Nintendo Switch Emulation: What You Need to Know
Like any Nintendo console before it, the Switch can be emulated on modern platforms including Windows, macOS, Linux, and even mobile and handheld platforms. So what’s involved, and is it worth it?
Like other consoles, Switch emulation requires the use of an emulator. Emulators are software applications that mimic original hardware and provide additional options for playing native games. These can include graphical changes to resolution and rendering methods, the ability to save progress outside of the game’s normal methods, and easier access to mods and other software changes.
On top of an emulator, you’ll also need firmware, system keys, and game files. All of these can be dumped from a hacked Switch console using tools like TegraExplorer and Lockpick_RCM. Once these are in file format they should work in any emulator, though it is illegal to share or download these files from the internet as they are copyrighted materials.
Switch firmware is the software that runs on native Nintendo hardware and allows the console to function. System keys (most emulators only ask for a “prod.keys” file) are effectively decryption keys that allow you to launch games and other software.
Nintendo generally releases new system keys with each new firmware file, and many games require a minimum firmware version to run. Keeping your Nintendo Switch emulator up to date can take some work, plus you’ll need to dump your game files using a homebrew app like NXDumpTool.
Most game consoles eventually receive emulators but the Switch received its first emulators relatively early in its lifecycle. The first Switch emulator, Yuzu, appeared in 2018, less than a year after the console’s release in 2017. A few months later a second emulator, Ryujinx,
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