Nintendo tells devs to make Switch 1 games instead of Switch 2 reveal sources

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Two people playing on their Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 in handheld mode side by side — The Switch 2 is backwards compatible but developers would rather make games native to the new console (Nintendo)

Nintendo is still refusing to send out Switch 2 devkits to many developers – even well known ones – and nobody knows why.

The third party output on Nintendo Switch 2 has been… strange so far. With the console just as, if not more powerful than the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, you’d think there would be a surplus of ports lining up to launch on the thing.

There was an encouraging number at launch, including games such as Cyberpunk 2077 and Yakuza 0, and a few more announced but still without release dates – such as Elden Ring and Final Fantasy 7 Remake. But since launch there’s been very few new announcements, with a very disappointing Partner Showcase last month.

There have been reports for some time that this is in part because Nintendo is refusing to send developers Switch 2 devkits – the modified consoles needed to make games for the system – but it seems the problem is persisting and nobody knows why.

Supposedly, the problem is so bad that Nintendo has told developers to give up on the idea of making Switch 2 game and just make ordinary Switch 1 titles.

This is according to Digital Foundry’s John Linneman, who says he spoke with several developers while attending Gamescom 2025 last week, who are still unable to get their hands on the hardware.

Instead, they’ve apparently been told they should ‘just ship it on Switch 1 and rely on backwards compatibility.’

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Supposedly, Nintendo is acting this way even with relatively big developers, with Linneman’s co-host, Oliver Mackenzie talking of ‘weird exclusions’ and expressing confusion that a relatively small publisher like Oink Games can get a devkit for its campfire simulator Chillin’ By The Fire but some triple-A studios are left out in the cold.

This all comes a couple of weeks after journalist and podcaster Jeff Gertsmann shared an email he received from an alleged developer who claimed Nintendo explicitly wants as few third party games as possible releasing this year for Switch 2.

‘There are secondary concerns about security and piracy as well, but I work for a well-known publisher with good relationships at Nintendo of America and Nintendo of Europe, and we’ve been kept at arm’s length, had requests for dev kits for our partners delayed, etc. We’ve explicitly been asked by Nintendo not to ship Switch 2 SKUs until a date in early 2026,’ reads the email.

No explanation is given for why Nintendo would want this, and even by Nintendo’s normal standards this seems completely inexplicable and of no obvious benefit to them whatsoever.

While there’s some debate over the legitimacy of the email, reliable insider NatetheHate (who has discussed the Switch 2 devkit situation in the past) took to the Famiboards forums to say that even if the email is false, he can corroborate what Digital Foundry has heard.

‘Plenty of large dev studios lack devkits,’ he wrote, adding that ‘The situation is improving but remains less than ideal, as Nintendo’s communication continues to be poor with many partners.’

There’s also evidence to suggest that even the studios that have received devkits haven’t had them for very long. Some upcoming Switch 2 ports were demoed at Gamescom and while Final Fantasy 7 Remake ran perfectly well, Elden Ring’s port quickly gained infamy for how bad its performance is in handheld mode.

Nintendo’s entire post-launch approach to the Switch 2 has been peculiar, with the company prioritising minor releases such as Kirby Air Riders and Hyrule Warriors but providing little to no details about them.

Things could pick up soon, though, as it’s rumoured another Nintendo Direct is airing next month in September; a time when Nintendo traditionally holds more substantial showcases.

Although it’s rumoured to be the ‘general Nintendo Direct we’ve all been waiting for,’ the most likely focus is the 40th anniversary of Super Mario Bros., which takes place on September 13.