Exclusive Collection: Select Best Windows DS/Switch Alternatives

The Nintendo Switch is one of the most popular consoles on the market right now. With its portability and its ability to dock, many choose it over the Xbox and PlayStation. The Nintendo Switch also offers a variety of highly-rated games.

If you have a Windows PC, you can download a Nintendo Switch emulator, so you can play your favorite Switch titles with better graphics. You can also get some of these emulators to work on handheld Windows gaming devices.

If you want to find the best Nintendo Switch emulator, we’re here to help.

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Is It Legal to Use Nintendo Switch Emulators?

Before we get started, yes, downloading and using emulators is legal. However, sharing copyrighted ROMs is not allowed and is considered illegal. So if you are using a Nintendo Switch emulator, and you don’t have any illegally downloaded games, you are following the law.

While legal to use, there is a slight technical hurdle to get over. Older devices like the NES or Playstation 1 are easy to emulate, as they use simple code. The Nintendo Switch is a newer console and the most recent Nintendo console. This makes it difficult to emulate.

This is why aside from choosing the best emulator for you, you’ll also need to have a PC capable of emulating this hardware and any games you decide to play. Different games also have different graphics requirements, so this is something else to keep in mind.

Before you download any of the emulators below, make sure your computer has at least a 6th generation Intel Core i3 processor or Ryzen 3 and a minimum of 8GB of RAM, so you can smoothly load the game without any lags or hang.

However, if you want the best experience, you need 16GB of RAM. But don’t worry, 8 GB is good enough for basic play. It is also recommended to have an NVIDIA GTX 1060 graphics card or a Radeon RX 470.

Lastly, it is best to purchase the game in physical form, so you don’t have to incur any privacy issues. Remember, emulators are just copying the device and not the game itself. It’s still best to own the game you want to play.

1. Yuzu

Yuzu is the first Nintendo Switch emulator to go into development. This open-source emulator is developed by Citra, one of the most popular 3Ds emulators. Yuzu is also completely free to download for Windows.

The Yuzu emulator is made with C++, which is a cross-platform programming language that supports high-performance applications. However, this also means that certain switch games won’t work, and there might be performance issues for some games.

Before downloading Yuzu, it might be best to check the list of games that are compatible with the emulator. Anything rated Great or Perfect will work fine on most PCs. If it’s rated just Okay, you might want to check if another emulator runs it better.

Surprisingly, popular gaming titles such as Super Mario Odyssey, Legend of Zelda: BOTW, and Mario Kart 8 work pretty well on this platform. As the development of Yuzu continues, it’s possible that more games will continue to improve on this emulator.

One important thing you should note is that this emulator has a bit of a learning curve, especially for first-time users. However, once you get the hang of it, playing your favorite Switch games will be easy.

The Yuzu emulator is available on Windows and Linux. Because of its popularity and functionality, it has become a base for other Nintendo Switch emulators you’ll find on this list. If your PC supports a 4K resolution, Yuzu can use it to show your Switch games at their absolute best.

Lastly, it supports both NVIDIA and AMD GPU so that you can play heavy-duty Nintendo games on your computer with almost no issues. If you notice Yuzu is lagging on your Windows computer, there are a few ways to speed it up .

Download: Yuzu (Free)

2. Ryujinx

Ryujinx is another emulator compatible with Windows. Like Yuzu, this emulator is completely free to download.

This open-source Nintendo Switch emulator is written in C#, and can provide better gaming performance and precise emulation compared to other emulators. It’s also easier to use.

Like Yuzu, it is compatible with both Linux and Windows. However, Ryujinx has the advantage that it’s also compatible with macOS-based systems.

This emulator contains many features, allowing new users to navigate the platform easily. Although it can’t play all Nintendo Switch games, Ryujinx does have a large library of working games with many popular titles.

Ryujinx also has a page where you can check for compatible games . Most Pokémon games are playable, but other popular titles like Animal Crossing and Mario Kart are still unplayable.

The developers are trying their best to ensure that game titles can run smoothly with accuracy, so if you’re patient enough, you might be able to play these games sooner. Meanwhile, there are plenty of free-to-play games that you could give a try

For users who don’t want a very technical setup, Ryujinx is the ideal choice. The interface is intuitive and straightforward, plus it can run games at 60 FPS. Furthermore, the experience closely resembles the console, even if you’re playing it on your desktop.

Download: Ryujinx (Free)

3. NSEmu

If you are looking for a Nintendo Switch emulator and you are a technical person, you should give NSEmu a try. After all, you can potentially customize it to play the games you want to play most.

NSEmu is an open-source emulator that you can install for free. Once you’ve installed it, you can experience its fluid-like performance and high-quality graphics and sound. Despite not being the real thing, NSEmu does have a pretty good interface with limited lag.

You should know that NSEmu is still a work in progress. As developers keep releasing new updates, the emulator should get better with time. As of right now, you should stick to Yuzu and Ryujinx. However, NSEmu gets an honorable mention as it’s quickly becoming more playable.

And if you’re technically sound, you can even help contribute to NSEmu on GitHub.

Download:NSEmu (Free)

Only the Best Nintendo Switch Emulators

As long as you don’t download any ROMS that you don’t own, Nintendo Switch emulators are completely legal to use. Before installing an emulator, check if the games you want to play are compatible, so you know which emulator would work best for you.

With Switch emulation, you can play your favorite Switch titles with better graphics. As the development of these emulators continues, more and more games will be available to play.

If you have a Windows PC, you can download a Nintendo Switch emulator, so you can play your favorite Switch titles with better graphics. You can also get some of these emulators to work on handheld Windows gaming devices.

If you want to find the best Nintendo Switch emulator, we’re here to help.

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