Denuvo, the software maker who specializes in technology that combats piracy and cheating, has set its sights on the Nintendo Switch. Today, the company announced its Nintendo Switch Emulator Protection, which will make it so that Switch games can no longer be emulated to PC.
Nintendo has its own history of being pretty harsh on piracy, to the point where the company will sue pirates for everything they own, and then some.
In a press release from parent company Irdeto, Denuvo wrote that its technology “integrates seamlessly into the build toolchain […] It then allows for the insertion of checks into the code, which blocks gameplay on emulators.”
Nintendo games are pretty popular in the piracy space, and users often distribute these titles via ROMs to be played on PC. Like earlier Nintendo consoles, the Switch has “suffered” from piracy issues, and Denuvo wants to prevent piracy so developers can increase revenue during a game’s launch window. “The Nintendo Switch Emulator Protection will ensure that anyone wishing to play the game has to buy a legitimate copy,” it continued.
The Switch may now have Denuvo on its side, but PC pirates in the past have been able to find workarounds against Denuvo’s tech. At that point, the one paying will be the developers, as Denuvo doesn’t offer refunds.