Files
nxnative-easy/README.md
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seedds 6d42bc9815 Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp (0100300012F2A000, base game 1.0.0, Unity 2020.2.1f3 IL2CPP on SDK 10.4.1): game profile, the SDK 10.4.1 sdk build's address-region cuts and a shader split reader for control sections loose in main. Plays on the iPhone (IPA 7.1 GB, user). On the Mac from the boot through the Bink opening movie, the title, Nell's introduction, a new casual campaign and the first training battle (Field Training, Troop Orders): 60 fps in the menus, 30 fps in battle by the game's own limit (present interval 1, the frame's work 33 ms with CPU and GPU mostly idle), FMOD sound through AudioOut, about 2.5 GB resident and 1.6-1.9 GB of Metal allocations, level over a 15-minute run with no red line. sdk_patches.py: the sdk build is The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles' (no virtual address memory there, so it never needed a cut); this game's NPDM declares 16 MB of system resource and nninitStartup (main+0x365310) hands pool - used to StandardAllocator, whose Initialize (sdk+0x2edf90) aborted at boot. The AddressRegionManager constructor (sdk+0x340e90) loads the 1 GB node area with orr w8 / w9, wzr, #0x3fe00000 (the SDK 7 / 8 form, +0x340ea0 / +0x340f3c), cut to 62 MB, and AllocateAddressRegion's 1 GB alignment of regions of 1 GB and more (+0x34109c) to 32 MB, as on DRAGON QUEST XI S's SDK 7.3.2 build. Profile: the NSP script's heap check set a 1 GB pool, as for the other Unity games with virtual address memory, but the game's malloc then ran dry at the first loading screen and Unity's GPU pool allocation (main+0x96f430) halved its aligned_alloc request down to 0 and spun there (frames stopped 17 s in; found with sample on the Mac host); with 2 GB the alias region is mapped up to 2.26 GB (high-water mark +3.27 GB of 4.375) in Engage's 5 GB block. shader_split.py raw_shaders: Bink 2's Unity plugin builds its programs from 32 control sections and code areas in main's read-only segment that are in no GLSLC output and no BNSH file (2 vertex, 22 pixel, 8 compute), so the movies drew white (two shaders not in the map and a program without a vertex shader as the opening movie started). 26 are 0x20-byte records in .data ({code pointer, control pointer, u32 code length, u32 control length}, found through the relative relocations, RELA or RELR: rel_targets); the code takes the other 6 by address, their code area right after the control section's own length or right before it, and two share one; both neighbours can pass the header and length checks (main+0x4a2c670, a compute shader, would have taken the first 0x100 bytes of the next vertex shader's code), so only a code area whose address the code builds with adrp + add nearest to the control section's is taken (adrp_targets). Compute code areas have no header (SDK 10), so the stage is glslc_stage's, and a code area may not hold a control section. Control sections another reader took from main are left alone (Celeste's MonoGame effect). Of the 25 mains on the game drive the reader adds shaders only to this one, so every other profile's tables stay as they were (Celeste and the other games on the second drive not checked: not mounted). 20,424 shaders, all build for the Mac and iOS. Checked: the NSP script packs it from the NSP alone (Mac and iOS), the tool tests pass. README (games table, a Mac picture of the first battle), AGENTS.md (52 -> 53), dm/games/README.md (the heap check's 1 GB is a starting point), docs/development.md and docs/agents 03 / 04 say so
2026-10-24 17:13:12 +08:00

16 KiB
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nxnative

Play your own Nintendo Switch games natively on iPhone and iPad. Bring your game (its NSP files) and your prod.keys; one script turns them into an IPA that you sideload.

It is not an emulator: the game's own code runs directly on the Apple chip, with Switch graphics rebuilt on Metal. Nothing from any game is in this repository, and the project is not affiliated with Nintendo or any game publisher.

Acknowledgements

This project is built on other people's work:

  • d2r-mobile (MIT) developed this native-execution approach, for Diablo II: Resurrected. nxnative started as a copy of its generic parts: the NSO rewriter, the host that stands in for Horizon, the NVN-on-Metal layer and the iOS app shell. Fixes go both ways.
  • Ryujinx (MIT): its shader translator (Ryujinx.Graphics.Shader, Ryujinx.Common and Spv.Generator 1.3.2, in dm/third_party/ryujinx with a few fixes listed in its README) turns the games' Maxwell shaders into SPIR-V. Its emulation of the kernel and system services is also a reference when the host's behaviour is in doubt.
  • Atmosphère: its kernel, mesosphère, is the reference for Horizon's synchronization semantics (address arbiter, condition variables).
  • yuzu: Maxwell instruction encodings for the shader reference tool, and a cross-check for kernel behaviour.
  • LibHac: reads NSPs and layers updates over the base game in dm/tools/nx_extract. hactool did the first extractions.
  • SPIRV-Cross: SPIR-V to Metal Shading Language. glslang compiles the GLSL of OpenGL games to SPIR-V for it.
  • deko3d (zlib): its texture layout size algorithm is ported in dm/gfx/nvn/nvn_tex.c.
  • libvpx (VP9 movies), stb_vorbis (movie sound), the Vulkan headers and NVIDIA FLIP ship in dm/third_party with their licenses (list).
  • Capstone, lz4, fontTools and XcodeGen are used by the build.

Games

All of these are tested on an iPhone and playable:

Needs iOS / iPadOS 26 or later on an iPhone 15 Pro or newer (A17 Pro chip or later) or an iPad with an M1 chip or later: the games' textures are BC-compressed, and older iPhones can't read that format. Other games aren't supported yet. For them the script writes a survey and still tries its best to pack an IPA, guessing the game's settings; such an IPA may not start.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder
Super Mario Bros. Wonder
IPA ~4 GB
Fire Emblem Engage
Fire Emblem Engage
IPA ~15 GB · 60 fps (30 on Switch) with update 2.0.0
Metroid Dread
Metroid Dread
IPA ~5 GB
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim
IPA ~5 GB
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury
IPA ~3 GB
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
IPA ~16 GB · 60 fps (30 on Switch) with update 1.9.0
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
IPA ~6 GB
Super Mario Odyssey
Super Mario Odyssey
IPA ~6 GB
Hades
Hades
IPA ~4 GB
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity
IPA ~15 GB · 60 fps (30 on Switch) with update 1.3.0
Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Fire Emblem: Three Houses
IPA ~13 GB · 60 fps (30 on Switch) with update 1.2.0
Super Mario Galaxy
Super Mario Galaxy
IPA ~3 GB
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
IPA ~17 GB · 60 fps (30 on Switch) with update 1.4.3
Monster Hunter Rise
Monster Hunter Rise
IPA ~22 GB · 60 fps (30 on Switch) with update 16.0.2
Ace Attorney Investigations Collection
Ace Attorney Investigations Collection
IPA ~7 GB
Hades II
Hades II
IPA ~4 GB
Unicorn Overlord
Unicorn Overlord
IPA ~4 GB
Rhythm Heaven Groove
Rhythm Heaven Groove
IPA ~3 GB
Octopath Traveler 0
Octopath Traveler 0
IPA ~4 GB · 60 fps (30 on Switch) with update 1.0.5
Pokémon Legends: Z-A
Pokémon Legends: Z-A
IPA ~6 GB
Cuphead
Cuphead
IPA ~5 GB
Super Mario Galaxy 2
Super Mario Galaxy 2
IPA ~3 GB
FINAL FANTASY TACTICS - The Ivalice Chronicles
FINAL FANTASY TACTICS - The Ivalice Chronicles
IPA ~11 GB
Absolum
Absolum
IPA ~2 GB
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker
IPA ~2 GB
Brain Memory Training Academy
Brain Memory Training Academy
IPA ~0.1 GB
The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles
The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles
IPA ~4 GB
STEINS;GATE RE:BOOT
STEINS;GATE RE:BOOT
IPA ~6 GB
Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain
Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain
IPA ~0.8 GB
Patrick's Parabox
Patrick's Parabox
IPA ~0.2 GB
Celeste
Celeste
IPA ~0.9 GB
DRAGON QUEST XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age – Definitive Edition
DRAGON QUEST XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age – Definitive Edition
IPA ~15 GB · 60 fps (30 on Switch) with update 1.0.4
Monster Train 2
Monster Train 2
IPA ~1.6 GB · 60 fps (30 on Switch) with update 1.1.1
Raging Loop
Raging Loop
IPA ~0.9 GB
DARK SOULS: REMASTERED
DARK SOULS: REMASTERED
IPA ~4 GB · 60 fps (30 on Switch) with update 1.0.3
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
IPA ~5 GB · 60 fps (30 on Switch) with update 1.0.1
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Hollow Knight: Silksong
IPA ~6.4 GB
Catherine: Full Body
Catherine: Full Body
IPA ~14 GB
Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth: Complete Edition
Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth: Complete Edition
IPA ~5 GB
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
IPA ~10.5 GB with update 3.0.3
DRAGON QUEST VII Reimagined
DRAGON QUEST VII Reimagined
IPA ~5.9 GB with update 1.2.0
FINAL FANTASY RESONANCE
FINAL FANTASY RESONANCE
IPA ~10 GB · 60 fps (30 on Switch) with update 1.0.1
Luigi's Mansion 3
Luigi's Mansion 3
IPA ~7.5 GB · 60 fps (30 on Switch) with update 1.4.0
AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES
AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES
IPA ~8.3 GB
ANIMAL WELL
ANIMAL WELL
IPA ~54 MB · update 1.0.10
AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES - nirvanA Initiative
AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES - nirvanA Initiative
IPA ~11.6 GB · update 1.0.2
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
IPA ~11.9 GB · update 4.0.0 · Mii heads not drawn (no firmware)
Balatro
Balatro
IPA ~82 MB · update 1.1.3 · played by touch
ROMANCE OF THE THREE KINGDOMS 8 REMAKE
ROMANCE OF THE THREE KINGDOMS 8 REMAKE
IPA ~16.8 GB · update 1.1.3 · controller only
Taiko Risshiden V DX
Taiko Risshiden V DX
IPA ~3.3 GB · update 1.1.1 · Japanese · played by touch
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
IPA ~17.5 GB · update 13.0.5 · offline
Bayonetta 3
Bayonetta 3
IPA ~14.2 GB · update 1.2.0
Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp
Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp
IPA ~7.1 GB

Pack an IPA

1. Get nxnative and its tools (once, on a Mac with Xcode and Homebrew):

git clone https://github.com/seedds/nxnative.git && cd nxnative
brew install xcodegen zstd spirv-cross glslang
brew install --cask dotnet-sdk
python3 -m pip install lz4 capstone fonttools "backports.zstd; python_version < '3.14'"

2. Put one game's NSPs in a folder: the base game (an NSP, or an XCI cartridge dump), plus its update and DLC if you have them:

~/Games/MarioWonder/
  Super Mario Bros. Wonder [010015100B514000][v0].nsp
  Super Mario Bros. Wonder [010015100B514800][v327680].nsp

Any version works, with or without an update: the script packs the newest version in the folder. DLC is optional too: the DLC in the folder is packed, and without it the game sees none, as on a Switch without it. Each game was tested on one version (an update named in the table above is the one its 60 fps needs). With another version the script builds the game with that version's own shaders and says that the version was not tested; fixes made for the tested version's code, such as the 60 fps ones, don't apply to it.

3. Run the script:

python3 scripts/build_ipa_from_nsp.py ~/Games/MarioWonder -k ~/keys/prod.keys

The IPA appears in the same folder (here ~/Games/MarioWonder/SMBWMobile.ipa). The first build takes 30–60 minutes, later ones about 10. You need free disk space of about twice the NSPs' size plus 10 GB. Options such as -o (output path) and --app-name are listed by -h.

4. Install the IPA with your sideloading tool (AltStore, Sideloadly, LiveContainer, …). The app gets the game's name, icon and version (the update's version, for example 1.2.1 for Mario Wonder; the base game's when there is no update). Sign it with the Increased Memory Limit capability (com.apple.developer.kernel.increased-memory-limit) if your tool can: without it iOS gives the app about 3.4 GB and closes the bigger games (Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity and Hades II use more, Breath of the Wild and Cuphead come close); with it a recent iPhone gives about 6 GB.

With an Apple developer account you can instead build and install from Xcode: --prepare-xcode makes an Xcode project for the game rather than an IPA (Build and run on a device with Xcode).

Play

Settings. A screen before the game starts offers what the game supports: frame rate, render scale, docked or handheld mode, game language, the frame-rate counter and Apple's performance HUD. Tap Play to start; the app remembers your choices.

Touch controls. Tap 2D / 3D at the top to switch layouts; the app remembers your choice. Wonder, Engage, Dread, 13 Sentinels, Link's Awakening, Ace Attorney Investigations Collection, Unicorn Overlord, Rhythm Heaven Groove, Octopath Traveler 0, Pokémon Legends: Z-A, Cuphead, Absolum, Brain Memory Training Academy, The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles, STEINS;GATE RE:BOOT, Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain, Patrick's Parabox, Celeste and Raging Loop start in 2D, the other games in 3D (STEINS;GATE RE:BOOT's quick save is R3, in the 3D layout). In 3D, the right stick (the camera in most games) is not drawn: swipe on the right third of the screen, starting anywhere off the buttons. In Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2, other touches outside the controls move the pointer; in Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker they touch the game's screen (touch blocks, stun enemies), and in Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain too (its menus and activities). A connected game controller hides the touch controls and keeps every button.

Rumble. Game vibration uses the iPhone's haptic engine or a compatible connected controller. Controllers with separate left/right haptic outputs keep those effects separate. The launcher's Game rumble and Rumble strength settings control it independently of Touch feedback. Phone rumble approximates the Switch's effects; physical feel and controller compatibility still need device testing.

Shaking. Shake the iPhone to shake the controller, in games that read its motion: Super Mario Odyssey's motion moves (such as the cap throw on a shake) need it, and Odyssey only takes them in its default docked mode. A light bump does not count; a sharp flick of the phone does.

  • Game language is English by default. Pick another when packing with --language (-l), by code or by name: -l ja, -l zh-Hans, -l French (LANGUAGE in Spyder). It must be one the game has; the script prints the game's languages and stops on one it lacks. To change it without rebuilding, pick another on the settings screen.
  • Saves and logs are in the Files app, under the app's name: save/ and log.txt. When something goes wrong, send log.txt (the previous run is log.prev.txt).
  • Short stutters the first time a new scene appears are normal: the app compiles graphics for it once and remembers them for the next launch.
  • Reinstalling: some sideloading tools give a reinstalled app a new data folder. Copy save/ and pso_user.tsv over from the old one to keep your progress.
  • Settings in a file: lines like DM_OPMODE=0 (handheld mode: lower resolution, higher frame rate) in Documents/env.txt win over the settings screen, which then shows them greyed out. DM_FPS_TARGET=30 keeps Breath of the Wild, Tears of the Kingdom and Octopath Traveler 0 at their original 30 fps, which saves battery; DM_PRESENT_INTERVAL=game does the same for Monster Train 2. DM_SHOW_FPS=1 shows the frame rate at the top left (--show-fps when packing turns it on from the start). DM_LAUNCHER=0 skips the settings screen.

Known issues

  • No amiibo and no online features.
  • Fire Emblem Engage: after switching away from the app and back, some sounds may stay silent until you restart it.
  • Fire Emblem: Three Houses: small square patches on the ground where decals land.
  • Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2: effects drawn as points or lines come out one pixel wide.

For developers

How it works, the script's options, running games on the Mac, adding a game, and per-game notes: docs/development.md. In-depth bring-up and debugging notes: docs/agents.

License

MIT (see LICENSE). Third-party code keeps its own license; see dm/third_party.