A new leak suggests the Nintendo Switch 2 dock could support 4K at 60Hz thanks to a Realtek chip.
The Nintendo Switch 2 is finally starting to feel real. After years of speculation, we’re just one day away from the massive Switch 2 Direct presentation. Nintendo hasn’t said exactly what it’ll show, but let’s be honest: everyone’s expecting the full reveal.
With all eyes on Nintendo right now, the last few months have been packed with leaks, hints, and reports about the next-generation console. From dev kits and hardware details to new controller features and possible launch titles, the Switch 2 has been the center of online discussion.
And just when we thought the leaks might slow down ahead of tomorrow’s big event, we’ve now got a fresh one, and it’s all about the dock.
New Details For Nintendo Switch 2 Dock
Last week, Insider Gaming reported that developers who have access to Switch 2 dev kits said there’s no 4K output currently available on those units. That raised some eyebrows, especially since many hoped this would be the generation where Nintendo finally moves to full 4K support.
But now, new information shared on the Famiboards forum gives us a much clearer picture of what might be coming in the final version of the console. According to a trusted poster, the Switch 2’s dock will use a Realtek RTD2175N-CG chip. It’s a protocol converter that can translate DisplayPort 1.4 to HDMI 2.1—which basically means it can handle 4K video at 60Hz.
“The chipset in the dock is specifically the Realtek RTD2175N-CG. Unable to find this precise model on the web, but I assume the RTD2173 is a predecessor. It’s being used in this adaptor,” the post reads.
- Chipset: RTD2173
- Compliant with DisplayPort 1.4, HDMI HDCP 2.2/1.4, HDR 10
- Video Resolution: 720p, 1080p, 4K30Hz, 4K60Hz,4K120Hz (w/DSC), 8K30Hz and 8K60Hz (w/DSC)
- Audio Support: 7.1-ch PCM
- Bandwidth: Up to 32.4 Gbps
While Realtek hasn’t listed this exact chip on its site yet, it seems to be an upgraded version of the RTD2173, a chip that already supports 4K60Hz, 4K120Hz with compression, and even 8K with Display Stream Compression (DSC). The takeaway here? The Switch 2 dock may actually be capable of much more than what the dev kits are currently showing.
Still, nothing is confirmed yet, and it’s always smart to treat this stuff with a bit of skepticism until Nintendo gives the official word.
In terms of release plans, rumors suggest pre-orders could go live on April 9, with the console possibly hitting shelves in late June. Pricing is expected to land somewhere between $399 and $499, depending on the model.
Here’s a quick look at the rumored specs:
- CPU: Arm Cortex-A78C
- GPU: Nvidia T239 Ampere
- 1 Graphics Processing Cluster (GPC)
- 12 Streaming Multiprocessors (SM)
- 1534 CUDA cores
- 6 Texture Processing Clusters (TPC)
- 48 Gen 3 Tensor cores
- 2 RTX ray-tracing cores
- RAM: 12 GB LPDDR5
Handheld Mode:
- CPU: 998.4 MHz
- GPU: 561 MHz (~1.72 TFLOPS)
- Memory Frequency: 4266 MHz
- Memory Bandwidth: 68.256 GB/s
Docked Mode:
- CPU: 1100.8 MHz
- GPU: 1007.25 MHz (~3.09 TFLOPS)
- Memory Frequency: 6400 MHz
- Memory Bandwidth: 102.4 GB/s
So, what do you think? Does 4K60 support finally make the Switch 2 feel like a proper next-gen upgrade? Are you planning to pre-order it? Let us know your thoughts!
