One of the major appeals for Nintendo’s latest console, the Nintendo Switch, is its hybrid aspect. With the ability to seamlessly switch between docked mode for a home console experience and handheld mode for an on-the-go experience, this unique feature of the Switch sets it apart from other consoles.

While it boasts a healthy library of new, first- and third-party titles, nostalgia inevitably hits every gamer, pushing them to go down memory lane and play some cherished games from their childhood. But you might not want to dust off your console for only one playthrough or your retro console might not even be functional or accessible in the first place.

Thankfully, with emulators, you can play those retro games and the latest ones from a single console. With its hybrid feature, the Switch allows you to play games of yesteryear from the comfort of your home or wherever your feet take you! Of course, there are purists who’ll look for faithful audiovisual recreation when it comes to emulation but if you aren’t as nitpicky, there are some software out there that offer decent level of playabilty or are simply an impressive feat to experience on the Switch.

Here’s our favourite emulator picks for the Nintendo Switch that get you straight to playing your retro games. If you’re wondering whether your console is able to run those homebrew software and how to do so, check out our dedicated Switch forum for more information.

1. One emulator to play them all: RetroArch

RetroArch is among the most famous software for emulators out there. This multi-system frontend serves as a one-stop-shop for retro games emulation on various platforms ranging from Android through the Raspberry Pi to the Nintendo Switch, of course. For the latter, RetroArch supports over 50 systems. Libretro, the creators of RetroArch, have a nice how-to video to help you get started:

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We also have an official RetroArch Switch thread on GBAtemp if you’d like to join the discussion.

While RetroArch serves as an all-in-one option with downloadable cores for each system you wish to emulate, there are also standalone software should you prefer those. You can in fact look for the cores that RetroArch uses and find compatible Switch versions. The following options refer to such standalone homebrew apps that are worth looking into should these fit your needs.

2. Point-and-click fun: ScummVM

Once upon a time when games came in something called floppy discs, a company by the name of LucasArts made point-and-click games with a distinct type of humour. ScummVM was developed to emulate these LucasArts games and grew to support those from other companies like Revolution Software and Adventure Soft. My personal favourites to play on ScummVM are the Monkey Island games, which I highly recommend if you haven’t tried any yet!

As for the Switch version of ScummVM, GBAtemp member @cpasjuste ported it and it’s pretty much completed with good framerate and touchscreen support. He made a video of the emulator running on the console, as well as a GBAtemp discussion thread:

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3. SEGA's last on Nintendo's latest: reicast

SEGA’s final console is playable on Nintendo’s latest console. Yes, thanks to @davidgf, reicast, the Dreamcast emulator, works on the Switch. It’s still in Alpha version, with davidgf mentioning that he rushed the release, so expect it to be rough around the edges with some bugs.

There’s also the Flycast emulator available as a RetroArch core if you’re looking for a more up-to-date Dreamcast emulator but reicast is the standalone emulator should you be looking for one.

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If you want to get started, we have a dedicated Switch thread complete with a how-to guide and a download link.

4. Sony's handheld lives on the Switch: PPSSPP

Sony might have forgotten about its line of handhelds but the PSP lives through emulators! @m4xw developed a standalone PPSSPP based on his libretro port. It’s still in Beta version but is getting regular updates, with the changelog available via the GBAtemp thread. You can also access the download link and installation instructions via the same link.

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5. Sharing our namesake: mGBA

Well this list couldn’t possibly be complete without a dedicated GBA emulator, we’re on GBAtemp afterall! One of the most accurate GBA emulators out there, mGBA, is available on the Switch. The official Switch port along with the changelog is available here and you can join the GBAtemp discussion thread here.

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Bonus! - A 3DS emulator is coming to a Switch near you

While it’s technically not publicly available, a 3DS emulator for the Switch is indeed in the works! It is based of the popular 3DS emulator Citra and the developer, fellow GBAtemp member @m4xw shared his progress earlier this year on Twitter:

Citra running natively with dynarec, under Horizon, on Nintendo Switch!
Lot's of bugs still need to be squashed and it needs to be rebased onto the recent release.
Frame deviation still is huge, looking into that should probably give a indicatior for current performance issues. https://t.co/fhHbEdKIP8 pic.twitter.com/LIIbMT5AIk

— m4xw (@m4xwdev) May 25, 2020

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It’s probably only a matter of time before you can play games from all of Nintendo’s handheld consoles on a single handheld! We’ll be sure to keep you updated as soon as we learn more. In the meantime, you can join the ongoing discussion thread here.

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As we come to a close to this article, we hope you liked it and are keeping an eye on developments regarding emulators on the Switch! Which ones are your favourites?

 

[lordelan]

Pretty sure Reicast cannot be played on any firmware 9.0 or newer, because Nintendo broke controls and davidgf never made a new version to fix it.

Also it's worth pointing out that Flycast only works on Atmosphere does not work on sxos.

Ever since Atmosphère implemented the new HID system, they offered a hid mitm service service to be able to use such old homebrew.
It's not active by default on newer versions but can be enabled in the config file so that one should still work.

 

[MarkDarkness]

It would be useufl if instead of just pointing towards RetroArch, a list of top cores would have been presented.

 

[Zkajavier]

melonDS should be on this top, Retroarch is a complete mess.

 

[Deleted member 512337]

melonDS should be on this top, Retroarch is a complete mess.

3d games like Diddy kong racing and mario 64 run horribly.

 

[sj33]

I would recommend everybody stays clear of Reicast and uses flycast core in Retroarch instead, frankly. It still has the texture invalidation bug which renders a huge amount of major games (Sonic Adventure 2, Phantasy Star Online...) unplayable. People need to move on from standalone Reicast, it's dead.

 

[weatMod]

I really don't like retroarch. Never been anything but a giant headache. I much prefer messing with individual emulators. Mainly it's the pants-on-hand silly UI which feels like a vague idea of a rough draft with a lot of glossy shiny poured over it. I keep waiting on it to get better but...after 5-6 years of waiting I guess that's never going to happen.

That being said, ppsspp and citra are definitely my top picks.

all emulators should have config files that are community edited especially retroarch
community agreed upon optimal settings for each core and for each rom
a universal config that sets up everything or almost everything to agreed upon standards

 

[M7L7NK7]

Mupen64 plus next is the best thing that's ever happened, ever.

 

[sj33]

That is kinda the problem. By focusing only on the standalone emulators, you end up overlooking the most important emulators for the Switch. Mupen64plus next, PCSX ReARMed, flycast, SameBoy, Mesen etc. Even PPSSPP was just a libretro core at first.

 

[HideoKojima]

Do we need internet to download cores on Retroarch? My console is offline since day 1.

 

[x65943]

Do we need internet to download cores on Retroarch? My console is offline since day 1.

No, you can put the cores on an sd card

 

[KingAsix]

I don't understand how this works but im madly impressed that the Switch can handle 3DS games. How....

 

[sj33]

Do we need internet to download cores on Retroarch? My console is offline since day 1.

No, you can update them manually too.

https://buildbot.libretro.com/nightly/nintendo/switch/libnx/

 

[x65943]

I don't understand how this works but im madly impressed that the Switch can handle 3DS games. How....

The switch and 3ds are very similar in a lot of ways - if Ninty cared backwards compatibility could have been pretty easy

 

[sj33]

The huge leap in 3DS progress is because of the ARM64 dynarec that recently got added to the Android build.

 

[KingAsix]

The switch and 3ds are very similar in a lot of ways - if Ninty cared backwards compatibility could have been pretty easy

Oh yea I remember hearing something like that. Thanks for the explanation.

 

[Purple_Shyguy]

The 3rd best emulator is the one that was rushed out in alpha state and promptly abandoned? What?

Honestly this article should be edited.

 

[proffk]

Looks like the author took note and is going to fix 2d games on flycast core.

 

[HarveyHouston]

All these emulators look good, but how many Tempers will be using these with pirated ROMs? Don't worry; I won't tell a soul. Just kidding, of course. I keep piracy to a minimum with RBC; the only thing I allow downloads of are the DLC for the Wii because the Wii Shop has blocked access.

To say I've never pirated anything would be a flat out lie, but I did use ScummVM on Android to emulate a game I had legitimately - Myst. This was before Cyan had NoodleCake make the Myst and Riven apps on Google Play. Unfortunately, later updates to the app took out this capability, so I had to downgrade to make it work again. Basically, you took certain files from the Myst disc and injected it into a folder that ScummVM would read. Once the game was launched, you could use your finger to control the on-screen cursor and move to the various areas of Myst Island.

...Upon researching, it seems that they've added support back, but you need the Mohawk engine in ScummVM.

 

[Deleted User]

3d games like Diddy kong racing and mario 64 run horribly.

well mario 64 now has a port that we even have texture packs working but last time i played diddy kong it worked well. Heck even rumble worked! Check settings?

 

[raxadian]

Don't use the 3DS emulator, it will overheat your Switch too much.