Denuvo, the controversial anti-tamper technology used in many PC games, is now being expanded to prevent piracy on the Nintendo Switch. More specifically, Irdeto aims to use Denuvo to prevent Switch games from being emulated on PC and used as an alternative option by those wanting to play a game on PC but avoid the Denuvo-protected PC version.
How will Denuvo work on Nintendo Switch?
Denuvo’s Nintendo Switch Emulator Protection will integrate seamlessly into the build toolchain and purports to have no impact on a player’s gaming experience. The software will allow developers to insert checks into their game code that will then be able to block gameplay on emulators. The technology will work with any Switch game, including more than 4000 games already available on the console. The mention of any impact on the gameplay experience is important for many bearing in mind the PC version of the software is reported to be responsible for performance issues. For example, both Rise Of The Tomb Raider and Shadow Of The Tomb Raider had Denuvo removed on Steam after the software was blamed for several issues within both games.
The aim is to reduce the ongoing issues with piracy suffered by the Nintendo Switch. Even if a developer uses Denuvo to protect the PC version of their game, the implication is that a player could just emulate the Switch version on their PC instead. By preventing this, Denuvo says studios will “increase their revenue during the game launch window, which is the most important period in regard to monetization” by making sure that “anyone wishing to play the game has to buy a legitimate copy”.
In other news, a leaked Dead Island 2 proof of concept trailer features Fox News’ Megyn Kelly. Elsewhere, the Yakuza franchise’s creator claims he left Sega because he wanted to develop games and not become the company’s next CEO.
