Samsung will manufacture chips for the Nintendo Switch 2
By ForGeeks Nintendo has partnered with Samsung to produce key chips for the upcoming Switch 2 console. This is reported by Bloomberg, citing insiders familiar with the details of the deal.
Sources say the choice to go with Samsung should speed up chip production and allow Nintendo to produce up to 20 million Switch 2 consoles by March 2026. Depending on assembly capacity, that figure could be increased.
Samsung’s choice of Samsung is expected to accelerate chip production and allow Nintendo to produce up to 20 million Switch 2 consoles by March 2026.
Samsung has a long history of supplying Nintendo with other components – like memory and displays. But the company has lagged behind TSMC, which serves giants such as Apple and Nvidia, in chip production. The new contract with Nintendo will help Samsung close the gap and strengthen its position in the semiconductor business.
Samsung’s new contract with Nintendo will help it to close the gap and strengthen its position in the semiconductor business.
The Switch 2 chips will be manufactured on an 8nm process, even though the more advanced 5nm node offers better power efficiency. The choice to go with 8nm is due to Nintendo’s desire for lower costs and more reliable mass production. Previously, Chosun reported that Nintendo also considered TSMC with their 8nm and 7nm process technologies, but ultimately chose Samsung.
Sources at Wccftech add that Samsung is actively promoting OLED displays for future revisions of the Switch 2, and a move to 5nm chips in future versions of the console is also being considered – it could improve the device’s battery life.
Nintendo said last week that it plans to sell 15 million Switch 2 consoles in its launch window. That compares with the pace of the original Switch, which became one of the fastest-selling consoles in history. However, analysts had expected higher numbers amid strong demand and pre-order volume.
Nintendo said it would sell 15 million Switch 2 consoles in the launch window.
Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa explained that the tempered expectations were due to the high price of the new console – which could be a barrier to mass demand compared to the first Switch model.
The deal with Samsung could play a key role in overcoming that hurdle – by optimizing production and supply.
The article Samsung to produce chips for Nintendo Switch 2 was first published on ITZine.ru.
