Nintendo Switch emulation has improved quite a bit in recent years, with plenty of laptops and computers being able to run these games. Surprisingly, people have also been able to get Switch emulation to work on a MacOS, which is unprecedented for many.
For those unaware, MacOS devices solid enough for computer work but is often seen as a bad way to play most video games. While there are a good number of titles playable on Mac, like 2K’s Civilization series, the computer system is better off as a means for emulation than anything officially bought.
Still, the fact that someone got Switch emulation to work on MacOS is fairly impressive. Though the Switch is significantly weaker than the PS5 and Xbox Series systems, it’s still home to some gorgeous games.
YouTuber Andrew Tsai was able to get Switch emulation to work on his MacOS laptop, though the process wasn’t easy. While he does use the standard Ryujinx emulator, it was improved by a hacker so that it could run on weaker systems like a Mac. Apparently, a hacked version of Molten VK was used to fake certain extensions and make emulation run on these weaker computers.
Unfortunately, Switch emulation is very limited on a Mac, with Tsai claiming that only a handful of games currently work through this method. As of this writing, Metroid Dread, Cat Quest, and Rayman Legends are some of the games that work through this method.
While Metroid Dread is exclusive to Switch, both Cat Quest and Rayman Legends are readily available on most gaming PCs. One can argue that they might not be playable on Mac but it’s still somewhat embarrassing to have third-party titles be part of the playable lineup.
Read More: Your Modded Wii can now run macOS after 16 years
Fortunate gamers with more powerful computers can benefit greatly from Switch emulation. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, for example, run better on computers, though they still suffer from a lot of the issues seen on the Switch.