6

Today, news came out that the Nintendo Switch Dev Kit is only 50,000 yen (around $450-500 USD). I had been planning to buy a normal Nintendo Switch for $300, but since I enjoy making little games in Unity and it's only ~50% more expensive to get a Dev Kit, I thought maybe I'd get a Dev Kit instead of a console.

When I brought up the idea with a friend, they asked, "Can the Dev Kit even play normal games?"

It's an excellent question, and I have no idea what the answer is. I'm hoping people here know. More generally, what draw backs are there from getting a Dev Kit instead of a normal console? Does it weigh significantly more? Is it more bulky or less comfortable to carry around? Does the battery not last as long? Is it even portable? Can it play all the normal retail games that the ordinary console can?

ArtOfWarfare
  • 161
  • 1
  • 5
  • 1
    Any honest answer from a developer violates the non disclosure agreement the developer has with Nintendo. As a result, any answer is merely conjecture. – Steven Feb 19 '17 at 17:20
  • @Steven - That's an interesting point. Is there a place where I can find the answer without anyone violating the NDA, but also without paying Nintendo? Can I maybe just get the Dev Kit, then get a refund if I find that I'd rather have a normal console instead? – ArtOfWarfare Feb 19 '17 at 17:22
  • I suspect the correct path is to visit the portal, register as an indie developer, and speak with your account manager. – Steven Feb 19 '17 at 17:25
  • 3
    Dev Kits are generally not just console++. They are not a replacement for a retail console. Any studio I've worked at has maintained both dev kits for development and retail consoles for checking out released games, across all target platforms. Not singling out particular devices/brands, I've observed dev kits that are substantially less portable than their retail counterparts, or that lack a slot to even insert retail game media into. – DMGregory Feb 19 '17 at 17:36
  • I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because it is speculative until the device is available. –  Mar 01 '17 at 04:25

0 Answers0