There’s buzz in the tech world about a potential collaboration between Nvidia and MediaTek to develop a system-on-a-chip (SoC) aimed at the rapidly growing handheld gaming console market.
The emergence of handheld gaming devices like the Steam Deck and Nintendo Switch has created new opportunities for chip manufacturers. Currently, AMD dominates this market by providing chips for various handheld consoles, including the Steam Deck, Asus ROG Ally, and various handheld consoles from Ayaneo.
Rumor Regarding NVIDIA Partnering with MediaTek
According to information from Videocardz, this rumor was first mentioned by analyst Dan Nystedt. He stated that Nvidia is partnering with MediaTek on several projects, including the development of ARM-based processors for PCs and SoCs for handheld consoles. Additionally, a leaker known as XpeaGPU mentioned that Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is frustrated with Nintendo’s slow adoption and release of new chips for their devices, such as the Switch and the upcoming Switch 2. Since all of this is still just speculation, it’s essential to approach it with caution.
To emphasize how slow this process is, the chip rumored to be used in the Nintendo Switch 2 is reportedly based on Ampere, a technology that has been around for several generations. Ampere was first introduced in graphics cards like the RTX 3080, and the Nintendo Switch 2, which uses this technology, is expected to be launched in 2025, five years after the architecture was first introduced.
XpeaGPU also claims that Nvidia is trying to attract attention from Chinese-based companies producing new handheld gaming consoles. These companies have the potential to launch new products every few months, giving Nvidia the opportunity to strengthen its position in the handheld console market.
The SoC being developed is expected to be based on ARM, which is generally more suitable for Android-based or possibly Linux-based operating systems. However, the Qualcomm Snapdragon X series has shown the ability to optimize Windows 11 for ARM processors. Nvidia also has extensive experience in developing drivers for Windows, so it’s not out of the realm of possibility for them to make this SoC compatible with various operating systems, including Windows.
If the collaboration between Nvidia and MediaTek does happen, it could be a significant step forward in bringing innovation to the handheld gaming console market. By combining Nvidia’s expertise in graphics chip manufacturing with MediaTek’s experience in developing ARM-based SoCs, this collaboration could provide an exciting solution for gamers looking for high-performance handheld consoles.
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