Nintendo’s Switch 2 broadcast takes place this week and multiple rumours and reports about the system’s development kits have emerged ahead of the anticipated launch.
According to Digital Foundry’s John Linneman, he’s heard “many developers” are still without a kit – especially “medium to small developers” and Nintendo is apparently being “very selective” about who has access to the new hardware.
“I think there will be third-party games early on of course, it just seems like a lot of medium to small developers still do not have access to development hardware.”
Games media veteran Imran Khan has also chimed in via ResetEra claiming Embracer Group didn’t receive any kits from Nintendo because the Japanese video game giant “deemed them too chaotic at the moment”.
“They [Nintendo] were afraid the kits would go to studios that would then be closed down and then the kits might have gone missing.”
Khan says Ubisoft already has kits – with this same company previously publicising its support of the new Nintendo hardware and a rumour earlier this year suggesting it had “more than half a dozen” games planned for the Switch 2.
These updates follow a story from Insider Gaming’s reporter Tom Henderson last week, who mentioned how “many” third-party studios wouldn’t be getting their hands on Switch 2 developer kits until June as part of a 3-phase launch plan.
The second phase of the Switch 2 rollout will reportedly see games from third-party studios arrive between October and November.
“The second-stage will arrive in October-November for third-party studios, many of whom are expecting the dev kits for the Switch 2 to be sent in June.”
Adding to this, a new story from Insider Gaming this week shares another comment from Henderson about Switch 2 development kits.
According to what he heard at this year’s Game Developers Conference from “one developer” – at least “some of the dev kits” do not have 4K output. He’s also received a separate email about this.
“I heard this from one developer at GDC and also heard it separately in an email but the dev kits, or some of the dev kits, don’t have a 4K output”
Existing rumours and supposed leaks have suggested the Switch 2 will be capable of “4K upscaling” and certain Nintendo patents seemingly connected to this have also surfaced online.
As mentioned by the same outlet, development kits don’t necessarily reflect or “match the specs” of the final product.
