Nintendo Switch - Development requirements

Hi, since there are no posts about the Nintendo Switch I am creating this one.

Has anyone heard of the requirements or other useful stuff to get started developing for the Switch (since UE4.15 supports it).
I think Nintendo will update their developer platform on march 7th (developer.nintendo.com) to include that info but it would be nice if you got some too.

I hope you have some more info for me, thanks :smiley:

Hi Bostrot, and others.

Please keep in mind that development details for all consoles, including the Switch, are under an NDA from their respective developers. You may of course discuss publicly available information, but everything else is under NDA.

Epic provides private spaces for approved console developers to discuss development matters with other NDAā€™d developers.

Thanks

Iā€™m mostly curious if it will be possible to publish something to a non-dev kit switch from UE4. Iā€™m guessing not.

No, itā€™s not possible. You need the dev kit of the game console to make that happen.

Do you have a source for that? Sounds like Nintendo is going to be very picky about what they let on their console anyways, but Iā€™m curious regardless.

Allegedly the Nintendo Switch devkits for indie developers will be relatively cheap (around 450-500 dollars), so assuming that is true the barrier to entry should be fairly low. Of course what Nintendo will and will not allow to be published on their platform is a whole other story, but that remains to be seen.

Devkit is $500 (depending on your shipping costs may be more or less).

You will not be accepted as a Switch dev if itā€™s your first commercial game; You have to have minimal proof that you know what youā€™re doing.
Only the ā€˜successfulā€™ indies will be accepted to apply for a dev kit for now, at least for this first year.
Nintendo needs to retain maximum consumer trust for a while until they sell 5~10 million console inits at least. (that means no sht games allowed)

I got accepted as a developer right away and I just had to sign up, now do you have proof that I will not be able to get a dev kit for the Switch? because Iā€™m planning to make a game for the console to get the experience and give it a shot. Also the Nintendo Switch looks like itā€™s not supported at the moment.

Being registered on a website is very different to they actually accepting to publish your game on their storeā€¦
But who knows, if the game is what their ā€œcuratorsā€ believe to fit what they want for the tablet.

wow, and i thought they would create an incentive to make a game for their console in the first place. Guess not.

What if I want to make a game for only personal testing/use? (Itā€™s for a friendā€™s birthday) Iā€™m currently building it for Nvidia Shield tablet, but after playing Switch, I feel like it would be so much better.

They wonā€™t do that, unless youā€™re a very special person then they only work with developers that can prove their serious about their project in a way that benefits the console.

Hi Stephen, how can I find these spaces? Should I send some email to Epic? I have a DevKit and I registered with Nintendo. Thank you very much.

Hello. Please follow the link and complete the form.
https://epicgames.secure.force.com/Forms/FormConsoleAccessRequest