When it comes to emulation, the Nintendo Switch has a notorious reputation as one of the hardest platforms to emulate. And no, it’s not just the technical challenges; Nintendo’s lawyers play a part too.
Over the past few years, several prominent Switch emulators have come and gone because of pressure from Nintendo. Yuzu, one of the most well-known Switch emulators, famously shut down after its developers settled a lawsuit with Nintendo. Ryujinx, another popular emulator, was reportedly discontinued after facing pressure from Nintendo as well.
Although those two popular Switch emulators have been shut down, Switch emulators are not entirely extinct. One that remains in active development is the Eden emulator. It appeared on the Google Play Store a few months ago but has since been removed. Despite this, the developers continue to work on it.
In fact, they recently released a significant update — Eden v0.0.4 — focused on boosting performance when running Switch games on its emulator across multiple platforms, including Android, macOS, and Windows (via Android Authority). Since it’s no longer on the Play Store, the only way to grab it for now is via the official GitHub page.
- Developer
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Utopia LLC
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No
What the latest Eden Emulator update includes
Performance improvements and specific enhancements for the Android app
On its GitHub page, the Eden developers detailed all the changes they made in the v0.0.4 update, but as I alluded to earlier, the most significant overarching change is performance — games should run smoother and with fewer issues. “This release contains many low-level and build system improvements, alongside game fixes and expanded platform support for macOS and Android/x86_64,” Eden explained.
Some of the standout improvements include faster shader compilation, better performance through “low-level optimizations,” and, according to the dev team, a complete rework of GPU accuracy levels. Eden now offers three graphics presets: Performance boosts speed but may introduce more graphical glitches; Accurate minimizes visual issues at the cost of performance; and Balanced strikes a middle ground between the two.
There are also game-specific improvements. Players should see fewer graphical glitches in Pokémon titles like Scarlet, Violet, and Legends: Z-A, along with fixes for issues in Metroid Prime 4, Lego Horizon, and Burnout.
One of the most notable new features in this update is an experimental overlay menu that makes the emulator feel more like a real Switch. When enabled in the settings, holding down the home button — just like on an actual Switch — opens a menu for quickly changing system settings.
the Eden download is just the emulator itself — you’ll need to supply your own Switch BIOS and Switch games for it to actually work.
For Android specifically, the update brings several handy improvements: a redesigned setup screen that’s easier to use, a much smaller APK file size, and the removal of unnecessary settings, like Frame Interpolation, which Eden says are no longer needed thanks to “further improvements to our Vulkan backend.”
Eden is available on Android, macOS, Windows, and Linux. On Android, there are multiple versions of the app, but the dev team recommends the Android Standard build for the best experience. Linux users have several options too, including versions for the Steam Deck and ROG Ally X. Windows versions are available for both x86 and ARM, and macOS has a version as well. However, the devs caution that its macOS build is still experimental and likely to have issues.
Overall, after all the ups and downs Switch emulators have faced in recent years, it’s refreshing to see a project like Eden gaining momentum and rolling out a major update across multiple platforms. I really appreciate how focused this update is on performance, as that’s always my biggest issue with emulators. Hopefully, it’s a sign of even better things to come from this project as development continues. If you want to give Eden a try on your device, you can check it out on GitHub. As always, the Eden download is just the emulator itself — you’ll need to supply your own Switch BIOS and Switch games for it to actually work.
