The Nintendo Switch is by far one of the best handheld consoles of this generation. Although it is a portable device, it rivals Playstation and Xbox in terms of popularity and sales. However, in some parts of the world, taxes, import fees, and availability make it difficult to buy a Switch console. In such cases, Nintendo Switch emulators are the way to go. By using these emulators, you can play Nintendo Switch games, both on PC and Android.
Playing with a keyboard and mouse seems like a better alternative than dealing with Switch’s joy-con drift issues. Since there are many emulators available on the internet, how do you know which one is the best? Don’t worry, because we’ve got you covered. Here are some of the best Nintendo Switch emulators available right now.
Best Nintendo Switch Emulator for PC
Yuzu Emulator
Yuzu emulator is by far the most popular Nintendo Switch emulator for PC. With it, you can also play almost all Switch games with excellent performance rate. Yuzu is made by the developers of Citra, a popular Nintendo 3DS emulator. They even have a list so you can check the compatibility of your favorite games. It can be quite difficult for novice users to use, but you can get used to it after watching a few guides, like the one above.
Yuzu emulator is available on Windows and Linux and has the least bugs. Its popularity has even led to it being used as a base for other emulators on this list. It is even possible to play games with a resolution of up to 4K with the appropriate PC configuration. It even supports AMD and Nvidia graphics cards. But the main factor is that it supports robust Nintendo AAA games with high compatibility.
Ryujinx
Ryujinx is another popular switch emulator which is known for being easy to use. It is available for Windows, Mac and Linux. In terms of performance, Ryujinx is the 2nd best option, slightly behind Yuzu. But it can still run major Nintendo Switch games at 60 FPS, given the proper hardware.
This is probably the best option for beginners who don’t want a very technical setup and want a simple and easy to use interface. There are over 1000 games available; however, only half of them can work properly. Currently, it is the best and only option for Mac users.
Cemu Emulator
Although not exactly a Switch emulator, Cemu can run both Gamecube and Wii U games, as well as Nintendo Switch games. It was one of the first emulators capable of running Switch games with great consistency. Developers update the emulator quite frequently, adding new features and performance improvements.
You even have the option to modify these games directly from the launch settings, which can make the experience even more fun. You can play most games at 1080p/60fps. It has many advanced features like graphics packs that let you play with mods, render quality, resolution, anti-aliasing, shading, and various other settings.
Best Nintendo Switch Emulator for Android
Some software is also capable of running Switch games on your high-end Android phones. However, be aware that they are a bit sketchy like most mobile APKs are.
Nintendo Switch Android Emulator
This sketchy little emulator appeared last year and was apparently capable of running some Nintendo Switch games. Some notable games are Pokémon Sword/Shield, Super Mario Odyssey, The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening, and Pokémon Let’s Go. However, as you might expect from a mobile emulator, it cannot run these games properly. It supports up to 81 playable titles; however, 73 of them crash while playing.
Skyline Emulator
Skyline emulator is still an open source Nintendo Switch emulator under development. It is built from the ground up and designed specifically for Android. As of this writing, there is not much to say about this emulator program as it is still in development. However, keep an eye out for this one in the future. You can download it directly from GitHub and try it out. However, you may only encounter game crashes.
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