
@Slowie
I can’t be the only one thinking publishers are deceiving customers on the Switch eShop. I realize the games will be somewhat downgraded and that it will vary, but all the screenshots and videos showing off the games are clearly of the better performing versions.
I knew what I was getting into when I purchased Doom 2016 and Wolfenstein 2, but the images and videos used in the eShop page is clearly of the PS4/XB1/PC versions.
While again, I am aware of this, I would bet many are not, and are then in for a rude awakening when they see how different the versions are.
Nintendo needs to force publishers to release accurate footage of Switch versions. I’m usually well informed, but I got screwed over on Bloodstained, which shouldn’t have any trouble running on the Switch when we have things like BotW, Mario Odyssey, and DKC: Tropical Freeze.
@Sanangelo89 Woopsie, you're right. Thanks for the correction 👍
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