The Nintendo Switch 2 should also be able to handle Unreal Engine 5. (Image source: miglagoa via Adobe Stock)
The Nintendo Switch 2 is still a long time coming – but the rumor mill never sleeps. After the technical data of the upcoming Nintendo console was often discussed, Digital Foundry addressed another question.
A question-and-answer session in the tech experts’ most recent podcast episode was about Unreal Engine 5, on which several games are now based. How well will the Nintendo Switch 2 handle the UE5?
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Short answer: completely, with very few restrictions.
Due to the architecture of the Nintendo Switch alone, the UE5 functions such as Lumen, Nanite or virtual shadow depth maps should certainly be part of the supported feature list. However, the experts did not provide a more precise reason.
At least a look at the history of the Nintendo Switch shows that the console has had good experiences with the Unreal Engine. Games like Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice or Fortnite run perfectly on the Switch with the help of a few adjustments – and rely on the Unreal Engine. According to the Digital Foundry, the same should also be possible with the Nintendo Switch 2.
In contrast to gaming handhelds like the Steam Deck, games are optimized for the Nintendo Switch anyway. This also means that functions such as the rumored AI upscaler come into play and make it easier for the console to adopt features from Unreal Engine 5.
At least in theory, these optimizations should go so far that the recently announced UE5 feature “MegaLights” would also be conceivable. According to developers, in Unreal Engine version 5.5, which was recently launched as a preview, MegaLights enables the calculation of “more lights than ever before”. These should all be movable, dynamic and with realistic surface shadows.
However, such a feature will not be fully implementable on the Nintendo Switch 2, as the Digital Foundry restricts. With low memory intensity and individual compromises, the upcoming Nintendo console could also provide graphic fireworks.
