An updated Nintendo patent might hint at some good news for the Switch 2, as it outlines AI upscaling technology that could give the company’s upcoming hardware a bit more in common with the likes of the PS5 Pro.
Highlighted by @MikeOdysseyYT on Twitter, Nintendo’s “systems and methods for machine learned image conversion” patent has been newly updated as of March 13. As with any patent, its language is very complicated, but it describes that a “computer system is provided for converting images through the use of a trained neural network.” Diagrams demonstrate an image being expanded and sharpened after the use of a neural network (a machine learning program), and it further describes the process of “image up-conversion,” which “can be used to show images of the first resolution on a higher resolution display.”
While the timing of this patent update seems like it could point to the Switch 2, keeping in mind that the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct is right around the corner on April 2, there’s no specific mention of the console in the patent. Again, it’s not a brand new patent, either – this latest update is part of a chain of continuations, with the original patent being filed in March 2020. However, unless we’re counting the self-explanatory Switch OLED model, Nintendo hasn’t released any new consoles since these patents first came into existence – in theory, the Switch 2 would be the first one available for Nintendo to try the technology.
Previously, an internal Activision email suggested that the Switch’s successor was expected to target specs closer to the PS4 and Xbox One than their current-gen counterparts, so if the Switch 2 really does use AI upscaling, it’d be a pleasant surprise in this regard. After all, one of the PS5 Pro’s headline features was its special “PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution” AI upscaling tech.
Anyway, with that aforementioned Direct showcase taking place in just over two weeks, it hopefully won’t be too long until we find out if this is actually happening, or if Nintendo is banking the idea for potential use in the future.
