Nintendo Switch Gets Official Denuvo Support To Curb PC Emulation

Denuvo developer Iderto has announced that its suite of game protection software is now available to Nintendo Switch developers, including software specifically aimed at preventing Nintendo Switch games from running on PC emulators.

Iderto made the announcement today, stating that its tools can be accessed via the Nintendo Developers Portal for existing and new games in development. The very first tool offered is the Nintendo Switch Emulator Protection, which helps prevent games from launching in emulators. This, Iderto says, will help developers close a loophole where Nintendo Switch versions of games are dumped and played on PC to circumvent Denuvo protection on respective PC versions of the same games.

"By blocking unauthorised emulations on PC, studios are able to increase their revenue during the game launch window, which is the most important period for monetisation," states Iderto. "The Nintendo Switch Emulator Protection will ensure that anyone wishing to play the game has to buy a legitimate copy."

Denuvo has long been blamed for performance issues in supported games, especially on PC. While Iderto has denied that its security software impacts game performance, it felt the need to stress this again during the announcement in an attempt to assuage fears developers might have who are already grappling with aging hardware constraints.

"As with all other Denuvo solutions, the technology integrates seamlessly into the build toolchain with no impact on the gaming experience," Iderto continues. "It then allows for the insertion of checks into the code, which blocks gameplay on emulators."

Nintendo has been struggling to curb piracy and emulation of Nintendo Switch games ever since the console's launch, after a hardware exploit allowed early versions of the Nintendo Switch to be easily hacked. PC emulation support of Nintendo Switch titles has also been incredibly strong, with Nintendo continually targeting the community despite its legitimacy.

Earlier this year, Gary Bowser, one of the members of a hacking group selling mods to circumvent piracy security on the Nintendo Switch, was released from prison after serving a short sentence. He still is required to pay Nintendo $10 million dollars as part of a total settlement in excess of $14 million, which he says will take the rest of his life to pay off.

There's no indication yet when, or if, Nintendo Switch developers will adopt the tools Denuvo is offering (for a fee), but it wouldn't be surprising given how rampant both the piracy and emulation scene has become around the console.