Today, Irdeto announced a new Nintendo Switch Emulator Protection software devised by its Denuvo division. In short, it aims to block Nintendo Switch emulators on PC from running newly released games.

　　Nintendo consoles have long suffered from piracy issues and the Switch is no different. Even if a game is protected against piracy on its PC version, the released version on Switch can be emulated from day one and played on PC, therefore bypassing the strong protections offered on the PC version. This can happen with any of the numerous games available on Switch.

　　By preventing piracy on Switch while blocking unauthorized emulations on PC, studios are able to increase their revenue during the game launch window, which is the most important period in regard to monetization. The Nintendo Switch Emulator Protection will ensure that anyone wishing to play the game has to buy a legitimate copy.

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

　　Reinhard Blaukovitsch, Managing Director at Denuvo by Irdeto, stated:

　　We at Denuvo understand that piracy negatively affects the gaming industry and are working with the industry parties to ensure they have the latest protection technologies available for them. Our team is excited to provide a solution that helps the developers and publishers to help fight the issue of Nintendo Switch piracy.

　　Denuvo has often been under fire from PC gamers because of the potential negative impact of its DRM software on game performance. The company did expand on PlayStation 5 last year, though that initiative focused on fighting cheats.

　　Needless to say, this Nintendo Switch Emulator Protection software could be a problem for the likes of Yuzu and Ryujinx, though the extent to which game developers and publishers (Nintendo included) will use it is presently unclear.