This shady new emulator turns your Android phone into a Nintendo Switch

Did you know your Android device can play old school Gameboy games? It’s one of the reasons why Android is such a unique platform. Installing emulator apps that make Pokemon Blue accessible 24/7 from your front pocket is super cool. Now a new emulator has popped up online that purports to unlock Nintendo Switch gaming capabilities on Android devices — but it pays to look before you leap.

The emulator is definitely super shady, cooked up with code that appears in large parts stolen from the PC Switch emulator made by Yuzu. And while that code is licensed under GPLv2, this app remains closed source.

Aside from the violation of open-source licenses, the emulator requires users to create an account and log in before being able to use it, which is unlike every other Android emulator I’ve ever used. Despite the website claiming an American studio is behind the emulator, the application itself is rife with Chinese text and inaccurate English translations.

Right now, the emulator only works alongside a certain controller that’s not even available to the general public at the moment, with pre-orders open at $100. And the emulator’s controller DRM is deeply protected with runtime encryption, custom class loaders, and other measures to ensure the app can’t be used by itself. It’s all very bizarre, and I wouldn’t go near it if I were you. Still, there is evidence that it actually works, at least with some games. It may be suspicious, but it’s cool to realize that your Switch can run Android, and your Android can (kinda) run Switch now.

• Source:
• XDA Developers