Controversial anti-piracy company expands its efforts to Nintendo Switch
Denuvo, purveyor of (often unpopular) anti-piracy software normally designed for PC, has expanded into Nintendo Switch territory.
In a press release (opens in new tab) earlier today, Denuvo announced "the industry's first Nintendo Switch emulator protection." The new technology, as the game suggests, attempts to block "unauthorized emulations" of Nintendo Switch games on PC. While Denuvo hasn't explained the tech in detail, it says that it will "integrate seamlessly into the build" of the game, where it "then allows for the insertion of checks into the code, which blocks gameplay on emulators."
Denuvo points out that even if the PC version of a game is protected using more traditional anti-piracy software, the Switch port can be emulated from day one, entirely bypassing any PC protection. Traditionally, there's been far more protection available for PC titles, although emulation of Nintendo's games is a long-running practice. It's unlikely that any previously-emulated titles will be affected by the new technology, but also worth noting that Nintendo has been cracking down on the practice significantly in recent years.
Denuvo's anti-piracy efforts on PC are broadly unpopular. While the company claims that its practices have no impact on performance, some players vehemently disagree, claiming that the extra checks in place on their versions of the game prevent it from running at its best. The company claims that its Switch technology will have "no impact on the gaming experience," but the response to the announcement on forum site Resetera (opens in new tab) has not been particularly positive. Users have expressed fears over performance issues, but also the link that's been made here between emulation and piracy.
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