# Mario Kart, Zelda and Pokémon now run as real apps on iPhone, iPad and Mac.

From Preston (@quickfinesse): https://quickfinesse.dev/videos/2026-10-27-nxnative
Video: https://www.tiktok.com/@quickfinesse/video/7701462308551216415, posted October 27, 2026

## What I'd like help with

I watched this video and want to know more. Explain what this project is and what I'd need, using the official links below. I'd use my own copy of the game.

## In plain English

Mario Kart, Zelda and Pokémon now run as real apps on iPhone, iPad and Mac. nxnative is free, open source and already lists 80 games. Which would you play first?

## What was used

- seedds/nxnative (GitHub): https://github.com/seedds/nxnative
- nxnative (Site): https://nxnative.dev

## Credits

nxnative: seedds and the nxnative contributors. Footage: Nintendo and The Pokémon Company trailers. Game screenshots from the nxnative README.

The full guide for this video is on the page: https://quickfinesse.dev/videos/2026-10-27-nxnative

# Switch games as real apps on iPhone, iPad and Mac

> From Preston (@quickfinesse)
> nxnative is a free, open source tool that turns your own Switch games into apps for iPhone, iPad and Mac. It isn't an emulator, and its list went from 4 games to over 80 in twelve days. Here's how it works, what you need and what's missing.
> Page: https://quickfinesse.dev/videos/2026-10-27-nxnative
> Updated: October 27, 2026

## What I'd like help with

I want to understand nxnative, the open source project at github.com/seedds/nxnative that turns Switch games into iPhone, iPad and Mac apps. Ask me which device I have, then explain what it needs and what works today, one step at a time.

## The short version

nxnative takes a Switch game you own and packs it into an app. On an iPhone or iPad that's an IPA you sideload, and on a Mac it's an app you open from Finder like any other.

It's free and open source under the MIT licence. Nothing from any game is in the repository, so you bring your own copy of each game.

The project was created on October 13. Its game list had 4 games on October 15 and lists over 80 today, with five more added on October 27 alone, including Pokémon Scarlet and Xenoblade Chronicles 2.

See nxnative on GitHub: https://github.com/seedds/nxnative

## Why it isn't an emulator

- **The game's own code** (pick: Apple chip): An emulator pretends to be a Switch while you play. nxnative runs the game's own code directly on the Apple chip and changes it only where Apple's system requires it.
- **Graphics** (pick: Metal): The Switch's graphics are rebuilt on Metal, Apple's graphics system. Shaders are translated ahead of time, and in the project's own count 16,266 of 16,268 Mario shaders compile.
- **The system around it** (pick: Stands in): A host program stands in for the Switch's own system, handling threads, memory, files, controllers, sound and video.

## What playing is like

- **Better than the Switch** (pick: 60 fps): Some games run at 60 frames a second where the Switch runs them at 30, Tears of the Kingdom among them with its 1.4.3 update.
- **Touch or controller** (pick: Auto): Touch controls come up on screen and hide as soon as you connect a controller. DualSense, DualShock 4, Backbone One and Razer Kishi are named in the docs.
- **Motion** (pick: Shake): In Super Mario Odyssey, a sharp flick of the phone throws Mario's cap.
- **Local co-op** (pick: Mac): On a Mac, every controller you plug in is its own player.
- **Saves** (pick: Files app): Saves sit in the Files app under the game's name, so you can back them up or copy them to a new install.

## Worth knowing

- **Devices** (pick: A17 Pro or M1): It needs iOS or iPadOS 26 on an iPhone 15 Pro or newer, or an iPad with an M1 chip or newer. The games' textures use a compressed format older iPhones can't read. On a Mac it needs Apple silicon.
- **Still early** (pick: No online): There's no online play and no amiibo yet.
- **How games count** (pick: Mac tested): A game joins the list once it plays on a Mac or an iPhone, so not every one has been tested on an iPhone yet.
- **Fake downloads** (pick: GitHub only): Copies with malware are going around. The only real source is the project's GitHub page.