Back in 2018, an exploit was found in the Nintendo Switch that would allow users to run outside code. While that’s of course led to some piracy, it’s also let modders and coders have some fun with the console, up to and including getting Android running on the system, with all the features and tricks that brings along with it.
As this video from xdadevelopers shows, by running Android — off an SD card, you don’t actually install it on the system itself — you can transform your Switch from a Nintendo games console to a multimedia and internet device that will also play a ton of older games via emulation.
Joy-Cons work natively, which is cool, but even cooler is the way the systems seamless docking doesn’t just work for Nintendo titles, but will also work for Netflix as well, running in the dock on your TV and then instantly resuming on the Switch’s screen if you pick it up.
Now for the drawbacks: there’s obviously no GPS, mic or camera, so a lot of Android apps won’t work properly. And there are a few bugs (this is just the very first release version!) like Joy-Con thumbsticks not working in Dolphin, screen rotation being weird and some battery life issues.
If you want to try it out yourself, you can download everything you need here.
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