nxnative on Windows, Android or Switch 2?
Short answer: nxnative is Apple-only. It runs on iPhone 15 Pro or newer, M1 iPads and Apple silicon Macs, and you need a Mac to build. There is no Windows, Android or Linux version, and no Switch 2 game is in the tested list.
What nxnative supports
| Platform | Status |
|---|---|
| iPhone | iPhone 15 Pro or newer, iOS 26 or later |
| iPad | M1 chip or later, iPadOS 26 or later |
| Mac | Apple silicon; build and play with --platform mac-app, see nxnative on Mac |
| Intel Mac | Not supported |
| Windows / Linux | Not supported, no official version |
| Android | Not supported, no official version |
Why there is no Windows or Android version
nxnative is not an emulator. It rewrites the game’s own program to run directly on an Apple chip and rebuilds the Switch graphics on Metal, Apple’s graphics system. The build uses Xcode, which only runs on macOS. A Windows or Android version would be a different project, and none is listed by the developers.
Be careful with downloads named “nxnative for Windows”, “nxnative APK” or ready-made IPAs. They do not come from the project, and IPAs contain someone else’s game files. See is it legal and safe.
Switch 2 games
The tested list contains 112 Switch games, checked October 30, 2026. None of them is a Switch 2 exclusive, so games such as Mario Kart World are not supported. Only games with a profile in the list work; see the games list.
Older iPhones and iPads
The official builds need an A17 Pro iPhone or M1 iPad because the games use BC-compressed textures. A community fork, widmonstertony/nxnative, works on iOS/iPadOS 16.1–17 and tvOS with a legacy Metal path; NX2Apple credits it for devices its own releases do not support. It is maintained separately.
Platform questions
Is there nxnative for Windows?
No. nxnative turns Switch games into apps for Apple chips and draws them with Metal, which only exists on Apple devices. Building also needs a Mac with Xcode. There is no Windows version in the official repository.
Is there nxnative for Android?
No. The official project only makes apps for iPhone, iPad and Apple silicon Macs. An “nxnative APK” is not from the project.
Does nxnative run Switch 2 games?
Not that the project lists. As of October 30, 2026, none of the 112 games in the tested list is a Switch 2 game, and Switch 2 titles such as Mario Kart World are not in it.
Can I build for iPhone without a Mac?
No. Every route, including NX2Apple and the other launchers, builds on a Mac. The iPhone only installs the finished app.
Does it work on older iPhones?
The official builds need an iPhone 15 Pro or newer (A17 Pro), or an M1 iPad or later, on iOS 26, because the games’ textures use a compressed format older chips cannot read.
From the official READMEs, checked October 30, 2026. Back to the nxnative guide.
