The Best Emulators for Nintendo Switch
- The Nintendo Switch, despite being technically inferior to the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, remains popular due to a strong library of first-party and indie games, and the possibility of emulating its games on other platforms.
- Emulation allows you to run programs from another device on your hardware, with popular Switch emulators like Ryujinx, Yuzu, and Sudachi offering varying levels of performance and compatibility.
- Emulation is legal, but obtaining games for emulators often involves piracy, so it's important to acquire games through legitimate means.
Emulation is the act of mimicking a device or program using another device or program. In simple terms, it enables the execution of programs from one device, typically incompatible with another, through a dedicated software tool. While emulators are frequently used to test programs designed for another device, they are primarily used to enjoy retro console games on a wide variety of devices that wouldn’t normally be able to run them.
Emulators are generally developed by console enthusiasts. Depending on the age of the console being emulated, the emulator might be available for various devices.
Best Switch Emulators
Here are some of the best emulators for the Nintendo Switch:
1. Ryujinx
Ryujinx is the most compatible emulator for PC platforms as it is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux through their official website. It’s also completely open-source, so you might find unofficial forks and ports for other platforms. Below are the recommended specifications to run Ryujinx:
- CPU: Ryzen 5 3600
- RAM: 16GB DDR4
- GPU: NVIDIA GTX 1060 6GB
- Windows 10.0.17134 or higher / macOS 12 or higher / Any modern Linux distribution (the essential dependencies must be supported by that distribution)
As mentioned earlier, the performance you experience depends on your PC’s specs and the particular game being run. Consider watching YouTube tutorials for optimal settings within Ryujinx to achieve maximum performance. You can also check this compatibility list to assess your desired game’s compatibility and to learn about any issues.
2. Yuzu
Yuzu was the best Switch emulator until Nintendo decided to sue its developers for promoting piracy and other issues. Consequently, the developers shut down the project and ceased development in March 2024. However, since it was open-source, numerous forks and unofficial releases persist. Even now, Yuzu can be found on the Internet Archive with some searching.
Yuzu was available only for Windows PCs and received an official Android port in May 2023. It ran stably on a Steam Deck as well. However, since the project was shut down nearly a year after its release, the Android port remains experimental and can only run a few games on selected mobile devices. Below are the PC specifications needed to run the last available Yuzu build:
- CPU: Ryzen 5 3600
- RAM: 16GB DDR4
- GPU: NVIDIA GTX 1060 6GB
- Windows 10 or higher
3. Sudachi
Sudachi is one of the many proclaimed Yuzu successors, but it is the only true one. A fork of Yuzu, picking up where the original developers left off, Sudachi is preserving Yuzu’s legacy alongside the hard work of the original developers. Although Sudachi is only a few months old, it is reasonably experimental yet somewhat stable.
Currently, Sudachi is available on the Windows, Linux, and Android platforms. The Android port, in particular, has received high praise, but it still requires a very powerful phone. The Windows and Linux ports are also well-polished. There are no official specs outlined by the developers, nor any detailed performance benchmarks, but rest assured, the developers are hard at work.
Since Sudachi has no official requirements, it’s best to use Yuzu’s requirements as a benchmark, considering its foundation on Yuzu. For the Android port, we recommend using a phone with at least 4 GB RAM, running Android 14, and equipped with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor.
Emulation and Piracy
As mentioned above, Yuzu was shut down by Nintendo, who claimed that the emulator was “enabling and intensifying” piracy and profiting from their losses. It’s perplexing why a multi-billion-dollar conglomerate would argue that an emulator fosters piracy, as the developers themselves didn’t supply any games. In fact, forums were actively moderated to remove mentions of pirated game links.
Nonetheless, it would be disingenuous to deny that many people resort to piracy when emulating, irrespective of the device they aim to emulate. Piracy is prevalent in emulation communities, and in recent years, it has become more widespread. Several factors contribute to this trend: escalating game prices, region-locking, lack of legal avenues to purchase the games, or merely to spite Nintendo.
Ultimately, the choice of emulator is entirely up to you. Try each one to see which delivers the best performance for your games. Remember to stay on the right side of the law, as the lure of piracy might be strong. Above all, have fun!
