A new report has revealed that Nintendo would be complicating the development of native games for SWITCH 2. This situation has generated discomfort among several companies in the industry. In accordance with Digital Foundry, the Japanese company Limit access to development kits for your next console And, instead of offering them extensively, I would be asking many studios to first publish their games on Switch 1. They rely on backward compatibility so they can be played on Switch 2.
Nintendo on the spot
This has caused a strange scenario. Even Some great AAA studies have not been able to advance with specific versions for Switch 2. Meanwhile, certain independent computers did manage to get the hardware. The most cited example is Chillin’ by the fire, a small game of coexistence around a campfire. This game takes advantage of the camera of the new console and functions like GameChat. This makes it impossible for it to run on Switch 1.
John Linneman, journalist from Digital Foundry, explained that during his coverage at Gamescom 2025 he was able to speak with several teams who are in this situation. “Many developers told us the same thing. Nintendo asked them to post on Switch 1 and trust backward compatibility. The reality is that they can’t get the hardware. It’s very difficult right now,” he said on the media podcast.
Dissatisfaction does not arise only from the shortage of kits, but also from The lack of clarity in the criteria that Nintendo uses to distribute them. Oliver MacKenzie, also from Digital Foundry, he commented: “I don’t understand the strategy. Some indies have access, which is positive, but at the same time there are large developers, with high-budget projects, who have been left out. And we are not talking about an isolated case, but about several important names that have not received anything.”
Poorly optimized versions and ports
According to Mackenzie, this unequal selection has surprised more than one study. In theory, The arrival of Switch 2 should be an opportunity to boost large-scale games. However, the console barely has a small number of officially improved editions. “The most striking thing is that we have seen very few Switch 2 Editions after the launch. Perhaps No Man’s Sky And one or two more examples. However, the reality is that there are almost no adapted third-party launches,” he explained.
This situation raises doubts about the growth rate of the new console’s catalogue. Many titles published in Switch 1 could benefit from a Switch 2 optimized port. But without development kits, the process is impossible for much of the industry. For now, Nintendo’s strategy seems to be aimed at ensuring that backward compatibility is the bridge between generations. Although this strategy stops the appearance of games that actually exploit the most recent hardware.
The contrast between the beneficiary studies and those still waiting is reflected in the overall perception of the development community: Nintendo would be “almost discouraging” work for Switch 2, as Linneman described it. For some, this is a temporary decision to better manage kit production. For others, it could be a broader strategy that seeks to carefully control the arrival of native titles on the platform.
There is no official statement
So far, Nintendo has not given any official explanation of this policy or responding to requests for comment from media such as IGN. The company, however, prepares a new Nintendo Direct in September. This has raised fan expectations around the world. Among the most anticipated ads are updates of Metroid Prime 4 and news related to Mario. It is not yet clear if there will be any news about Switch 2 or about the distribution of its development kits.
In any case, the debate is already installed. while some celebrate that indies as Chillin’ by the fire They can soon take advantage of the new hardware, others question that AAA studies with high-impact projects continue without access to the necessary equipment. The immediate future of Switch 2, at least in terms of catalog, seems to depend on both the backward compatibility and the internal decisions that Nintendo makes in the coming months.
