Nintendo’s partnership with Samsung Foundry to develop the Switch 2 SoC marks a significant shift in the industry. Traditionally, NVIDIA designs the chips powering Nintendo’s consoles, but this time, Nintendo chose Samsung over their usual partner, TSMC. The primary reason? Samsung’s expertise in the 8nm process.
This collaboration has sparked interest from major players like AMD and Sony, who are now considering working with Samsung. A recent report highlighted that Samsung Foundry has attracted these tech giants for potential projects, significantly expanding its client base.
Sony and AMD have previously expressed intentions to develop a new portable gaming device, dubbed Project “Jupiter,” featuring a custom low-power SoC likely using Samsung’s 2nm process. This move highlights one of the rare occasions where Samsung Foundry has outpaced TSMC in process adoption, suggesting a promising future.
While TSMC is renowned for its superior processes, Samsung boasts a higher production capacity, particularly since it’s not exclusively tied up with NVIDIA orders. This capacity was a key factor in Nintendo’s decision to choose Samsung, especially with expectations that the Switch 2 will sell over 20 million units, bringing in substantial revenue.
Samsung’s rapid progress with its 2nm technology has brought its yield rates close to those of TSMC, positioning the company to secure significant orders from NVIDIA, AMD, and Sony. This could signal a turnaround for Samsung’s foundry business, although the company still needs to demonstrate consistent delivery on its promises.
