Emulators on Switch
Since the Switch was hacked early in its launch, there has been a lot of interest for emulators due to the Switch's portability. These emulators will only work on Switches with CFW on them, i.e. Switch consoles susceptible to the Tegra hardware exploit. For more information and guides on how to homebrew your Switch, or if you even can, visit r/SwitchHacks.
Contents
Multi-Systems
RetroArch
Cores | Game/System list | Recommended Working? |
---|---|---|
PPSSPP | PlayStation Portable | ✓ |
PCSX ReARMed | PlayStation 1 | ✓ |
DeSmuME | DS | ✓ |
MelonDS | ||
Gambatte | GameBoy/GameBoy Color | ✓ |
Gearboy | ✓ | |
TGB Dual | ✓ | |
mGBA | GameBoy Advance | ✓ |
VBA Next | ✓ | |
FCEUmm | NES/FDS | ✓ |
Nestopia | ✓ | |
QuickNES | ✓ | |
Mesen | ||
Mupen64Plus | N64 | ✓ |
PokeMini | Pokemon Mini | ✓ |
Snes9x 2010 & Current | SNES | ✓ |
Bsnes | ||
bsnes-hd | ||
Mesen S | ||
Beetle VB | Virtual Boy | ✓ |
MAME | 2000, 2003, 2003 Plus | ✓ |
FBAlpha | Arcade | ✓ |
Neko Project II Kai | PC9801 | ✓ |
Beetle PCE FAST | PCE/PCE CD | ✓ |
Beetle PC-FX | PC-FX | ✓ |
Beetle SGX | SuperGrafx | ✓ |
Flycast | Dreamcast | ✓ |
GearSystem | MasterSystem/GameGear | ✓ |
Genesis Plus GX | MasterSystem/GameGear/MegaDrive/Genesis/CD | ✓ |
PicoDrive | MasterSystem/GameGear/MegaDrive/Genesis/CD/32X | ✓ |
Yabause | Saturn | ✓ |
4DO | 3DO | ✓ |
P-UAE | Amiga Series | ✓ |
Beetle WonderSwan [Cygne] | WonderSwan/Color | ✓ |
DOSBox | MS-DOS | ✓ |
Vecx | Vectrex | ✓ |
O2EM | Odyssey2 / Phillips Videopac+ | ✓ |
FreeIntv | Intellivision | ✓ |
fMSX | MSX | ✓ |
NeoCD | Neo Geo CD | ✓ |
Mu | Palm OS | ✓ |
EasyRPG | RPG Maker 2000/2003 | ✓ |
PX68k | Sharp X68000 | ✓ |
ScummVM | point-and-click adventure game engine | ✓ |
EightyOne | Sinclair - ZX 81 | ✓ |
Beetle Neo Geo Pocket [NGP] | Neo Geo Pocket / Color | ✓ |
Theodore | TO8D | ✓ |
FUSE | ZX Spectrum | ✓ |
Caprice32 | CPC/CPC464 | ✓ |
CrocoDS | ✓ | |
Stella | Atari 2600 | ✓ |
ProSystem | Atari 7800 | ✓ |
Beetle Handy | Atari Lynx | ✓ |
Virtual Jaguar | Atari Jaguar | ✓ |
VICE | C64 | ✓ |
MrBoom | Bomberman | ✓ |
NXEngine | Cave Story | ✓ |
OpenBOR | Open BOR Game Engine | ✓ |
PrBoom | Doom | ✓ |
Reminiscence | Flashback Game Engine | ✓ |
GW | Game & Watch | ✓ |
Cannonball | OutRun | ✓ |
TyrQuake | Quake | ✓ |
XRick | Rick Dangerous | ✓ |
OpenLara | Tomb Raider | ✓ |
PC Stream
Name | Version | Active | Accuracy | Recommended |
---|---|---|---|---|
Moonlight-NX | git | ✓ | Mid | ~ |
Nintendo
Nintendo 3DS
Name | Version | Active | Accuracy | Recommended |
---|---|---|---|---|
Citra | POC | ✓ | ? | ? |
Nintendo 64
Name | Version | Active | Accuracy | Recommended |
---|---|---|---|---|
GlideN64 | 3.0 | ✓ | Mid | ✓ |
Nintendo Entertainment System
Name | Version | Active | Accuracy | Recommended |
---|---|---|---|---|
LaiNES | git | ✗ | Mid | ✓ |
pNES (based on Nestopia) | git | ✓ | Mid | ✓ |
NoiES | git | ✓ | Mid | ✓ |
NES - Nintendo Switch Online | Service | ✓ | Mid | ✓ |
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Name | Version | Active | Accuracy | Recommended |
---|---|---|---|---|
pSNES | git | ✓ | Mid | ✓ |
SNES - Nintendo Switch Online | Service | ✓ | Mid | ✓ |
Gameboy/GameBoy Color
Name | Version | Active | Accuracy | Recommended |
---|---|---|---|---|
khedgb | Update 7 | ✗ | Low | ~ |
Gameboy Advance
Name | Version | Active | Accuracy | Recommended |
---|---|---|---|---|
mGBA | 0.8.4 | ✓ | Mid | ✓ |
VBA-Next | git | ✗ | Mid | ✓ |
gdkGBA | git | ✗ | Mid | ✓ |
Switch-gba | git | ✗ | Low | ? |
Nintendo DS
Name | Version | Active | DSi | Accuracy | Recommended |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
DeSmuME-NX | git | ✗ | ✗ | Low | ✗ |
melonDS (fork of melonDS) | git | ✓ | ✓ | Mid | ~ |
NooDS | git | ✓ | ✗ | Mid | ✗ (WIP) |
Game & Watch
Name | Version | Active | Accuracy | Recommended |
---|---|---|---|---|
MADrigal Switch | 10-05-2020 | ✓ | Mid | ~ |
Atari
Atari 130 / 800 / 5200
Name | Version | Active | Accuracy | Recommended |
---|---|---|---|---|
Atari800-switch | git | ✗ | Mid | ~ |
SEGA
Saturn
Name | Version | Active | Accuracy | Recommended |
---|---|---|---|---|
Yaba Sanshiro | 2.2.0 | ✓ | Mid | ~ |
Dreamcast
Name | Version | Active | Accuracy | Recommended |
---|---|---|---|---|
Reicast | Alpha | ✓ | Mid | ~ |
Sony
Playstation 1
Name | Version | Active | Accuracy | Recommended |
---|---|---|---|---|
PCSX-ReARMed | git | ✗ | Low | ✗ |
Playstation Portable
Name | Version | Active | Accuracy | Recommended |
---|---|---|---|---|
PPSSPP | 1.9.3+lnk | ✓ | High | ✓ |
Arcade
Name | Version | Active | Accuracy | Recommended |
---|---|---|---|---|
MAME-NX (based on MAME 0.72) | git | ✓ | Mid | ~ |
pFBN | git | ✓ | Mid | ✓ |
Other
Amiga
Name | Version | Active | Accuracy | Recommended |
---|---|---|---|---|
UAE4All2 | git | ✓ | Mid | ✓ |
Neo Geo Pocket/Color
Name | Version | Active | Accuracy | Recommended |
---|---|---|---|---|
Neopop-SDL | git | ✗ | Mid | ~ |
Chip8
Name | Version | Active | Accuracy | Recommended |
---|---|---|---|---|
Chip8-NX | git | ✗ | Mid | ~ |
Intel CPUs
Name | Version | Active | Accuracy | Recommended |
---|---|---|---|---|
Bochs | git | ✗ | Low | ✗ |
DOSBox-switch | git | ✗ | Mid | ~ |
Not Really Emulators
Name | Version | Active | Accuracy | Recommended |
---|---|---|---|---|
LineageOS | 15.1 | ✓ | Mid | ✓ |
L4T Ubuntu | 3.3.0 | ✓ | Mid | ✓ |
LineageOS 15.1 for Nintendo Switch | |
---|---|
Not technically an "emulator", it allows your Switch to function as an Android tablet. It's based off the Nvidia Shield TV build of LineageOS, since they both use the same system-on-chip, and runs Android 8.1 Oreo. Its most notable feature is the ability to work both in handheld and docked mode and using the Joycons as a Bluetooth controller (though not all apps may detect them correctly). |
L4T Ubuntu | |
---|---|
like LineageOS, this is not technically an "emulator". Instead, it runs a version of Ubuntu on the switch.With these, it is possible to run a lot of emulators on these systems. Play! has had some success with playing PS2 games on L4T Ubuntu, albeit at around 10 FPS. On Android, some notable emulators are DraStic, Dolphin, and Citra. |
Source Port
Multi game engine
Name | Latest Version | Libretro Core | Active | Recommended | Supported game(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
ScummVM | 2.2.0 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Adventure games and RPGs (LucasArts, Sierra, Activision, Humongous & more. Over 250 games.) |
OpenBOR | git | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | OpenBOR Pak Mods |
EasyRPG | 0.8 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | RPG Maker 2000/2003 games |
Commander Genius | 2.6.3.1 | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | Commander Keen in Invasion of the Vorticons, Commander Keen in Keen Dreams, Commander Keen in Goodbye Galaxy, Commander Keen in Aliens Ate My Babysitter |
Single game engine
Name | Latest Version | Libretro Core | Active | Recommended | Supported game(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
OpenMW (Unofficial) | git | ✗ | ✓ | ~ | The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind |
DevilutionX | 1.1.0 | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | Diablo |
Julius Augustus (Gameplay changes) |
1.6 2.0.1 |
✗ | ✓ | ✓ | Caesar III |