As Nintendo Switch 2 is steadily approaching its first anniversary, its development kits are still in short supply, preventing studios of all sizes from properly supporting the console with content. According to a recent report, these supply issues have now persisted long enough to frustrate even some seasoned developers with several successful Switch games.
Thousands of developers have been unsuccessfully trying to get their hands on Switch 2 dev kits long before Nintendo's newest console hits store shelves on June 5, 2025. Reports from industry insiders have suggested that Nintendo was wary of sharing dev kits ahead of the console's official reveal. While providing unreleased hardware to studios is standard practice across the industry, Nintendo has historically been more selective about early development partners than Sony and Microsoft, so the decision didn't raise too many eyebrows at the time. After the long-awaited release of the Switch 2 came and went in June, it became clear that protecting against leaks was only one part of the equation for Nintendo, as they didn't have that many dev kits to begin with. In reality, this is still not the case.
One of the best Wii U games was Just Shadow Dropped for Switch 2
One of the highest rated Wii U games now has an official Switch 2 version that has been digitally dropped and will soon see a physical release.
Switch 2 invite-only bottleneck
Eight months and 17 million Switch 2 sales later, the situation seems worse, at least from the perspective of someone who doesn't work for one of the industry giants. A recent report from Danish outlet Arkaden raises some concerns among such professionals, who are said to be increasingly frustrated with Nintendo due to the ongoing situation. Although the report doesn't mention anyone from the European gaming industry by name, it dismisses recent rumors about the Switch 2 developer kit supply being resolved, insisting that it's still very much in short supply.
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Switch 2 dev kits may not be as short as they are held back
Some Arkaden sources describe the current situation as less of a logistical problem and more of a result of deliberate corporate policy, not least because Nintendo is still not accepting developer kit applications as of February 2026. The Japanese gaming giant has yet to offer any specific reasons for the delay, the most obvious benefit of which is that it helps maintain third-party support for the company's latest-generation 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 the lack of a dev kit is intentional.
Nintendo Switch 2 Dev Kit update timeline
- January 16, 2025: after formally announcing its new console, Nintendo said it was “not accepting requests” for the Switch 2 developer environment at the time.
- April 3, 2025: Reports suggest that some of the industry's biggest publishers who have yet to support the Switch 2 launch have secured a limited number of dev kits.
- June 5, 2025: Switch 2 released globally; still no meaningful updates on the availability of the dev kit for smaller developers.
- August 26, 2025: Digital Foundry reports that Nintendo is telling developers to make games for the Switch 1 because they are compatible with the Switch 2.
- August 28, 2025: The last of Switch 2's widespread flaws is behind us, stabilizing the consumer offering ahead of developer access.
- December 30, 2025: Imran Khan reports that dev kit delivery is “largely” resolved
- January 23, 2026: a new Arkaden report citing multiple industry insiders claims major flaws in Siwtch 2 development kits still remain
Nintendo's deliberate handling of the developer kit rollout is already holding back some Switch 2 upgrades for older games, with their developers repeatedly pointing this out in response to fan inquiries. In August, there were reports that Nintendo was even actively discouraging smaller third-party developers from making short-term plans for the Switch 2. Instead, its representatives are said to have suggested focusing on Switch 1 games and relying on the Switch 2's backwards compatibility for now.
While the differences between successive generations of consoles are undoubtedly narrowing in terms of graphical fidelity, this is really only true of traditional home consoles. Handhelds and hybrid devices like the Switch 2 still deliver substantial technological improvements every few years. This is largely because their manufacturers are forced to contend with a much tighter balancing act between power, thermal energy and battery life, so any meaningful jump in performance per watt tends to be much more apparent. Therefore, there is currently no shortage of developers ready to release the Switch 1's 2017 RAM and 2018 SoC – the only question is when Nintendo will let them.
Sources: Nintendo Everything, Digital Foundry
