Nintendo shutting down emulators like Yuzu and Ryujinx years after their first release may have to do with the Nintendo Switch 2, as the system may end up being easier to emulate near launch than the vast majority of gaming consoles.
Thanks to the recent massive Game Freak leak, which confirmed the Ounce codename for the next Nintendo console, among other things, as reported by Centro LEAKS, the system seems to use the same tools and ROM format that is being used for the current Switch, but with new encryption keys only known to Nintendo. This would make the system far easier to emulate than every other gaming system at launch and may explain why the Japanese company shut down emulators like Ryujinx and Yuzu after they had been widely available for years.
Ounce (Switch 2) seems to use the same tools and ROM format Nintendo currently uses for Switch 1 (ROMs are still NSPs), but obviously they have new encryption keys that only Nintendo has
— Centro LEAKS (@CentroLeaks) October 17, 2024
Very little is currently known about the Nintendo Switch 2 other than that it has been in the works for a while. Production seems to have started ramping up recently, and a first look at what is supposed to be an early prototype was shared online last month. Unfortunately, it's still not clear when the system will be formally announced and when precisely it will be released, although recent reports suggest that the console could be ready for a March-April 2025 release.
The Nintendo Switch 2 has yet to be officially revealed. We will keep you updated on the system as soon as possible, so stay tuned for all the latest news.
About the author: Francesco De Meo has been covering video games and technology since 2012, starting his career at small outlets like Gamersyndrome and GeekSnack. After joining Wccftech gaming section in 2015, he quickly expanded his video gaming coverage with in-depth reporting, interviews with iconic industry figures such as Grasshopper Manufacture founder and No More Heroes creator Goichi "Suda51" Suda, Resident Evil series creator Shinji Mikami, Team NINJA's president and Nioh series director Fumihiko Yasuda, and Silent Hill creator Keiichiro Toyama, reviews and on-the-ground coverage of major industry events such as Gamescom and E3. When he's not reporting or reviewing, Francesco can be found playing the genres he loves most, spending time with his six cats, reading, writing music, playing guitar and drumming for his progressive rock band.
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