Nintendo Switch 2 can run PS5 and Xbox Series X/S games suggest tech expertsGameCentralPublished January 7, 2025 10:48amUpdated January 7, 2025 10:48am This leak is what all the analysis is based on (Reddit)Analysis of leaked images of the Nintendo Switch 2 motherboard suggests the new console will be more powerful than it first seems.2025 has continued just as 2024 ended: with endless Nintendo Switch 2 leaks, most of which appear to be real. Theres been a lot of focus on the new Joy-Cons but what was also leaked over the new year was images of the new consoles motherboard.According to the tech experts at Digital Foundry, the images are almost certainly real and so they and others have been able to make quite detailed estimates of the consoles power and what it can and cant do.It is, as youd imagine, all very complicated but the gist of it is that they estimate the Switch 2 will be roughly as powerful as a base PlayStation 4 (so not a PS4 Pro). However, that comes with a lot of caveats, and they also predict that many Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5 games will be ported to the Switch 2, even if they dont run quite as well on it.On paper, its suggested that the Switch 2 seems to be less powerful than Steam Deck and other PC-based portable device, but Digital Foundry points out that raw tech specs are never a good indication of what a console can actually do.Importantly, they emphasise that, unlike the original Switch, Nintendo was directly involved in the design of the new hardware and so there will be lots of features and secret sauce that will allow the Switch 2 to run games with better than expected performance.Its predicted that the new console will be able to make use of machine learning features, including upscaling tech like DLSS, as well as ray-tracing. And while the Switch 2 doesnt seem to have a SSD, load times are expected to be considerably reduced thanks to a custom decompression block.Although the Switch 2s performance is compared to a normal PlayStation 4, this will be augmented by Nvidia DLSS and modern GPU features and solid ray-tracing support.As such, its predicted that therell be a wide range of PlayStation 4 era ports, with many games and franchises that have never appeared on a Nintendo console before.On top of that, Digital Foundry predict that there will also be PlayStation 5 era ports, albeit running at a frame rate of 30fps instead of 60fps and likely with other compromises.More TrendingThe comparison is made between the current Switch and its array of impossible ports, like Doom (2016) and The Witcher 3 which, while inferior to the Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 4 versions, still look and run surprisingly well.These are only predictions, but there have already been reports of the Switch 2 enjoying significant third party support from launch and it was widely assumed, before the motherboard leak, that the new console would be at least as powerful as the PlayStation 4.It will almost certainly be Nintendos own games which push the console the furthest, but so far theres been no substantial leaks about what games therell be at launch and beyond.Thats why, despite all these hardware leaks, the official reveal will still be hugely exciting, as we still know nothing about the most important aspect of the new console: the games. Leaks about the games would still be far more interesting (Reddit)Emailgamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below,follow us on Twitter, andsign-up to our newsletter.To submit Inbox letters and Readers Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use ourSubmit Stuff page here.For more stories like this,check our Gaming page.GameCentralExclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content.This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy