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It's been a long time coming. Nintendo originally collaborated with semi-conductor giant Nvidia for a follow-up to the DS that never made it to production - though prototype devkits based on early Tegra processors were produced - but only now with Switch do we see just how potent that partnership can be. Nintendo's hybrid game console idea paired with Nvidia's class-leading performance and efficiency have combined to create the platform holder's most successful console launch of all-time. The question is, what's the next step in this partnership?First, let's make something clear - the collaboration between the two firms isn't a one-time deal, according to Nvidia at least. In a conference call with investors last year, CEO Jen-Hsun Huang said that the partnership "will likely last two decades" and this is not surprising bearing in mind that the set-up is so beneficial for both companies.
Nintendo needs access to class-leading gaming technology with a particular emphasis on power efficiency for its mobile products. For its part, the Tegra side of Nvidia's business has hardly been a roaring success, and a mass volume deal for what is effectively off-the-shelf silicon is great for the bottom line, and is effectively money for old rope now we know that Switch's custom Tegra processor is architecturally identical to its existing X1.
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