Nintendo Holds Back Switch 2 Dev Kits for Embracer Group Due to Stability Concerns

In a recent episode of the Digital Foundry podcast, expert John Linneman revealed that Nintendo has not yet sent out development kits for the Switch 2 to many smaller studios. Imran Khan, a former journalist for Game Informer and VentureBeat, stated that Nintendo has also overlooked at least one major company.

According to him, this concerns the Embracer Group. When the time came to distribute dev kits, Nintendo chose to bypass the Swedish conglomerate due to concerns about its instability, following a significant restructuring that saw several studios being closed down. Nintendo was worried that, amidst this chaos, the kits could end up in the wrong hands or even go missing.

Khan also noted that his information reflects a situation from about eight months ago, so it’s possible that Embracer has since reached an agreement with Nintendo. «I can’t say if their plans have changed, but I know that studios that have moved away from Embracer have resumed negotiations with Nintendo, and they have been more flexible,» the former reporter conveyed.

As for larger companies, some, like Ubisoft, already have development kits, allowing them to potentially showcase versions of their games for the Switch 2 in the near future. Rumors suggest that other studios are also preparing their projects for the upcoming console. Among the anticipated ports are titles like Halo: The Master Chief Collection, Final Fantasy VII Remake, and Rebirth.

According to insider Tom Henderson, some of the new “Switch” dev kits allegedly do not support 4K resolution. He learned this during the GDC conference and through emails. Henderson emphasized that this does not imply that the console itself won’t be capable of 4K; developer builds don’t always reflect the exact specifications of the final product.

Tomorrow at 16:00 Moscow time, Nintendo will hold a Direct presentation, during which they are expected to provide more details about the Switch 2. It is likely that the release date, pricing, and launch lineup of games—aside from the new Mario Kart—will be unveiled then.