Ryujinx Switch Emulator May Live On in Posthumous Project Fork

[Cpt.Jank]

After being forced to shut down at the beginning of October, it looks like the open-source Nintendo Switch emulator, Ryujinx, may have found a new home. Late last week, a new fork of the Ryujinx emulator popped up online. The original Ryujinx project's lead developer, known online as gdkchan, took down the GitHub page after a mysterious offer from Nintendo. Although there was speculation that the creator of the project was offered money to shut the emulator down, the wording on the new GitHub project seems to suggest that Nintendo forced Ryujinx to shut down. The GitHub page for the new project is run by a developer that goes by GreemDev, who doesn't seem to have been involved with the original Ryujinx before it shut down.

GreemDev's Ryujinx is starting out as a direct fork and continuation of the original, although there are hints that the new Ryujinx will take on a slightly different nature in the future. For starters, it doesn't look like GreemDev plans to offer any documentation for the Nintendo Switch emulator—at least not yet. This is likely partially to avoid Nintendo's ire and because creating documentation is a lot of additional work for developers. Instead, the GitHub directs readers to the former Ryujinx documentation on Archive.org, indicating that, although there are intended changes in-store for the future of Ryujinx, the current forked version basically picks up where the original left off.



GreemDev isn't the first developer to fork Ryujinx, and the Ryujinx-mirror project on GitHub is still available to download, although, since that was a downstream hard-fork, it will likely not continue to receive updates, improvements, or additional game compatibility. When the original Ryujinx shut down, it was very much still in active development, despite claiming a massive list of 3,550 playable games. Given Nintendo's strict copyright and anti-piracy policies, it wouldn't be surprising to see the new Ryujinx also be short-lived.

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[Klemc]

Spyware by Nintendo inside ?

 

[fec32a4de]

Silly Nintendo, thinking they can shut down an open source project.

Its like fighting torrent sites, or trying to put out a fire using gasoline.

I understand why Nintendo is doing this, protecting their IP. But unlike them I also understand that some fights are unwinnable, there are more mirrors and copies of the project out there. The only thing slowing down game emulation here is how fast people can pull keys from new FW.

Every console, every damn project, everything is going to be jailbroken, decompiled, decrypted, copied, etc. its just a matter of time.

My only question is, how fast we'll get a Switch 2 emulator.

 

[SOAREVERSOR]

Silly Nintendo, thinking they can shut down an open source project.

Its like fighting torrent sites, or trying to put out a fire using gasoline.

I understand why Nintendo is doing this, protecting their IP. But unlike them I also understand that some fights are unwinnable, there are more mirrors and copies of the project out there. The only thing slowing down game emulation here is how fast people can pull keys from new FW.

Every console, every damn project, everything is going to be jailbroken, decompiled, decrypted, copied, etc. its just a matter of time.

My only question is, how fast we'll get a Switch 2 emulator.

Just because people can rob your house doesn't mean you shouldn't lock the doors.

 

[Klemc]

Just because people can rob your house doesn't mean you shouldn't lock the doors.

Money, house's keys, the biggest problems of this world.

 

[BArms]

I wish Nintendo would just fire everyone they hired since the N64 project. I want a cutting edge Zelda again but the current hardware is complete trash.

 

[RayneYoruka]

I'm happy I haven't given money to nintendo since the WII era and I will continue thinking they don't exist more than to take down open source projects

 

[Klemc]

Nintendo is the last to make consoles, Xbox and PS3+ are PC like indeed.


Also if Switch graphics are not enough for anybody, i'm not sure i can understand.

 

[LabRat 891]

I understand that Nintendo's IPs were formative for many, but the company itself has been such a bully most-all its time in the electronic entertainment market.
How can people still have 'passion' for anything associated with The Big N? People realize the company actively hates its marketbase, right?

 

[Klemc]

IDK, but hardware they make are the only ones that look to be consoles, a PS5 has the size of a high PC's tower (quad SLI) ;\

 

[Dr. Dro]

This is why I don't feel bad when they are hit with leaks

 

[Nater]

I wish Nintendo would just fire everyone they hired since the N64 project. I want a cutting edge Zelda again but the current hardware is complete trash.

It really has made zero sense the last 20 years.

 

[AteXIleR]

Nintendo is overvalued. They might actually be creatively bankrupt. This is why they fight tooth and nail anyone to protect their IP-s, as if they were unable to come up with anything besides Mario and Zelda. By now, the bigger part of their image is evidently maintained by nostalgia.

The hardware of the switch was weak even for its time. It is that sold since they have a big library of older games and there are some hardcore N. fans who buy whatever Nintendo want to sell. Also they were without competition in the portable console market. Not anymore.

It has overgrown in size and gotten too money oriented an enterprise. I liked older Nintendo way more.

 

[Patriot]

Just because people can rob your house doesn't mean you shouldn't lock the doors.

You still need to extract the rom's to play them... you just get to use your games on better hardware.
The best switch experience is on a steamdeck...

 

[GreiverBlade]

glad to hear it ... because i will not be giving Nintendo money for any of their incoming anemic consoles ... or anything else

i was a Nintendo hardcore for all their NES SNES GB GBC GBA GBA SP NDS NDSL era ... but after that ... no more

if a Switch exclusive get my fancy enough to warrant me buying it (only if having a physical media) i will only play it under emulation (just as i do with Sony exclusives, which luckily none were interesting enough since the PS2 era and i still own a PS2 slim)

The best switch experience is on a steamdeck...

or an Ally or Legion Go if you like anatomically correct button/stick layout (subjective ofc ... but there is only one ... "for me" )


p.s. : Palworld is not an ilegal clone ... it's a total improvement over a stagnating franchise

 

[eidairaman1]

If anything I would lounge this so it doesn't attract nintendo here etc

 

[Metroid]

Spyware by Nintendo inside ?

If not by Nintendo then by some hacker, need to be caution here, my recommendation is to download the last intact binary available before it took it everything out.

 

[qlum]

Silly Nintendo, thinking they can shut down an open source project.

Its like fighting torrent sites, or trying to put out a fire using gasoline.

I understand why Nintendo is doing this, protecting their IP. But unlike them I also understand that some fights are unwinnable, there are more mirrors and copies of the project out there. The only thing slowing down game emulation here is how fast people can pull keys from new FW.

Every console, every damn project, everything is going to be jailbroken, decompiled, decrypted, copied, etc. its just a matter of time.

My only question is, how fast we'll get a Switch 2 emulator.

Problem is not shutting down the project, rather the pool of capable devs willing to work on projectls like that is limited. Jailbreaks also suffer, as the ones doinng those much rather go through a bug-bounty program and release, after the door has been closed again.

 

[Vayra86]

Just because people can rob your house doesn't mean you shouldn't lock the doors.

People aren't robbing the house though, they're just walking around it taking pictures of everything, and then put them on their own walls.

Nothing of value is lost here. The overwhelming majority of Nintendo's targeted user base doesn't even know what emulating is. Except now, they might, because Nintendo was telling the world how annoying it is that everyone's taking those pictures. And if 'everyone' does it, why don't you?

Security by obscurity is a thing, here. And that applies to most piracy. Just offer the better alternative and make sure your customers love you, not hate your guts.

 

[Wirko]

Just because people can rob your house doesn't mean you shouldn't lock the doors.

Not the best analogy because in addition to locks you also keep a pack of hungry Stafford dogs (or should I say Stanford) inside, and the burglars often are the same people as your valuable customers.

 

[Nater]

What chaps my ass (and it's just like buying internet access 3-4 times for the SAME internet) is that I already own 2 Nintendo Switches. Subscribed to Nintendo Online Family Plan since release. Bought dozens of games and accessories (sometimes one for each Switch).

Haven't even turned one of them on for 3 years or so. Yet I can't grab an emulator and ROM on my PC and play BotW in 4K? (of which Nintendo has invested ZERO percent more effort in creating) How is it not fair use?

 

[Vayra86]

What chaps my ass (and it's just like buying internet access 3-4 times for the SAME internet) is that I already own 2 Nintendo Switches. Subscribed to Nintendo Online Family Plan since release. Bought dozens of games and accessories (sometimes one for each Switch).

Haven't even turned one of them on for 3 years or so. Yet I can't grab an emulator and ROM on my PC and play BotW in 4K? (of which Nintendo has invested ZERO percent more effort in creating) How is it not fair use?

Its not about playing fair here, this is about more money and an unrelenting drive to control all the things. Both are illusions, but people chase them anyway. And when confronted on their stance, they point to the law and morals, 'thou shalt not'.... except its them who put the axe on morality to begin with. They're not fighting the problematic symptoms that occur in the use of emulators (illegal use), they're fighting the emulator itself, putting the paying customer in the same category as the thief.

Same things that happen with intrusive DRM. And it will end up the same way. Everything can be hacked, and it will be.

 

[TheinsanegamerN]

I understand that Nintendo's IPs were formative for many, but the company itself has been such a bully most-all its time in the electronic entertainment market.
How can people still have 'passion' for anything associated with The Big N? People realize the company actively hates its marketbase, right?

As opposed to Microsoft and Sony, which are famously consumer oriented? Please.

No corporations are your friend.

People still buy Nintendo because, and you may want to sit down for this......its FUN. They make fun games. That's it. That's the magic sauce. If you want to play a game that isnt "shooty shooty mc bang bang sweaty gamurz" or " open world checklist #4796" or "hairy dad game but modern virtue signaling" then you go Nintendo. Also go nintendo if you want couch co-op.

Where they screwed up was emulating a MODERN console. The PS2, gamecube, NES, ece emulators really caught on after those systems were no longer sold. Dolphin emulating wii was testing the waters, but emulating the switch while it was still selling angered Nintendo. Breaking DRM and releasing games early also pissed them off.

I think its silly, you think its silly, but we know how nintendo is.

Nintendo is overvalued. They might actually be creatively bankrupt. This is why they fight tooth and nail anyone to protect their IP-s, as if they were unable to come up with anything besides Mario and Zelda. By now, the bigger part of their image is evidently maintained by nostalgia.

I agree that nintendo can get repetitive, but the irony of calling them "creatively bankrupt" when sony is remastering PS4 games for money and Microsoft can only push "halo but worse" and "more minecraft" is not lost on me.

The hardware of the switch was weak even for its time. It is that sold since they have a big library of older games and there are some hardcore N. fans who buy whatever Nintendo want to sell. Also they were without competition in the portable console market. Not anymore.

Why do people get hung up on the hardware? Yeah, it isnt cutting edge. Neither are the playstation or xbox. Nothing is stopping you from buying a PS5 pro+ accessories for $1100 to play the latest corpo-slop. Won't be fun, but hey you can look at the checkerboard 4k FSR textures in all their blurry 4k glory!

Powerful hardware =! good games.

It has overgrown in size and gotten too money oriented an enterprise. I liked older Nintendo way more.

Welcome to 2010. The gaming industry has been dominated by big money for a LONG time.

 

[Hakker]

Silly Nintendo, thinking they can shut down an open source project.

Its like fighting torrent sites, or trying to put out a fire using gasoline.

I understand why Nintendo is doing this, protecting their IP. But unlike them I also understand that some fights are unwinnable, there are more mirrors and copies of the project out there. The only thing slowing down game emulation here is how fast people can pull keys from new FW.

Every console, every damn project, everything is going to be jailbroken, decompiled, decrypted, copied, etc. its just a matter of time.

My only question is, how fast we'll get a Switch 2 emulator.

The problem with Yuzu and Ryujinx is mostly because it's current gen. That's the biggest reason why Nintendo goes so hard on those projects.

 

[GoldenX]

Not to be the bringer of bad news, but considering the state of yuzu-based forks, I wouldn't expect any "big" progress with these forks either.