An analysis of the Nintendo Switch 2 SoC has been conducted by YouTuber Geekerwan, offering a detailed benchmark of the upcoming console’s CPU and GPU.
The Nintendo Switch 2 CPU and GPU benchmark reveals major upgrades over the original Switch, with a chip that is more advanced and larger in scale than initially expected. The custom SoC, reportedly codenamed T239, is 207mm² in size, nearly double the Tegra X1 (118mm²) used in the original Switch. It’s even larger than chips like the RTX 3050 Ti (mobile), Apple’s M2, AMD’s Ryzen 7840H, and Qualcomm’s X Elite. The die is labeled with a 2021 tape-out date, suggesting that it was in development long before any leak had surfaced.
The CPU section includes 8 Cortex-A78C cores, each with 256KB of L2 cache and a shared 4MB L3 cache. While the “C” suffix typically signifies compute applications, the core layout closely resembles that of the T234 Orin, which uses Samsung’s custom 8N node, although characteristics also resemble a mix with Samsung’s 10nm process.
The GPU is built around 6 TPCs with 2 SMs each, totaling 1,536 CUDA cores. Though described as Ampere-based, the unusual TPC separation and SM design share similarities with Ada Lovelace architecture. In terms of area, it’s smaller than the T234’s GPU but larger than GA102 (used in RTX 3080), raising questions about its architecture lineage.
In terms of performance, simulated benchmarks using a downclocked RTX 2050 suggest that the Switch 2’s docked GPU performance is comparable to a GTX 1050 Ti, while in handheld mode it falls closer to a GTX 750 Ti. While far below an Xbox Series S, it roughly compares with Apple’s A18 Pro and the original Steam Deck in different power states.
CPU-wise, Geekerwan tested a downclocked T234 at 1.0–1.1GHz and compared synthetic results to older CPUs. The single-core performance is about 2 times that of a PS4 and 3 times the original Switch, putting it in the range of a downclocked i7-4700HQ, while multi-threaded results match Apple’s older A12 Bionic.
Despite these modest specs, Geekerwan noted that console optimization will be key. Even with a relatively weaker GPU, a console’s tighter integration and lack of PC-style OS overhead mean that the Switch 2 hardware can deliver competent performance that is comparable to the PS4.
