Nintendo

Nintendo Switch Built-In NES Emulator Found by Modders

If you’ve been tapping your foot waiting for Nintendo to get a move on Virtual Console for the Switch, this news will excite you. Modders have found a NES emulator in the Switch’s firmware, codenamed “flog.”

The NES emulator was found by Homebrew modders on SwitchBrew and spotted by SourceGaming today. The wiki notes there doesn’t seem to be any software that actually launches the internal emulator, but that could change with a future update.

Although interesting, the NES emulator is not new. According to the version notes, the emulator was included with the system software update that was released with the launch of the Switch. So this isn’t exactly evidence Nintendo plans on releasing a Virtual Console super soon. Sigh.

Little information is known about the emulator beyond its name, but Nintendo has indicated NES titles will be coming with the Switch’s paid online service, which kicks off in 2018. Known included titles are Super Mario Bros. 3, Balloon Fight, and Dr. Mario, with more classic game announcements coming in the future.

The implication of this emulator could be fewer downloads taking up space on the Switch’s limited storage. With a plethora of retro and indie eShop-exclusive titles, your Switch’s memory could fill up fast. And if this emulator is utilized for a large library of classic games, it could save you from forking over money for extra storage.

Perhaps Nintendo will roll out other emulators to cover other retro games when its online service becomes available at the beginning of next year. We’ll keep you updated on the latest.

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Mischa McGill

Mischa grew up with video games and still has a deep love for many - especially fun, colorful RPGs. Some of her favorites include Pokémon, Animal Crossing, Pikmin, Fantasy Life, Kingdom Hearts, Skyrim, Civilization V, and Stardew Valley. She loves nights in with her boyfriend cooking Mexican food, watching Studio Ghibli movies, and going head-to-head in their favorite games. Mischa might not beat you in Super Smash Bros, but she owns a replica of Arwen’s sword and Hermione’s wand, so... don’t rub it in too much.