The team behind the Citra emulator for the Nintendo 3DS has announced that a Nintendo Switch emulator is finally on the way, just 10 months after the hybrid console was launched.
The emulator for the Nintendo Switch, however, will not yet be able to do what most gamers would expect from such software.
Nintendo Switch Emulator Coming Soon
At the turn of the new year, hackers revealed that a launcher for Nintendo Switch homebrew will soon be available. This was followed by a declaration that another group of hackers discovered a future-proof Nintendo Switch hack.
The latest development on the Nintendo Switch emulator front comes from team behind the popular Citra emulator for the Nintendo 3DS. Through a Twitter account for the emulator, named Yuzu, the hackers revealed that the software was already in development.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, the biggest game on the Nintendo Switch, is already playable on the PC through an emulator, as it was also released on the Nintendo Wii U. There are several other Nintendo Switch-exclusive titles that will be great to play on the PC though, such as Super Mario Odyssey.
Yuzu, however, is described on its official website as an experimental open-source Nintendo Switch emulator that can only be used to launch homebrew apps and for research purposes. The software, which has builds being tested for the PC, Mac, and Linux, will apparently not enable Nintendo Switch piracy. Instead, Yuzu is being created to help developers learn all about the Nintendo Switch.
Hopefully, Yuzu stays that way. Unfortunately, its developers state on the website that they are actively working toward enabling the Nintendo Switch emulator to play commercial titles.
The Popularity Of The Nintendo Switch
The massive interest in the development of a Nintendo Switch emulator is a nod to the hybrid console's immense popularity ever since it was launched in March last year.
The Nintendo Switch has an immense amount of momentum heading into 2018. The hybrid console was recently named the fastest-selling video game console in the United States, and it dominated the holiday shopping season as it outsold the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4. The recent Nintendo Direct Mini also showcased what gamers can expect from the Nintendo Switch, including new games such as The World Ends With You: Final Remix and Kirby Star Allies plus updates for Pokken Tournament DX and Super Mario Odyssey.
If piracy breaks out for the Nintendo Switch, just a year after its release, the momentum of the hybrid console will likely be negatively affected in the long-run. As hackers dive deeper into the popular Nintendo Switch, piracy hopefully does not rear its ugly head.
