A previous patent application describes how Switch 2 system reserves a small amount of GPU time for system UI processing and why VRR is thus needed. A recent publication further details the allocation of GPU time for game, system, and GameChat:
- At the start of a frame period (e.g., 1/60s), some GPU time is reserved for system UI related processing—notification, Quick Settings, etc. (#202 in image above)
- The rest of the GPU time is for game rendering (#206), with a brief switching period (#204) sandwiched in between.
- When GameChat is enabled without game image sharing, the GPU time reserved for system processing is expanded (#212). When game image sharing is also enabled, even more time is reserved for the system (#222).
- If the camera is on, some GPU time is reserved for camera processing (#226).
- The above is why the game’s resolution is lowered when GameChat is on (less GPU time for game). The user can override this though via a setting (screenshot below).
- If the game itself uses camera input (e.g., Jamboree TV), the camera processing can share the game’s GPU time.
- When the console is battery-powered, GameChat resolution is reduced.
- The game rendering and system/camera processing are running on different GPU cores.
Related: How RE Engine handles GameChat
[Originally posted on 2026-06-21 Pacific Time]
