Irdeto is a brand that some may not be familiar with, but many will know the name of their controversial anti-piracy software, Denuvo. After attempting to crack down on the piracy of PC games, Irdeto has set its sights on the Nintendo Switch. Believing piracy to be rampant on the platform, either through modded consoles or emulation, Irdeto has unveiled their aptly named "Nintendo Switch Emulator Protection" technology.

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.

They claim that their solution, which would run similarly to Denuvo, would have occasional checks to ensure the software was legitimate, and prevent the games that use it from being emulated. Irdeto also promises that there is no impact on the gaming performance with it enabled, a claim that has led to many controversies in the past with Denuvo.

Beyond the press release, there's not much known about the Nintendo Switch Emulator Protection, when it will launch, and what games it will launch with. By the phrasing in the announcement, however, it appears that Irdeto is targeting indie developers or third-party studios more than they are Nintendo itself, specifically for multi-platform games that can be protected from piracy on both PC and Switch.

Source

 

[Carltrek]

Alternative release announcement here: https://blog.irdeto.com/video-gaming/emulating-nintendo-switch-games-just-got-harder/

>How does it work? It integrates seamlessly and automatically into your build toolchain and detects differences in the way the game behaves compared to what it has been designed for. In this way, our software can tell that your game has been tampered with – and will make it unplayable.

So it just tests for inaccuracies in emulation, I wonder is that is just perhaps timing, service call, or a cpu/gpu/fpu instruction.

Won't this also prevent the game from running on Switch with Atmosphere-Mesosphere ? As Mesosphere is clean roomed version of HOS Kernel which is very likely to introduce traceable differences.

 

[godreborn]

want to hinder, not stop, piracy, Nintendo? actually have sales on your games, routine sales like Microsoft and Sony. however, I did buy limbo and inside for less than $4, when they were $40 on competing consoles. that was on the switch. that's how you do it Nintendo. I would never have bought the games otherwise, too expensive, and I like limbo.

 

[driverdis]

Won't this possibly also prevent the game, even legally obtained running on Switch with Atmosphere-Mesosphere, as Mesosphere is clean roomed version of HOS kernel which is likely to introduce traceable differences.

I see this being a real problem as the only fix to play a game without a crack would be to boot OFW and play off a legit cart. There will always be detectable differences not running Nintendo’s code.

 

[godreborn]

I have no interest in pirates; I don't care if you pirate. what I have a problem with is people who pretend not to pirate or make excuses for why they pirate. if Nintendo was the most pro-consumer company in the world, would that deter anyone who pirates now? maybe some, but I doubt many. don't insult our intelligence.

 

[pedro702]

The thing I don't understand is what they try to accomplish.
If they manage to defeat piracy...great...but does they really think that they will make more money?
Pirates are Pirates and will never buy games.
Other People like me who are using a hacked Console to find new and interesting Games and are willing to buy they if they are good wouldn't have the possibility to try new games before buying them because all the companies are cheapskates who doesn't even upload a Demo to try the game that's why piracy is a good thing.

The first Game I installed on my hacked PSVITA was Rogue Legacy, I never heard of it before that Day and after I played it I loved it and bought it for the Switch from Limited Run Games.

I learned my Lesson when I bought some Games back in the Days and they sucked and I couldn't return it.

When I was 15 I bought need for Speed Underground 2 for the DS, I was dreaming about playing the awesome PC Game on the Go, when I was home I was so disappointed what a junk this DS Game was. I tried to return it but the refused to take it back.

I bought several Games in my life where I was disappointed and never played it again after the first couple of Minutes.

that is why you always check a gameplay video, i always check a video of the game on youtube or something before buying, nowadays its very easy, back then it was a bit harder.

 

[Laast]

As a company Irdeto has to extand its business and find new markets. That's why they greedily look at the console gaming industry. Nintendo using cheap and vulnerable hardware and selling millions of units is a perfect starter for them and emulators are just an excuse, an argument to give legitimity to their move.

This kind of public statement from company is usually directed to investors and potential customers (game editors) in order to reassure and to give visibility on future earnings.

Will this Denuvo protection be effective and eradiquate Nintendo piracy and emulation? Actually that's not the point (we already know that Denuvo has been hacked and still be in the future). The real point is that piracy protection is a growing business and final customers (you and me) have no say in the matter, only money and profits for investors matters.

 

[MadMakuFuuma]

omg.... I don't buy games that have denuvo on pc, so why would I buy games that have some kind of denuvo built into a console game? if I had a blocked switch (and I don't have, nor do I want to have a switch) blocked, and this becomes reality, I would have two possibilities: 1 sell the switch. 2: unlock and only play pirated games from now on. that simple.
the funniest thing is to see that the emulators run the game MUCH BETTER than on the console lol. I recently sold my o3dsXL precisely because of this.

 

[lordofcombo]

For all you blinds,these measures are obviously to prevent all these new switch like devices(onexplayer Aya neo ,win600 and steam deck)from competing with minty.If it holds out I'm sure Minty well incorporate it.

 

[crabycowman123]

I'm looking forward to reading more about how this works after it releases. It sounds like it won't actually affect performance that much and the games won't necessarily require an internet connection? If it was a pool of random checks with 1 executing every 5 minutes, and the checks were things like floating point inconsistencies and other relatively simple tricks, then probably most people won't notice a difference.

 

[console]

Denuvo is worst ever and hurt performance on their systems. Never buy games if come with Denuvo built in with it. Remember Steam games have Denuvo built in with them? Most people said Denuvo is worst ever and slow down or unplayable games on their PC systems.

There are where many good hackers (remove many protections from games, programs, etc) & bad hackers (to make threat to their security to get hit by nasty malware, ransomware, etc) are come from underground and dark websites would crack Denuvo inside with new games and rebuild then release out games without Denuvo later on deep internet. It will take a longer time due to biggest coding to correct them. Anyone remember RELOADED, Razor1911, Skidrow, CPY, CODEX and many other scene groups? They are work very hard to remove very annoy protections like Denuvo and other different protection security in most games.

Always remember is never buy games if come with Denuvo built in them like think of Steam games are with annoy protections and we never forget it.

 

[NeoGranzon]

There is and always will be piracy, not only in videogames,music,movies.

 

[godreborn]

There is and always will be piracy, not only in videogames,music,movies.

I'm forced to pirate tv shows that are part of streaming services, since my parents are too stupid to drop cable. I download them with usenet and rss feeds through sonarr. I don't condone piracy though. the only pirated games I play are dkc returns and nsmb wii, but it's mostly the first one. I actually wanted to buy the games, then just use the digital versions. I don't want to pirate at all.

 

[NeoGranzon]

I'm forced to pirate tv shows that are part of streaming services, since my parents are too stupid to drop cable. I download them with usenet and rss feeds through sonarr. I don't condone piracy though. the only pirated games I play are dkc returns and nsmb wii, but it's mostly the first one. I actually wanted to buy the games, then just use the digital versions. I don't want to pirate at all.

@godreborn ,if i had to pay for everything:Netflix,Amazon Prime,Disney +,Apple TV and then buy all the games i like,i'd be sleeping under a bridge for a long time.
I prefer to spend money on food,bills,clothing and all that is necessary to live.

 

[godreborn]

@godreborn ,if i had to pay for everything:Netflix,Amazon Prime,Disney +,Apple TV and then buy all the games i like,i'd be sleeping under a bridge for a long time.
I prefer to spend money on food,bills,clothing and all that is necessary to live.

I've never gotten a salary that could pay for housing and food at the same time, not to mention this sort of thing. do you really think that should be the case? I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy, because everyone needs to live. it's just they didn't believe in me, delegated me to taking out the trash.

 

[Xzi]

if Nintendo was the most pro-consumer company in the world, would that deter anyone who pirates now? maybe some, but I doubt many. don't insult our intelligence.

If Steam's success is anything to go by, you can definitely cut down on piracy by a ton with the right pro-consumer moves. PC gaming was a mess circa the early 2000s, with shit ports galore and piracy being the de facto way to get games. Now it's a market so large that none of the console manufacturers can continue to ignore it, and only one of them is dumb enough to target PC in a negative way.

So yeah, it's 100% a service issue. Even as someone who owns a Switch I have a hard time stomaching the idea of buying new games for it which are guaranteed to run at 30 FPS with dips and lower than low graphics settings. Enhanced ports would increase Nintendo's sales exponentially and decrease piracy exponentially. They're just stuck in the past where the only thing that matters is proprietary hardware sales, no matter how outdated or limiting.

 

[godreborn]

If Steam's success is anything to go by, you can definitely cut down on piracy by a ton with the right pro-consumer moves. PC gaming was a mess circa the early 2000s, with shit ports galore and piracy being the de facto way to get games. Now it's a market so large that none of the console manufacturers can continue to ignore it, and only one of them is dumb enough to target PC in a negative way.

So yeah, it's 100% a service issue. Even as someone who owns a Switch I have a hard time stomaching the idea of buying new games for it which are guaranteed to run at 30 FPS with dips and lower than low graphics settings. Enhanced ports would increase Nintendo's sales exponentially and decrease piracy exponentially. They're just stuck in the past where the only thing that matters is proprietary hardware sales, no matter how outdated or limiting.

I don't care about piracy anywhere or who pirates. two things, I don't think that pirates should have access to online stuff like ps4/5 trophy syncing, because it's not fair, to me at least.

 

[NeoGranzon]

If Steam's success is anything to go by, you can definitely cut down on piracy by a ton with the right pro-consumer moves. PC gaming was a mess circa the early 2000s, with shit ports galore and piracy being the de facto way to get games. Now it's a market so large that none of the console manufacturers can continue to ignore it, and only one of them is dumb enough to target PC in a negative way.

So yeah, it's 100% a service issue. Even as someone who owns a Switch I have a hard time stomaching the idea of buying new games for it which are guaranteed to run at 30 FPS with dips and lower than low graphics settings. Enhanced ports would increase Nintendo's sales exponentially and decrease piracy exponentially. They're just stuck in the past where the only thing that matters is proprietary hardware sales, no matter how outdated or limiting.

@Xzi ,do you know why piracy exists?
The too high prices of the games.

 

[godreborn]

@Xzi ,do you know why piracy exists?
The too high prices of the games.

I don't agree. pirates pirate for the sake of pirating. it doesn't get anymore complicated than that. pirates simply pirate because they can. it's insulting to think otherwise.

 

[smf]

yuzu devs read this and their response is: like hold ma beer

Probably, and then the C&D and court case will start.

Won't this possibly also prevent the game, even legally obtained running on Switch with Atmosphere-Mesosphere, as Mesosphere is clean roomed version of HOS kernel which is likely to introduce traceable differences.

Maybe, but then there is no legal requirement for the game to run on Atmosphere.

Regardless, Atmosphere is not clean roomed & also violates the DMCA.

 

[smf]

If they manage to defeat piracy...great...but does they really think that they will make more money?
Pirates are Pirates and will never buy games.

During the Wii and DS era, I know people who went from buying games to pirating because they could.

I agree that there will be pirates who pirate, most of which won't even ever play the games.

But it probably will make them more money, though it has to cover the denuvo license cost first.