- For software that emulates the Switch, see Nintendo Switch emulators.
Since the Nintendo 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.
Alternative Operating Systems
Switchroot Android
A build of Android 10 "Q" for the Switch, based on Lineage OS 17.1. Since it shares the same Nvidia Tegra X1 system-on-chip, the build is based off the Nvidia Shield TV build of LineageOS. 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). There is also another build that lets the Switch function as an Android TV box. Many emulators and Android software can run, including DraStic, Dolphin, and Citra.
Switchroot Linux
Many GNU/Linux distributions are available, including Ubuntu Bionic and Focal, Fedora, and Gentoo. With these, it is possible to run many emulators and software for GNU/Linux on these systems. Play! has had some success with playing PS2 games on Ubuntu, albeit at around 10 FPS.
Emulators (Multi-Systems)
Stable
Nightly
GitHub
Switch RetroArch Cores
RetroArch BIOS/ROMs
Streaming
Emulators (Single system)
Arcade
Atari
Atari 130 / 800 / 5200
Commodore
Amiga
Intel CPUs
Name
|
Latest Version
|
8086*¹
|
286
|
386*²
|
486*³
|
Pentium*⁴
|
Pentium II*⁵
|
Celeron*⁶
|
Pentium III*⁷
|
Pentium 4*⁸
|
FLOSS
|
Active
|
Recommended
|
UniPCemu
|
itch.io
|
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✗ |
✗ |
✗ |
✓ |
✓ |
?
|
*¹8086 emulation includes the 8088 CPU.
*²386 emulation includes the SX and SL.
*³486 emulation includes variants.
*⁴Pentium emulation includes variants.
*⁵Pentium II emulation includes variants.
*⁶Celeron emulation includes variants.
*⁷Pentium III emulation includes variants.
*⁸Pentium 4 emulation includes variants.
Microsoft
Nintendo
Nintendo DS
Nintendo 3DS
Nintendo 64
Name
|
Version
|
FLOSS
|
Active
|
Accuracy
|
Recommended
|
GlideN64
|
3.0
|
✗
|
✗
|
Mid
|
~
|
Nintendo 64 - Nintendo Switch Online
|
N/A
|
✗
|
✓
|
Low
|
~
|
Nintendo Game Boy / Color
Nintendo Game Boy Advance
Name
|
Version
|
FLOSS
|
Active
|
Accuracy
|
Recommended
|
Game Boy Advance - Nintendo Switch Online
|
N/A
|
✗
|
✓
|
High
|
✓
|
mGBA
|
0.10.3git
|
✓
|
✓
|
Mid
|
✓
|
VBA-Next
|
git
|
✓
|
✗
|
Mid
|
✗
|
gdkGBA
|
git
|
✓
|
✗
|
Low
|
✗
|
Switch-gba
|
git
|
✓
|
✗
|
Low
|
✗
|
VBA-M NX
|
git
|
✓
|
✗
|
Low
|
✗
|
Nintendo Game & Watch
Nintendo NES Nintendo Entertainment System / Family Computer Disk System
Nintendo SNES Super Nintendo Entertainment System
SEGA
Dreamcast
Genesis / Mega Drive
Saturn
Sony
Playstation
PlayStation 2
PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Vita
SNK
Neo Geo Pocket / Color
Source ports
Multi game engine
Name
|
Version
|
FLOSS
|
Libretro
|
Active
|
Recommended
|
Supported game(s)
|
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
|
EasyRPG
|
0.8
|
✓
|
✓
|
✓
|
✓
|
RPG Maker 2000/2003 games
|
MegaZeux
|
2.92f
|
✓
|
✗
|
✓
|
✓
|
Caverns of Megazeux and multiple ZZT style ascii games
|
OpenBOR
|
git
|
✓
|
✗
|
✓
|
✓
|
Pak mods
|
ScummVM
|
2.8.1
|
✓
|
✓
|
✓
|
✓
|
Adventure games and RPGs (LucasArts, Sierra, Activision, Humongous & more. Over 250 games.)
|
Single game engine
Name
|
Version
|
FLOSS
|
Libretro
|
Active
|
Recommended
|
Supported game(s)
|
Action-adventure
|
Ship of Harkinian
|
8.0.4 Nighty build git
|
✓
|
✗
|
✓
|
✓
|
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (any PAL version)[N 1]
|
Zelda3
|
git
|
✓
|
✗
|
✓
|
✓
|
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
|
Pinball
|
SpaceCadetPinball
|
git
|
✓
|
✗
|
?
|
✓
|
3D Pinball for Windows – Space Cadet
|
Platformer
|
Cave Story Engine 2
|
Website
git[N 2]
|
✗
|
✗
|
✗[N 2]
|
?
|
Cave Story
|
NXEngine-evo
|
git
|
?
|
✗
|
✗
|
?
|
Cave Story
|
RVM Sonic CD
|
git
|
✓
|
✗
|
?
|
?
|
Sonic the Hedgehog CD (2011)[N 3]
|
Sonic 1 and 2 (2013)
|
git
|
✓
|
✗
|
?
|
?
|
Sonic the Hedgehog 1 (2013)[N 3], Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2013)[N 3]
|
Sonic 3 A.I.R. (Angel Island Revisited)
|
Website
|
✗
|
✗
|
?
|
?
|
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles
|
Sonic CD (2011)
|
git
|
✓
|
✗
|
?
|
?
|
Sonic the Hedgehog CD (2011)[N 3]
|
Sonic Robo Blast 2
|
v2.2.11
|
✓
|
✗
|
✓
|
✓
|
Sonic Robo Blast 2
|
Racing
|
SRB2Kart
|
git
|
?
|
✗
|
?
|
?
|
Sonic Robo Blast 2 Kart
|
RPG
|
DevilutionX
|
git
|
✓
|
✗
|
✓
|
✓
|
Diablo
|
OpenMW (unofficial)
|
git
|
✓
|
✗
|
✓
|
~
|
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
|
TBS
|
Fheroes2
|
git
|
✓
|
✗
|
✓
|
~
|
Heroes of Might and Magic II
|
Sim - City-building
|
Julius Augustus (gameplay changes)
|
git git
|
✓
|
✗
|
✓
|
✓
|
Caesar III
|
Visual Novel
|
ONScripter-jh
|
git
|
✓
|
✗
|
✓
|
✓
|
Visual Novel
|
Fantasy computers
Chip-8
Pico-8
- ↑ As of v8.0.0, Ship of Harkinian supports any PAL ROM of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for Nintendo 64 or GameCube (SoH Compatibility Checker to check if your ROM is supported). Launch the PC version and locate the ROM to generate an
oot.otr
file and place it in the soh
Switch app folder. Additionally and optionally, you can load the PAL version of the Master Quest version in the PC version to create an oot-mq.otr
to add another game mode.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 There is also an official Nintendo Switch remake called Cave Story+ with 3D graphics and the most features out of any other existing version (making it the "definitive version") that may be more recommendable depending on the user's preference. Cave Story Engine 2, or CSE2 for short, is a source port of the classic Cave Story by Daisuke "Pixel" Amaya. CSE2 came with a portable version and an enhanced version of the original freeware but in November 2020, the CSE2 source port has received a DMCA cease and desist notice from Nicalis, the current IP owner of Cave Story, and the unofficial Switch port received a DMCA cease and desist as well.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Sega Forever classics version on Android or iOS can also be used.