Let’s cut to the chase: macOS and Apple Silicon support (including older Intel Macs, although your mileage may vary)!  Even with all the hurdles, roadblocks and brick walls put in our way, we’re finally back on Mac! And back in style!

With the launch of a new entry in the vast Pokémon library and an already brimming catalog of nearly 4000 incredible Switch titles, we hope you’re as excited for this release as we are. Today, Ryujinx claims ANOTHER groundbreaking advancement to Switch emulation, tapping the unique potential of Apple Silicon to deliver the first & only macOS-compatible Switch emulator. The potential for Apple Silicon Macs is unparalleled in the current market. These devices could enable emulation that is closer to a native port than most gaming PCs, thanks to the powerful ARM synergy they share with the Switch.

We’re committed to writing an accurate, stable and performant Nintendo Switch emulator with no hacks or shortcuts. If you wish to support us in delivering our goals across Windows, Linux and now macOS too, then consider backing us on Patreon and letting us know how everything is going over on Discord.

This release also includes LDN functionality – the ability to play with other Ryujinx, and CFW Switch users, via our hosted servers, LAN or ldn_mitm. You can read more about the features of LDN3 in this separate post!

Just want the download? Head over to our website.
Give the install guide below a read first though!

Install Guide

This will be split into two sections: macOS 12 ‘Monterey’, macOS 13 ‘ Ventura’ and above (if you’re reading this in the future).

macOS 13 ‘Ventura’

• Extract the downloaded zip package from the download page somewhere safe. We recommend against any folders that may be protected or otherwise cause permission issues, such as directly on the desktop or at the root of any drive.
• When you try to run the ‘Ryujinx’ executable you will be met with this pop-up, as the build is not officially signed.

• At this point you’ll need to go to Settings and then navigate to Privacy & Security.

• Scroll down to the Allow applications downloaded from options and you will find a box informing you that Ryujinx was blocked; select Open Anyway. A pop-up will ask you to confirm this choice.

This is a one-time process. Subsequent boots will not need to authorise Ryujinx. We are looking into official signing of macOS releases in the future!

macOS 12 ‘Monterey’

• Exactly the same process as above but your settings window will look a bit different!
• Attempt to boot Ryujinx, then navigate to Security & Privacy.

• Select the Open Anyway option near the bottom of the page, a pop-up will ask you to confirm this choice.

Alright, if any of you are interested in the nerd stuff, how we got it to work and what challenges still remain then the bulk of this post remains. Even if you’re the kind of person to never read the manual, we’d suggest reading this anyway. Having a base understanding of what’s happening, the current strengths and limitations, and future work will help enormously if and when you have questions.

New SoC, who dis?

When we last supported macOS, Apple was booorriinnggg. They used the same architectures and hardware as regular desktops and laptops, but with worse software support. However, since the shift to their own ‘Apple Silicon’ SoCs (System on a Chip), many consumers, and more importantly, developers have been foaming at the mouth to see what they’re capable of. For Switch Emulation it’s a bit of a double kill with the increased performance of Apple Silicon combined with the 1:1 ARMv8 CPU architecture of the Switch’s Tegra X1.

Implementing ARM compatibility is a big-deal for normal software, and emulators are far from normal. But, as we alluded to earlier, one of the niceties for Switch Emulation in particular is that the host and guest system both execute the same