Homebrew WIP SphiNX - Nintendo Switch emulator

  • Thread starter Thread starter lintu
  • Start date Start date
  • Views Views 53,818
  • Replies Replies 75
  • Likes Likes 35
This looks interesting. I shall be following this topic with great interest. If I had the time or knowledge, I'd contribute to a project such as this one. Unfortunately I don't, so this will have to do:
you can do it - Imgur.gif
 
  • Like
Reactions: TotalInsanity4
Closed source is very unfortunate. Especially if this becomes another Cemu situation where new versions are put behind a paywall. Or Redream where certain features are locked behind a paywall.

Also, when the author of closed source software loses interest and/or time the project dies. Whereas with open source projects that have high community interest, anyone can fork it and continue development.

Another concern with closed source emulators is preservation. Lets say this ends up becoming the lead Switch emulator, and users no longer even give a passing thought to Yuzu or Ryujinx and so interest in those wane which is exactly what happened to Decaf - as all the users only cared about Cemu. Fast forward to when x86 is no longer used at all - to play Switch software people will need to run this in an x86 emulator because closed source software cannot be ported to new architectures and OSes that emerge as the dominant platform in the future except by the author.

I will loosely follow this in case it ever goes open source, but I've been following emulation since 1997 and I've seen dozens of closed source emulators get abandoned over the proceeding decades and so I can't find it in me to put my faith in a closed source emulator project. Closed source emulators have repeatedly set back progress in Dreamcast emulation. And to a lesser degree delayed advances in N64 emulation (where the first string of N64 emulators were closed source - and all ended up being abandoned) I hope the same doesn't happen with Switch.

So hopefully this will be like Dolphin in that it starts out closed source but goes open source. But in terms of emulators I've rarely seen a project that started out closed source go open. I'll hope for it though.
 
Last edited by Rfire,
  • Like
Reactions: ihaveahax
Closed source is very unfortunate. Especially if this becomes another Cemu situation where new versions are put behind a paywall. Or Redream where certain features are locked behind a paywall.

Also, when the author of closed source software loses interest and/or time the project dies. Whereas with open source projects that have high community interest, anyone can fork it and continue development.

Another concern with closed source emulators is preservation. Lets say this ends up becoming the lead Switch emulator, and users no longer even give a passing thought to Yuzu or Ryujinx and so interest in those wane which is exactly what happened to Decaf - as all the users only cared about Cemu. Fast forward to when x86 is no longer used at all - to play Switch software people will need to run this in an x86 emulator because closed source software cannot be ported to new architectures and OSes that emerge as the dominant platform in the future except by the author.

I will loosely follow this in case it ever goes open source, but I've been following emulation since 1997 and I've seen dozens of closed source emulators get abandoned over the proceeding decades and so I can't find it in me to put my faith in a closed source emulator project. Closed source emulators have repeatedly set back progress in Dreamcast emulation. And to a lesser degree delayed advances in N64 emulation (where the first string of N64 emulators were closed source - and all ended up being abandoned) I hope the same doesn't happen with Switch.

So hopefully this will be like Dolphin in that it starts out closed source but goes open source. But in terms of emulators I've rarely seen a project that started out closed source go open. I'll hope for it though.
From what I can tell, this whole project is just a way for her to challenge herself and gain some experience. It's hard to imagine that this one-person project would surpass other emulators that have whole teams working on them.

If she ever does decide to add in paid features, which I doubt she'll do, she has a right to do so considering that she's investing lots of time and effort into this project.
 
Closed source is very unfortunate. Especially if this becomes another Cemu situation where new versions are put behind a paywall. Or Redream where certain features are locked behind a paywall.

Also, when the author of closed source software loses interest and/or time the project dies. Whereas with open source projects that have high community interest, anyone can fork it and continue development.

Another concern with closed source emulators is preservation. Lets say this ends up becoming the lead Switch emulator, and users no longer even give a passing thought to Yuzu or Ryujinx and so interest in those wane which is exactly what happened to Decaf - as all the users only cared about Cemu. Fast forward to when x86 is no longer used at all - to play Switch software people will need to run this in an x86 emulator because closed source software cannot be ported to new architectures and OSes that emerge as the dominant platform in the future except by the author.

I will loosely follow this in case it ever goes open source, but I've been following emulation since 1997 and I've seen dozens of closed source emulators get abandoned over the proceeding decades and so I can't find it in me to put my faith in a closed source emulator project. Closed source emulators have repeatedly set back progress in Dreamcast emulation. And to a lesser degree delayed advances in N64 emulation (where the first string of N64 emulators were closed source - and all ended up being abandoned) I hope the same doesn't happen with Switch.

So hopefully this will be like Dolphin in that it starts out closed source but goes open source. But in terms of emulators I've rarely seen a project that started out closed source go open. I'll hope for it though.

From what I can tell, this whole project is just a way for her to challenge herself and gain some experience. It's hard to imagine that this one-person project would surpass other emulators that have whole teams working on them.

If she ever does decide to add in paid features, which I doubt she'll do, she has a right to do so considering that she's investing lots of time and effort into this project.

I am NEVER adding paid features to this, or anything else I make. That's just stupid in my opinion. As @Meepers55 said, this is just a project I made to challenge myself. I haven't been working on it all that much lately because I've achieved what I wanted from it (to boot a homebrew/retail app) and I have a life I need to attend to (I have a job as well as a kid). If I do put the source up, I'll update the original post to include it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Smash73
Any news?
She said
I am NEVER adding paid features to this, or anything else I make. That's just stupid in my opinion. As @Meepers55 said, this is just a project I made to challenge myself. I haven't been working on it all that much lately because I've achieved what I wanted from it (to boot a homebrew/retail app) and I have a life I need to attend to (I have a job as well as a kid). If I do put the source up, I'll update the original post to include it.

As you see it, she don't have time.
 
Fair warning, some folks may not like seeing closed-source stuff here. (But to clear any misunderstandings, it's perfectly fine to post, not against the rules or anything.)
No one cares about those people. All they do is complain because they can’t build their own so they have to leech off others
 

Site & Scene News

Popular threads in this forum