Jacob Roach / Digital Trends
There ’s a rising tide ofhandheld gaming PCs , and Nvidia is missing out on the action at law . The energy of handhelds into the mainstream started with some purpose - make AMD systems on a potato chip ( SoCs ) , but now Intel is joining the fray with its Meteor Lake weapons platform . Out of the big three , only one company is missing : Nvidia .
Nvidia probably is n’t too concerned with make an SoC for handhelds — after all , it was AI that pushed it tobecome a trillion - dollar sign companionship — and it ’s a long shot that the company would ever make one . With that in mind , deliberate what follows to be aspiring thought because Nvidia could make one insane SoC for hand-held gambling personal computer .
Jacob Roach / Digital Trends
Charted territory
This is n’t completely uncharted territory for Nvidia . You probably have it away about the Tegra serial of SoCs from Nvidia , which have been used in gaming gadget in the past . The Tegra 3 was at the heart of the ill - flesh out Ouya plot console , and most famously , the Tegra X1 superpower the Nintendo Switch . Nvidia has since moved on with its SoC efforts , focalise on applications in self-governing vehicles and AI .
It ’s not quite a one - to - one transition . You ca n’t just slap one of Nvidia ’s SoCs inside a Windows handheld and expect things to work . They apply sleeve designs for the mainframe effect , and they ’re developed with other platforms in judgment , so the software support is n’t there for a play gadget running SteamOS or Windows . At the very least , though , Nvidiacandesign the hardware .
There may not be a reason to plan that ironware , given Nvidia ’s massive strides in the data center , but it has the electrical capacity to make it happen . Last yr , Nvidia describe having over 26,000 employee , and according toa report from last year , Nvidia is already working on develop ARM - based personal computer chips for Windows PCs .
Just because Nvidia can do it , and Intel and AMD are already doing it , does n’t mean that Nvidia should develop an SoC for hand-held gaming PCs . It would make a hatful of sense given Nvidia ’s most recent art computer architecture , though .
All about efficiency
A major topic among Nvidia ’s RTX 40 - series computer graphic lineup is efficiency . The identity card rarely get to their maximal magnate draw , even when running demanding games . liken to the premature generation , you ’ll often get similar or high-pitched performance at somewhere around 30 % to 40 % less powerfulness .
Efficiency is everything for a handheld , and that ’s a handsome reason we still commend devices like theSteam Deck OLEDover more powerful handhelds like theAsus ROG Ally . Better efficiency leads to long battery life , of course , but it also allow for good carrying into action at depressed major power levels . We ’ve really seen that at study withthe Steam Deck and ROG Ally , where the tether the Ally love at higher office degree diminish at lower power modes .
Although benchmark charts only show peak performance , there are a lot of other ingredient at gaming for a handheld , with assault and battery life being chief among them . Even if an Nvidia - base gaming handheld did n’t provide the highest public presentation , it would sure as shooting excel in battery lifetime , and that ’s a full-grown deal when we ’re talking about portable gambling .
DLSS for handheld
Another likely feather in Nvidia ’s hood for handheld gaming isDeep Learning Super Sampling ( DLSS ) . Although upscaling does n’t fiddle a major role for the Steam Deck ’s 800p screenland , it ’s a vital prick as resolutions and refresh pace start surmount up . With the Ally ’s 1080p cover , and devices like theLenovo Legion Gopushing a 1600p screen , upscaling becomes a lot more important .
Most of these devices have some simple form of upscaling built in , or you’re able to utilize tool likeFidelityFX Super Resolution ( FSR)in supported games . But by far , Nvidia ’s DLSS offers the best balance of functioning and image calibre . It ’s credibly themain reason to buyan Nvidia GPU for your gaming personal computer today , and it would make a creation of difference in a handheld .
On top of just upscaling , DLSS now includes Frame Generation . It ’s essentially a cheat code for functioning , employ AI to give new shape rather of return them . It ’s a smashing feature to enable demand setting like course line inAlan Wake 2,or to break up your frame charge per unit to the ternary digit when using muscular desktop graphics cards . But it ’s also a style to bring muchweaker ingredient up to equality .
That ’s what I ’ve realize with devices likeSurface Laptop Studio 2,which , by all story , is not a gaming laptop computer . Even with a weak Nvidia Mobile River GPU , however , it ’s able-bodied to toy games likeCyberpunk 2077at high options and playable framing rates due to DLSS 3 . The feature provide a shortcut to higher performance . It ’s not the same as playing on a high - end desktop , but that ’s not what you look out of a handheld .
We can only hope
With the efficiency Nvidia has showcased this multiplication , and DLSS 3 at the helm , an Nvidia - based hand-held gaming personal computer make too much gumption . It ’s just a shame that it probably wo n’t happen .
Rumor has it that Nvidia isworking with Nintendo on the Switch 2 , but even that rumor is a bit hazy . If Nvidia does make another SoC targeted at play , there ’s a right fortune it will point these semi - custom-made applications where Nvidia designs the ironware and it leaves all of the software support to another troupe . That ’s credibly low-pitched on Nvidia ’s list of priorities , too , considering there ’s a lot more money to be made with its AI and enterprise efforts mightily now .
One can hope , though . Although the AMD - based handhelds we ’ve go through have been first-class , and Intel ’s recent push into the mart looks promising , Nvidia ’s track in efficiency and AI - based upscaling would put up a massive boon to handheld play personal computer . Maybe one mean solar day .
