Nintendo Switch 2 Development Kits Remain Scarce, Hindering Game Production
Despite the Nintendo Switch 2 reportedly being on the market for nearly three months, the gaming world has seen surprisingly few new game announcements or releases specifically for the new console. According to specialists at Digital Foundry, the primary reason for this scarcity is that the Switch 2 dev kit is a rare commodity, with many studios still unable to obtain one.
During a recent episode of the DF Direct Weekly podcast, hosts John Linneman and Oliver Mackenzie discussed their findings. They spoke with several developers who admitted that Nintendo had not yet sent them dev kits to create games for the Switch 2. Linneman even mentioned that some developers were advised to focus on titles for the original Switch console for the time being.
“Lately, there’s been a lot of talk about Nintendo seemingly hindering Switch 2 development to some extent,” Linneman explained. “I’ve spoken with numerous developers who were told that their game should just be released on Switch 1, relying on backward compatibility. A huge number of studios can’t get dev kits for Switch 2. We talked to a bunch of developers at gamescom this year, and many of them said the same thing. They want to release games on Switch 2, but they can’t get the necessary hardware. It’s genuinely difficult right now.”
One notable exception mentioned is Borderlands 4, one of the few AAA third-party titles confirmed for the Switch 2. Oliver Mackenzie expressed confusion over Nintendo's logic in distributing dev kits. He recalled previous reports that even some large studios couldn't get Switch 2 dev kits, yet certain indie teams did receive them. As an example, he cited the developers of “Chillin’ by the Fire,” an independent project focused on virtual campfire gatherings that reportedly uses Switch 2 camera features.
The Digital Foundry hosts believe Nintendo’s advice to “rely on backward compatibility” is not ideal, especially for projects that push the original Switch to its limits. The first Switch outputs at 1080p docked and 720p handheld, while the Switch 2 is expected to offer 4K docked and 1080p handheld. Simply relying on backward compatibility would result in a less sharp image and potentially compromised performance on the new hardware.
This issue of scarce Switch 2 dev kits was previously raised by former GameSpot editor-in-chief and Giant Bomb co-founder Jeff Gerstmann. An employee from a “well-known publisher” reportedly told him that the delay in dev kit distribution is due to Nintendo’s desire to prevent third-party studios from releasing too many games on the new console, thus keeping the focus on Nintendo’s own first-party releases. Gerstmann’s source allegedly stated, “Nintendo specifically asked us not to send out Switch 2 dev kits until early 2026.”
This situation suggests that while developers are eager to leverage the new capabilities of the Switch 2, Nintendo may be strategically controlling the rollout of development resources to manage the console's launch lineup and market presence. For players, this could mean a slower initial release schedule for new, optimized third-party titles on the Switch 2, with many games potentially relying on backward compatibility for some time.
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