The best Switch emulators for Android

While the Nintendo Switch is already a very portable console, there’s something even more convenient to play on: your phone. If you’d like to fit Switch games in your pocket, it’s time to turn to emulators.

The best Switch emulators for Android

At the moment, there are only two emulators we can recommend. Android support is a niche interest, and the groups developing emulators can’t really do it for profit — Nintendo lawyers would land on them in an instant.

We’re also going to leave it up to you to learn how to install and use each emulator, not to mention games, since instructions can get complex and are prone to change. Thankfully, any emulator worth its salt has guides available online and a community to answer questions.

Skyline

Skyline runs on Android devices with 64-bit ARM-based processors, which is pretty much any modern Android phone. There’s not much to say about its features, but it does use Vulkan graphics rendering, with optimizations for mobile where possible.

Perhaps the most notable thing about it is that there are two versions. There’s the regular Skyline, which is free, and Skyline Edge, which is available only to Patreon backers. The latter offers early access to new features, usually about two weeks ahead of the regular release. That might be worthwhile if you want maximum compatibility with the latest games and aren’t willing to wait.

Egg NS

Egg NS has higher system requirements than Skyline. As a rule, you need a phone with Android 11, 6GB of RAM, and a Snapdragon 855 processor or better. Below those specs you might be able to play less intense Switch games, but don’t expect to run fast-paced 3D titles.

That said, with the right specs in tow, you can expect to play a range of popular games. Some examples include Cuphead, Hades, Super Mario Odyssey, Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.