Guide: Running Switch games natively on Mac with nxnative
AppleGamingWiki · English source
Open resource →Apple Silicon Mac · iPhone · iPad
Your Switch games. Native on Apple.
Build your own Switch games for Apple Silicon Mac, iPhone and iPad. nxnative runs the game’s code on the Apple chip and renders graphics with Metal. Start with your own game files and keys.
128playable games
25upgraded to 60 fps
MITSource on GitHub
Choose where to play
Both paths start on a Mac. Choose a Mac app for desktop play or an unsigned IPA for your iPhone or iPad.
Apple Silicon Mac
Build with --platform mac-app, then open the resulting game app from Finder.
iPhone & iPad
Build an IPA on your Mac and sideload it. Upstream requires iOS / iPadOS 26+ and A17 Pro / M1 or newer.
Your game files and keys
Bring the base game, optional updates and DLC, and prod.keys. Game files and keys are not included.
Check your game first
The catalog records Mac or iPhone gameplay tests. Open a game’s page for its tested build, notes and known limitations.
Built on d2r-mobile, Ryujinx's shader translator, Atmosphère, yuzu, LibHac, SPIRV-Cross and more. See the acknowledgements.
Find your game
These games have passed gameplay testing on a Mac or an iPhone. This does not mean every game has been verified on every device. Open a title for details.
Donkey Kong Bananza
Splatoon Raiders
Fire Emblem Fortune's Weave60 fps
Pokémon Pokopia
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Mario vs. Donkey Kong
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door60 fps
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury3D layout
Super Mario Bros. Wonder2D layout
Super Mario Galaxy3D layout
Super Mario Galaxy 23D layout
Super Mario Odyssey3D layout
Browse the full catalog (128)
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild3D layout60 fps
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening2D layout
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom3D layout60 fps
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim2D layout
Absolum2D layout
Ace Attorney Investigations Collection2D layout
Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp
AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES
AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES - nirvanA Initiative
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
ANIMAL WELL
ASTRAL CHAIN60 fps
Balatro
BALL x PIT
Bayonetta
Bayonetta 2
Bayonetta 3
Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain2D layout
Brain Memory Training Academy2D layout
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker3D layout
Catherine: Full Body
Celeste2D layout
Cuphead2D layout
DARK SOULS: REMASTERED60 fps
Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth: Complete Edition
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
DRAGON QUEST VII Reimagined60 fps
DRAGON QUEST XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age – Definitive Edition3D layout60 fps
FINAL FANTASY RESONANCE60 fps
FINAL FANTASY TACTICS - The Ivalice Chronicles3D layout
Fire Emblem Engage2D layout60 fps
Fire Emblem: Three Houses3D layout60 fps
Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective
The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles2D layout
Hades3D layout
Hades II3D layout
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity3D layout60 fps
Kirby and the Forgotten Land
Luigi's Mansion 360 fps
Metroid Dread2D layout
Monster Hunter Rise3D layout60 fps
Monster Train 22D layout60 fps
OCTOPATH TRAVELER
Octopath Traveler 02D layout60 fps
Octopath Traveler II60 fps
Patrick's Parabox2D layout
Persona 5 Royal
Pikmin 4
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond60 fps
Pokémon Legends: Z-A2D layout
Pokémon Scarlet
Pokémon Violet
Pokémon Sword
Pokémon Shield
Portal
Raging Loop
Rhythm Heaven Groove2D layout
ROMANCE OF THE THREE KINGDOMS 8 REMAKE
Sea of Stars
SHIN MEGAMI TENSEI V: Vengeance60 fps
Stardew Valley
STEINS;GATE RE:BOOT2D layout
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Taiko Risshiden V DX
Unicorn Overlord2D layout
Yoshi's Crafted World
NieR:Automata The End of YoRHa Edition60 fps
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
Donkey Kong Country Returns HD
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope
Xenoblade Chronicles 2
Xenoblade Chronicles 3
FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES Remastered Edition
Return of the Obra Dinn
Blasphemous 2
Silver Pines
Blasphemous
FINAL FANTASY X/X-2 HD Remaster
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle
Persona 4 Golden
Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition
Pokémon Legends: Arceus
Super Mario Party Jamboree
Cult of the Lamb
Paper Mario: The Origami King
Batman: Arkham Knight
Bastion
Baba Is You
SteamWorld Heist II
SteamWorld Heist: Ultimate Edition
Subnautica: Below Zero
SteamWorld Dig 2
Streets of Rage 4
Mario Party Superstars
Subnautica
SteamWorld Dig
Team Sonic Racing
Well Dweller
Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered60 fps
EA SPORTS FC 2760 fps
Portal 2
Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble
Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout DX
DRAGON QUEST III HD-2D Remake60 fps
Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition
Metroid Prime Remastered
DRAGON QUEST I & II HD-2D Remake
Dead Cells
Hollow Knight
TRIANGLE STRATEGY60 fps
Castlevania: Belmont's Curse
SUPER ROBOT WARS Y
Super Mario RPG
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD
Princess Peach: Showtime!60 fps
From game files to a playable app
Build an unsigned iPhone / iPad IPA or a Mac app from your own game files. The first build takes 30–60 minutes; later builds reuse completed work.
Current upstream requirements. A Mac with macOS 26.6+, Xcode 27.1, Homebrew and ARM64 Python 3.12+. Install Xcode's iOS platform for an iPhone build. Playing on iPhone / iPad needs iOS / iPadOS 26+ and A17 Pro / M1 or newer. Allow free disk space of about twice the game size plus 10 GB.
Prefer a window to a terminal? NX2Apple, a community project, wraps these steps in a macOS app.
Get nxnative and its tools
Once, on the Mac.
xcodebuild -downloadComponent MetalToolchain
git clone https://github.com/seedds/nxnative.git && cd nxnative
brew install xcodegen zstd glslang
brew install --cask dotnet-sdk
python3 -m pip install lz4 "capstone>=5,<6" fonttools nsz zbic "backports.zstd; python_version < '3.14'"Put one game's NSPs in a folder
Put the base game and any update or DLC together: NSP, XCI, NSZ and XCZ are supported.
~/Games/MarioWonder/
Super Mario Bros. Wonder [010015100B514000][v0].nsp
Super Mario Bros. Wonder [010015100B514800][v327680].nspRun the script
The IPA or Mac app appears in the game folder. Add --platform mac-app to play on an Apple Silicon Mac.
python3 scripts/build_ipa_from_nsp.py ~/Games/MarioWonder -k ~/keys/prod.keys
# Mac app instead of an iPhone IPA:
python3 scripts/build_ipa_from_nsp.py ~/Games/MarioWonder -k ~/keys/prod.keys --platform mac-appOpen or install
On Mac, open the built app from Finder. On iPhone or iPad, sideload the IPA with AltStore, Sideloadly or LiveContainer; enable Increased Memory Limit when available for larger games.
Play
Tap 2D / 3D at the top to switch touch layouts. A connected controller hides the touch controls. In 3D, swipe the right third of the screen for the camera. Shake the phone to shake the controller.
If an IPA is too large to install, rebuild with --romfs separate and run the printed copy command once. For controls, saves and settings, see Playing. The iOS 16.1/17 community branch below has separate compatibility claims.
Tutorials & videos
Selected from Google results on 30 October 2026. Rankings vary. Follow current project documentation when older tutorials differ; video titles do not guarantee support for every game.
nxnative — Development guide
seedds / nxnative · English source
Open resource →How to Build Any Switch Game As Native Mac App (nxnative)
Andrew Tsai’s Tips · 11:59 · English source
Open resource →NXnative - Native Switch Games on iPhone 17 Pro Max
blackheart909 · 8:41 · English source
Open resource →FAQ & tips
Language
English by default. Pick another when packing with -l (for example -l ja), or add DM_LANG=zh-Hans to Documents/env.txt.
Saves & logs
In the Files app under the app's name: save/ and log.txt. Send log.txt when something goes wrong.
Stutters
Short stutters the first time a scene appears are normal: graphics compile once and are remembered.
Reinstalling
Some sideloaders give a new data folder. Copy save/ and pso_user.tsv from the old one.
Settings
Lines in Documents/env.txt: DM_OPMODE=0 for handheld, DM_FPS_TARGET=30 to save battery, DM_SHOW_FPS=1 for an FPS counter.
Not supported
No amiibo, no online features. Other games get a survey and a best-effort IPA that may not start.
Community tools and compatibility
Prefer a graphical builder, a game library or support for older iOS versions? Explore these independently maintained projects. Each detail page links to its source and requirements.
NX2Apple Third-party
A macOS launcher and game library that builds and manages Mac, iPhone and iPad games. Since v1.0, iPhone and iPad use one shared shell with a game library, Cover Flow, controller and keyboard navigation, and per-game settings; the engine is packaged with releases and follows upstream daily.
View project →NX Play Third-party
One library for extracting, playing, packaging and managing games, now paired with NX Play for iPhone and iPad. Each game keeps its inputs, build and saves together; the companion iOS launcher lists Mac games, requests installation over the local network, launches them with controller support and reminds you to renew signatures.
View project →LumaNX Third-party
Previously LumaDock, LumaNX combines nxnative with a graphical library, build queue and package-conversion tools. Release 0.3.0 adds experimental Mac-only import of decrypted Switch 2 game folders and incremental preparation reuse, alongside Mac launch and unsigned IPA export.
View project →iOS 16.1/17 compatibility fork Third-party
A compatibility development branch for older iOS devices, with legacy Metal rendering, device-specific shader constraints and per-build game adapters. The maintained branch is now ios16-ios17-compat; it is an experimental source workflow rather than a universal ready-to-play package.
View project →nx2android Third-party
nx2android carries nxnative’s direct-execution approach to Android. The game’s own ARM64 code runs on the device, while the project translates Switch NVN graphics calls to Vulkan. Its builder produces an APK together with the game data.
View project →MacNativeGames Third-party
MacNativeGames is an independent native-runtime project focused mainly on The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. It runs on Mac and Apple mobile devices and has early Apple Vision Pro support; it is not merely an nxnative GUI.
View project →xbunax nxnative Third-party
xbunax/nxnative is a fork with a local WebUI build studio. It adds browser-based import and task management to nxnative and documents Windows launch and IPA build paths while retaining the upstream engine.
View project →CA-NINAPPLE Third-party
CA-NINAPPLE is a Windows-focused fork derived from NXNativeWindows. It provides a desktop GUI and a PowerShell workflow for turning a game dump and keys into an iOS IPA without a Mac.
View project →NX OS Third-party
NX OS is a console-style macOS frontend built on nxnative. It discovers nxnative-built games, launches them full screen, tracks play time and can also start new Mac or iPhone builds.
View project →nxnative-gui Third-party
nxnative-gui is a lightweight macOS frontend rather than a separate runtime. It clones or updates nxnative, checks the toolchain and collects the choices normally made through terminal prompts into one build form.
View project →ns2ios-shell Third-party
ns2ios-shell separates a reusable, game-independent iOS shell from local per-game packing. CI builds the shell once, while the packer combines a user’s game files with the shell on Windows, Linux or macOS without requiring Xcode.
View project →