Nintendo Switch 2 Third-Party Lineup May Be Suffering From a Lack of Dev Kits

It’s possible that there might be less third-party games in production for the rumored Nintendo Switch 2, as there seems to be a shortage of development kits available. Ever since its release on June 5th, the Nintendo Switch 2 has been difficult to obtain for some consumers, and it seems this scarcity extends to third-party developers aiming to create games for its development kits.

Recently, the Nintendo Switch 2 kick-started a new phase for Nintendo, marking the commencement of a fresh era for their hybrid console lineup. This enhanced successor to the 2017 model boasts improved internal hardware and offers several novel features. Consequently, many games that ran relatively smoothly on the original Switch have experienced significant performance enhancements with the Switch 2. Yet, it appears that not many game developers are taking advantage of the latest Nintendo system’s enhanced hardware capabilities to launch their games at present. This isn’t because they are reluctant to do so.

Switch 2 Dev Kit Shortage Reportedly Preventing the Arrival of More Third-Party Games

In simpler terms, Nintendo seems to be making it challenging for third-party developers to create games specifically for the Switch 2. This is based on reports from John Linneman of Digital Foundry, as shared by Insider Gaming. The reason given is that Nintendo has not supplied studios with necessary development kits, and some developers have been asked to merely update their games for the original Switch instead, allowing its backward compatibility to handle the absence of a dedicated version for the Switch 2. Moreover, Linneman mentioned that many developers he spoke to at Gamescom last week expressed similar frustrations, claiming they were unable to develop games for the new console due to scarcity of development kits. Interestingly, Oliver Mackenzie of Digital Foundry suggested that there have been peculiar choices regarding the distribution of these kits, with some indie studios receiving hardware that even big-name developers are finding difficult to obtain.

It’s hard to argue against the fact that the initial release period of the Switch 2 has had a relatively small selection of games available. Despite the Nintendo Switch 2 selling exceptionally well, there could be some prospective buyers who are still on the fence due to the scarcity of exclusive Switch 2 games currently in the market. If more development kits for the Switch 2 had been provided to third-party game studios sooner, the situation might have been different and potentially led to stronger early sales for the console.

Due to ongoing reports about the scarcity of development kits, it might be wise for enthusiasts to moderate their expectations regarding third-party games appearing on the Switch 2 within the immediate future. As for first-party titles, not many significant releases remain aside from the anticipated Kirby Air Riders, which is slated for a late 2025 launch exclusively on the Switch 2.

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2025-08-27 17:40