Nintendo Switch 2 might have a surprising AI feature

The Nintendo Switch 2 is just weeks away from its big reval. The Mario maker plans to show off its newest console on April 2 in a Nintendo Direct.

There are still a lot of questions about the Switch 2 such as how much will it cost and when will it launch. One major feature that has been confirmed is backward compatibility with the original Switch games, and it appears there could be some enhancements with these older games.

Nintendo recently patented new technology using AI to upscale an image, according to a report from Forbes. The patent, first spotted by a user on X, is for a "computer system converting images through use of a trained neural network." This tech would take a 540p image, which is the same resolution as the Switch, and use a neural network to convert the image to 1080p.

Nintendo didn't hint at there being an improvement with Switch games playing on the Switch 2, but the recently released Xenoblade Chronicles X might also confirm improvements coming to Switch games. Released last week, the game has a strange bit code that one modder discovered, as reported by Polygon. The unused code is for a 60fps setting for the game. It's unclear whether this setting could be implemented as a graphics upgrade when playing the game on the Switch 2 or maybe a leftover code for a setting used by developers.

Nintendo didn't immediately respond to a request for comment confirming the AI upscaling technology for the Switch 2.

What do we know about the Switch 2?

Nintendo teased the Switch 2 back in January in a short video. Only a few features were shown at the time.

Of the features, the most notable is that the Switch 2 will have an 8-inch LCD display. There will be an improvement in the graphics, but how much is still a mystery. Third-party developers are reportedly preparing to bring their AAA games over to the Switch 2 as the original Switch didn't have the power to run these games.

Another interesting change with the Switch 2 is with its controls. The Joy-Cons will connect to the console with magnets instead of rails, and it appears that each Joy-Con will work similarly to a mouse. How this will be used and for which games remains unknown.

There is speculation on the price of the Switch 2, but analysts suspect the new console will be higher than the original's $299 price tag. The most likely starting price is $349 although it could go up to $399. A reason for this increase in price is due to the higher costs of hardware. It's still unknown whether tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump will have any effect on the price.

As for when the Switch 2 will come out, Nintendo is planning a world tour for the new console called the "Switch 2 Experience." It starts on April 4 in New York City and continues on in April and May with dates in cities across the globe. The last scheduled date, as of now, is on June 1 in Seoul, South Korea. This would make for the most likely release date to happen sometime this summer, probably in June. There have been reports of Nintendo already shipping Switch 2 units to the U.S. earlier this month.

When it comes to new Switch 2 games, the only one confirmed so far is a new Mario Kart game. Industry analysts told Bloomberg they speculate a new 3D Mario game, the long-awaited Metroid Prime 4, and Pokémon Legends: Z-A will also be released.