Let’s be clear, upfront: emulators have dubious legality at best, but in some cases they may offer the best way of playing a game, even when you own the console. Below, we’ll explore one way of playing Nintendo Switch games on a Mac.
QUICK ANSWER
Yes. One option is Ryujinx, an open-source project that supports Intel- and Apple Silicon-based Macs. You'll need a hacked Switch to get games running.
JUMP TO KEY SECTIONS
- Is there any Nintendo Switch emulator for Mac?
- How to get Ryujinx for Mac
Is there any Nintendo Switch emulator for Mac?
Yes. Ryujinx is an open-source emulator, available not just for macOS but Windows and Linux. It’s maintained by a team of less than a dozen people.
Ryujinx features
Ryujinx has a few notable features, such as:
- Graphics enhancements (scaling, anisotropic filtering, etc.)
- Mod and cheat support
- Vulkan or OpenGL rendering
- Motion control support (including both Nintendo and third-party controllers)
- Amiibo emulation
Compatible games
You’ll want to check the official compatibility list for games marked “playable,” but the Ryujinx team says that about 2,700 should work. There are still troubles with some major titles — most notably The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild — but others are running fine, such as Metroid Dread and Bayonetta 2.
System requirements
The biggest requirement is that you need a hacked Switch, from which you’ll obtain things like keys, games, and/or firmware. You can’t just run a downloaded game independently.
Macs require at least 8GB of RAM, macOS 11, and a GPU supporting Vulkan or OpenGL 4.5. Both Intel- and Apple Silicon-based Macs will work. As is usual with gaming, you’ll get smoother performance the more powerful your Mac’s CPU and GPU are.
How to get Ryujinx for Mac
You can download the Mac client from the Ryujinx website. That’s just the beginning, though. You’ll need to follow the Setup and Configuration Guide on GitHub, which includes instructions not just for the emulator but for hacking your Switch and dumping its keys and firmware files. It’s an involved process — you might want to set aside an evening getting ready to play.
FAQs
The emulator should be safe, as should the games, as long as they’re from your own library. We can’t vouch for any games downloaded from pirate sites.
Yes. You can play with other Ryujinx users over the internet via Ryujinx LDN.
Yes. You can also configure button mapping as needed.
FAQs
Ryujinx is an open source Nintendo Switch emulator for Mac that offers solid performance and precision when it comes to emulation, all on an intuitive and well-designed interface. The emulator is programmed in C#, thanks to which it's also compatible with other operating systems like Windows and Linux.
Is there a way to play Switch games on Mac? ›
You can download CleanMyMac X for free here. You can now play Nintendo Switch games on your Mac. If you want to use your Switch Joy Con controllers to play Apple Arcade games on your Mac, you'll need to be running macOS Ventura or later.
Is yuzu available for Mac? ›
Click the Download Yuzu Button to download the Yuzu installer to your Mac. Double-click on the Yuzu-eReader. dmg to open the installer. Drag the Yuzu icon to the Applications folder.
Can a Mac handle an emulator? ›
Macs are finally capable gaming machines these days, but thanks to OpenEmu, they're also killer vintage console emulators. Here's how to get started. As companies move away from older consoles and new operating systems render many games unplayable, it becomes harder to play all your favorite games from the past.
Why is switch emulation so hard? ›
Part of this is that it takes time to reverse-engineer the emulator itself and another part is that emulation requires more hardware heft than running native code, so most people's computers simply don't have the power to effectively emulate for a while.
Are Switch emulators illegal? ›
Yes, emulators are legal. But we all know that the overwhelming use of them is in illegal situations. EDIT: Since this comment is currently sitting at -2 points . Before we get started, yes, downloading and using emulators is legal.
Is Cemu available for Mac? ›
Download. You can download the latest Cemu releases for Windows, Linux and Mac from the GitHub Releases.
Can I play Super Mario on a MacBook? ›
It's not hard to play Nintendo/GameBoy games on your Mac. In short, go to App Store and check for official version. If not available, then install OpenEmu and download your own ROM to play.
Does Yuzu work on Apple? ›
Yuzu is a learning platform that lets you read and interact with digital content from the convenience of your iPad or iPhone. Interactive Learning - eTextbooks can include videos and other multimedia content and links to related websites, to make the learning experience richer and more engaging.
Is there any emulator for Mac? ›
RetroArch: Multi-Platform Emulation
RetroArch is probably the only emulator you need. It's a multi-system platform that integrates emulators into a single piece of software, with a Universal binary that works natively on both Apple Silicon and Intel Mac models.
So far no method of getting Yuzu to work via crossover or parallels has been achieved. Even if it were possible, performance would likely be suboptimal especially on lower end M1 devices.
Will Apple allow emulators? ›
In an update on Friday, Apple announced that game emulators can come to the App Store globally and offer downloadable games. Apple says those games must comply with “all applicable laws,” though — an indication it will ban apps that provide pirated titles.
Are Macs good for emulating? ›
Whether you have an Apple Silicon Mac or are thinking of buying one, you should know that Apple's new processors are great for emulation purposes. Whether it's modern 3D consoles or 2D classics, the sheer quantity of native Apple Silicon emulators is something to be celebrated.
How to install avd on Mac? ›
Go to the Tools menu -> :Android -> AVD Manager:
- If no emulator has been created you should start with this screen:
- Click the Create Virtual Device button. ...
- Click the Next button. ...
- Click on the download link to download the selected System Image. ...
- Then click on the Finish button.
In its legal complaint, Nintendo claimed Yuzu was “facilitating piracy at a colossal scale,” giving users “detailed instructions” on how to “get it running with unlawful copies of Nintendo Switch games,” among other things. Okay, no more guides, say the Switch emulator developers who spoke to me.
Are switch emulators CPU or GPU intensive? ›
The CPU is definitely the biggest factor in the ability of your PC to play games on emulators, as it does all or most of the simulation of the console hardware.
Is Switch easy to emulate? ›
The switch is super easy to emulate compared to past Nintendo consoles. The only one that's difficult to emulate is the N64.
Why was Yuzu banned? ›
U.S. agricultural regulations prohibit the importation of yuzu (due to concerns over the importation of agricultural diseases), but it is grown domestically, generally in small stands, in temperate places such as California's San Joaquin Valley.
Why did Nintendo sue Yuzu? ›
In so doing, Nintendo alleged that Yuzu facilitated “piracy at a colossal scale,” and allowed Yuzu users to play “virtually any game made for the Nintendo Switch, all without paying a dime to Nintendo” or any other Switch game developer.
Will Nintendo ban you for using Yuzu? ›
Emulators are legal, so long as they aren't made with copyright infringing methods. Yuzu was closed because they were engaged with piracy, not emulation.
Free and open-source software.
Does Yuzu still work? ›
The case has resulted in settlement deal of $2.4m (£1.9m) in damages against developer Tropic Haze and an order to cease operations. This means the end for both the Yuzu and Citra, which emulated the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo 3DS respectively.
