Nintendo Switch emulator Yuzu is coming to Android

Yuzu, an emulator for Nintendo Switch games, is getting an Android version. The emulator is immediately available via the Play Store in two different versions. Later, the Android releases will also be available on GitHub.

The developers behind Yuzu released a ‘regular’ Yuzu app and an Early Access version in the Play Store on Tuesday. The team shares details about it in a blog post. The Android versions don’t have all the features from Yuzu’s desktop builds, although the team plans to add them to the app eventually.

Yuzu achievements on Android

For example, features such as multiplayer via LAN, input profiles and the ability to run scripts for tool-assisted speedruns are currently missing. The developers say they focus on compatibility and performance first, as running Switch emulation on stock Android hardware “poses several challenges.” The Android app is in ‘rapid development’ and the early builds should therefore be considered betas, according to the developers.

The team shares some benchmarks of the Android app. According to the developers, a Samsung Galaxy S23 with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC achieves 60fps in various titles, including The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. In many cases, lower frame rates are achieved on the Galaxy S20.

To use the app, at least a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 SoC or newer is required. In addition, at least 8GB of memory is recommended. Socs from other manufacturers, such as MediaTek and Samsung, are ‘expected’ not to be supported. The app is also compatible with Android 11 or newer and requires GPU drivers with certain Vulkan extensions to install the app.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim on Android via Yuzu