A year after it was announced, anti-piracy software Denuvo has finally reached the Nintendo Switch.
Denuvo is now accessible to both Switch developers and publishers in the Nintendo Developers Portal. Aimed at preventing classic titles from a bygone era or retro titles from running on the hybrid console, the first tool to launch is the Nintendo Switch Emulator Protection.
Denuvo’s arrival on the Nintendo Switch highlights the importance of the protection software, detailing how it combatted piracy on PC but not on the Switch through its absence in the platform.
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The announcement further emphasized how piracy could happen to “any of the numerous games available on the Nintendo Switch.”
A topic of debate and contention in the industry, video game emulation is talked about regularly for its ethics and legality. Nintendo, however, has always been firm in its stance against it.
Known for flexing its muscles, Nintendo’s most recent stunt sees it blocking the supposed launch of the popular Nintendo GameCube and Wii emulator, Dolphin, on Steam.
In another more recent incident, Nintendo also issued a complaint against a Nintendo Switch homebrew called “Lockpick,” it being subsequently removed online via multiple DMCA takedown requests to GitHub.
The Japanese company has also a record of targeting individuals specifically, such as the case with Gary Bowser, who was sentenced to owing Nintendo millions of dollars due to his stint in illegal activities involving the Switch.