A patent filed by Nintendo in the United States in July 2023 suggests that the company is working on image upscaling technology similar to Nvidia’s DLSS. A US patent published on Tuesday details computer technology for “transforming images using a trained neural network”, where a source image is augmented with contextual data. is Nintendo’s patent suggests that the successor to the Nintendo Switch could come with AI upscaling technology, resulting in improved image quality in games. The Nintendo Switch 2 has previously been rumored to support a DLSS-style upscaling feature.

Nintendo patent for AI upscaling feature

gave PatentAs seen. VGCsays the technology will use machine learning techniques to convert images from one resolution to a higher resolution.

“A source image is divided into blocks and context data is added to each pixel block. Context blocks are divided into channels and each channel from a single context block. is added to the same activation matrix. The action matrix is ​​then processed against a trained neural network to generate a transformed activation matrix Image used to make,” reads the patent abstract.

Nvidia’s DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling) uses AI upscaling technology to improve image quality in video games, producing better image resolution and higher frame rates. Most modern PC games support upscaling techniques like Nvidia’s DLSS, AMD’s FSR and Intel’s XeSS for better performance on older hardware.

AI upscaling technology is also making its way into gaming consoles. The recently launched PlayStation 5 Pro comes with PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR), Sony’s new AI upscaling feature that uses machine learning-based technology to add more detail to an image.

The timing of the patent suggests that Nintendo is developing its own AI upscaling feature for the Nintendo Switch 2, which will launch this year. Previous Reportshas also claimed that the Switch 2 will use DLSS-style technology to improve performance.

Nintendo has said that the Nintendo Switch 2 will launch before the end of March. The company has also confirmed that the hybrid console will be backwards compatible with Switch games. A recent report claims that the Switch 2 will launch on March 28.