Nintendo Switch 2 dev kit scarcity is taking a toll on developers’ ability to design their games for the console, with Nintendo allegedly encouraging them to design with the original Switch in mind.
Naturally, this is going to cause frustration for some developers who are looking to put their more demanding games on the most powerful hardware.
This has been compounded by a selection process undertaken by Nintendo which decides who gets the Switch 2 dev kits, and who doesn’t. This has led to support for more indie titles, which is arguably positive, but it comes at the cost of more technically demanding AAA games not being able to get the access they’re looking for.
Who is and isn’t Getting Dev Kits?
According to a report from Digital Foundry, many developers have voiced their confusion about why certain indie games have been given priority.
“There’s weird stuff about discouraging Switch 2 development explicitly for some games, a limited subset of games like if you’re doing a pixel art game at 240p, you probably don’t need a Switch 2 kit. But there are very few games on the Switch 1 that wouldn’t benefit from being ported explicitly to Switch 2,” stated Digital Foundry’s Oliver Mackenzie.
This same report divulged that a major AAA studio is struggling to launch their game for Switch 2 due to this very limitation, highlighting the problem with this selection process.
What’s Causing the Scarcity?
The reason for this situation is unclear. All that’s known (or highly likely given the available information) is that Nintendo is limiting access to the dev kits, which has led many people to assume that it’s because of a shortage.
At the moment, however, it’s all speculation, with no firm reason being outlined for the problem.
Is There a Timeline?
This is a situation that may remind people of the PlayStation 5 shortage when the console first released.
While the dev kits weren’t the problem, the lack of availability to consumers meant that many games ended up being cross-platform with the PlayStation 4 for years into the life cycle.
With that in mind, can developers expect a similar kind of timeframe when it comes to the Switch 2 dev-kits?
Those who discussed this information said they didn’t know if such a timeframe exists, positing that it might just be an unconventional strategy that passes with time. Until then, however, certain third-party releases are starting to trickle through, like Elden Rings Switch 2 release and No Man’s Sky.
