Switch with 8GB RAM enables a lot more games

Switch 2 can’t come soon enough.

The Nintendo Switch’s hardware limitations, especially its 4GB memory, make it hard to play modern games. This drawback affects the quality of games like “The Witcher 3,” which looks significantly downgraded compared to the PC version.

To explore the potential of more robust hardware, modders have been experimenting with both software and hardware modifications. They’ve successfully installed an Ubuntu 18.04 Linux operating system, unlocking more possibilities than the native OS.

The built-in NVIDIA Tegra X1 SoC, with only 256 CUDA cores, struggles to run modern games. However, new upscaling technologies and more efficient translation layers like Wine make gaming on this hardware more doable.

GTA5 on Switch, Source: naga

One of the modders has upgraded the Switch 4GB memory to 8GB which allows many games to finally be ‘playable’ or what’s more fitting ‘run’ on this gaming handheld. For example, “Tomb Raider: Legend” runs relatively well, but “Final Fantasy VII Remake” hovers around 20 FPS, similar to “Grand Theft Auto V.” “Fallout: New Vegas” can maintain 60 FPS indoors, but frame rates drop below 20 FPS in outdoor areas.

Games running Switch with 4GB memory, Source: naga

Upgrading the Switch’s memory to 8GB might not be worthwhile since its successor is expected to feature 12GB of RAM and a newer GPU architecture, promising better performance. However, since we are talking about non official gamers, modders will first need to figure out how to install third-party software on the new hardware, which is likely only a matter of time.

Source: El Chapuzas Informatico