Like Nintendo Switch 2 As it steadily approaches its first anniversary, its development kits remain in extremely short supply, preventing studios of all sizes from properly supporting the console with content. According to a report that has recently surfaced, these supply issues have been going on for a long time now which is starting to frustrate even some veteran devs with several successful Switch games to their name.
Thousands of developers have been unsuccessfully trying to buy Switch 2 dev kits since long before Nintendo's latest console hits store shelves on June 5, 2025. Initially, reports within the industry suggested that Nintendo was wary of sharing dev kits before the official reveal of the console. While providing unreleased hardware to studios is standard practice in the industry, Nintendo has historically been more selective about early developer partners than Sony and Microsoft, so the decision didn't raise many eyebrows at the time. However, as the long-awaited Switch 2 launch came and went in June, what became clear was that protecting against leaks was only part of the equation for Nintendo because it didn't have many dev kits to begin with. Actually, it still isn't.
A great Wii U game left only a shadow for the Switch 2
One of the highest rated Wii U games now has an official Switch 2 version, which was dropped digitally and will soon receive a physical release.
Switch 2's invitation-only interrupt
Eight months and 17 million Switch 2 sales later, the situation looks somehow worse, at least from the perspective of no one working for the industry behemoth. A recent report by Danish outlet Arcaden has raised some concerns from such professionals, who are said to be growing increasingly frustrated with Nintendo due to the ongoing situation. Although the report doesn't name anyone from the European games industry, it dismisses recent rumors that Switch 2 dev kit supply has been resolved, stressing that it's still in dire shortages.
Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.
get started
Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.
Easy (5) Medium (7) Hard (10)
Switch 2 dev kits can't be that much longer in short supply
Some Arcaden sources have portrayed the current situation as less of a logistical problem and more the result of deliberate company policy, not least because Nintendo is still not accepting dev kit applications until February 2026. The Japanese gaming giant has yet to offer any concrete reasons for the hold-up, with the most obvious support—the company's ultimate advantage—being a third party to help maintain the console. The fact that the Switch 2 was readily available worldwide for six of its first eight months on the market is another indication that this lack of dev kit is by design.
Timeline of Nintendo Switch 2 Dev Kit updates
- January 16, 2025: After formally announcing its new console, Nintendo said at the time it was “not accepting requests” for the Switch 2 dev environment.
- April 3, 2025: Reports suggest that some of the industry's biggest publishers who didn't already support the Switch 2 launch secured a limited number of dev kits.
- June 5, 2025: Switch 2 Released Worldwide; Still no meaningful update on dev kit availability for small devs.
- August 26, 2025: Digital Foundry reports that Nintendo has told devs to make Switch 1 games as they are compatible with Switch 2.
- August 28, 2025: The last widespread Switch 2 shortages have ended, thus stabilizing the consumer supply before dev access.
- December 30, 2025: Imran Khan reports that the dev kit supply is “largely” resolved
- January 23, 2026: A new Arcade Report, citing several industry members, claims that major Siwtch 2 dev kit shortages continue.
Nintendo's deliberate handling of the dev kit rollout is already preventing some Switch 2 upgrades for older games, as their creators have repeatedly emphasized in response to fan inquiries. Back in August, reports surfaced that Nintendo was also actively discouraging smaller third-party devs from making near-term Switch 2 plans. Instead, its representatives are said to be proposing to focus on Switch 1 games and rely on Switch 2' backwards compatibility for the time being.
While the differences between successive console generations are undoubtedly getting smaller in terms of graphical fidelity, that only applies to traditional home consoles. Handheld and hybrid devices like the Switch 2 still offer substantial technological improvements every few years. That's mainly because their manufacturers are forced to grapple with a much tighter balancing act between power, thermals and battery life, so any meaningful jump in performance-per-watt is pretty obvious. As such, there's no shortage of developers ready to ditch the Switch 1's 2017 RAM and 2018 SoC — it's just a question of when Nintendo will allow them.
Sources: Everything Nintendo, Digital Foundry
