In a major technical milestone for both Nintendo and CD Projekt Red, Cyberpunk 2077 has been officially confirmed as the first Nintendo Switch 2 title to use Nvidia’s DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling) upscaling technology.
The announcement, made during a joint presentation by Nvidia and CDPR, marks a historic leap in what’s technically possible on Nintendo hardware — and sets the tone for what the Switch 2’s DLSS-capable Tegra chipset can deliver.
🎮 Cyberpunk 2077 on a Handheld? Believe It
The idea of Cyberpunk 2077, once criticized for performance issues on last-gen consoles, running smoothly on a portable hybrid device might’ve sounded impossible a few years ago. But thanks to Nvidia’s AI-powered upscaling technology, the Switch 2 version will run at a native 720p (or lower) resolution, and be upscaled to 1080p/4K on the fly using DLSS.
According to CD Projekt Red, the Switch 2 version will include:
-
DLSS 3.1 upscaling support for docked and handheld modes
-
Dynamic resolution scaling to maintain stable frame rates
-
Full content parity with other console editions, including Phantom Liberty
-
Optimized controls and UI for handheld play
Early performance benchmarks shown in private demos indicate stable 30 FPS in handheld mode and up to 60 FPS in docked mode, depending on environmental load.
🧠 Why DLSS on Switch 2 Is a Big Deal
DLSS is Nvidia’s proprietary tech that uses machine learning to intelligently upscale lower-resolution images, dramatically improving performance without sacrificing visual clarity.
For a device with limited power compared to current-gen consoles, the addition of DLSS effectively means:
-
AAA games become handheld-friendly
-
Longer battery life due to lower native rendering loads
-
Enhanced visuals without requiring a massive internal GPU
This also confirms that the Switch 2’s Nvidia silicon is powerful enough to support advanced AI features, suggesting a massive leap over the aging original Switch
hardware.
🚀 CDPR and Nintendo: A Surprising Alliance
While CD Projekt Red has previously ported The Witcher 3 to the original Switch (with notable compromises), Cyberpunk 2077 using DLSS on the Switch 2 is a statement of confidence — not only in their own REDengine optimizations, but also in the capabilities of Nintendo’s next-gen system.
Nvidia, in its own statement, said:
“The integration of DLSS in Switch 2 titles will open doors for richer, more ambitious gaming experiences on portable hardware — and Cyberpunk 2077 is the perfect place to start.”
🗓️ Release Timing and Expectations
Cyberpunk 2077: Switch 2 Edition is expected to launch alongside the new console in March 2025, either as a digital download or physical cartridge. A performance-focused trailer showing DLSS in action is rumored to be dropping in the coming weeks.
Other developers are reportedly already experimenting with DLSS on Switch 2 dev kits, including Ubisoft, Capcom, and SEGA — meaning Cyberpunk could be the first of many high-end PC/console titles finding new life on Nintendo’s upgraded platform.
