While, as a rule, console developers are eager to expand the libraries of games accessible via their products as rapidly as possible, Nintendo appears to be taking the opposite approach, with Digital Foundry’s John Linneman reporting – based on conversations with multiple developers at gamescom 2025 – that the company “seems to be discouraging Switch 2 development.”
According to Linneman, many game development studios are eager to release Nintendo Switch 2 versions of their titles, but they cannot obtain development kits, effectively halting their efforts. Instead, Nintendo is allegedly encouraging those developers to target the original Switch and depend on backwards compatibility.
Digital Foundry contributor Oliver Mackenzie added that he does not understand Nintendo’s strategy regarding dev kits. He stated that some AAA developers have been excluded from the who-gets-the-dev-kit pipeline, while at the same time, there have been some “weird inclusions” on the indie side, citing Chillin’ by the Fire – a game revealed in July that lets players sit around a digital campfire and connect via video chat, which got heavily disliked on YouTube – as and example of one such “weird inclusion.”
Oink Games
“There are really very few games on Switch 1 that wouldn’t benefit from being ported explicitly to Switch 2,” Mackenzie says. “Especially considering the sales volume of Switch 2. It’s not like developers would be in a position where they didn’t want to support new hardware, I think, broadly speaking, developers do want to support new hardware. And the thing that’s really stark to me too is, at this point, we’ve seen very few Switch 2 additions post-launch. I don’t think we’ve seen hardly any at all from third-party developers in particular.”
Interestingly, this isn’t the first time we’ve heard of issues with Nintendo Switch 2 development kits. Just a month ago, industry insider Nate the Hate also reported that numerous developers – including indies, AA studios, and big-league players such as Capcom, Sega, and Bandai Namco – were unable to secure the necessary hardware, raising questions about why Nintendo seems in no hurry to grow Switch 2’s library.
Don’t forget to join our 80 Level Talent platform and our new Discord server, follow us on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Telegram, TikTok, and Threads, where we share breakdowns, the latest news, awesome artworks, and more.
