Switch family
The Switch, Switch Lite and Switch 2 run AArch64 code. Games ship as NSO files inside encrypted NCA containers. Before any analysis, you need a decrypted dump and the right Ghidra loader. The Switch 2 adds Game-Key Cards and a display that runs up to 120 Hz with VRR.
The devices
| Device | Years | CPU and clock | Media and format | Ghidra support | Emulator with a debugger |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nintendo Switch | 3 March 2017 | 4 Cortex-A57 at 1.02 GHz | NSO in encrypted NCA; NRO homebrew | Ghidra-Switch-Loader | Ryubing, Eden, Citron |
| Nintendo Switch Lite | 20 September 2019 | Tegra X1+ (16 nm) | As the Switch | As the Switch | As the Switch |
| Nintendo Switch 2 | 5 June 2025 | Nvidia T239: 8 Cortex-A78C at 998 MHz docked, 1,101 MHz handheld | Game cards, eShop downloads, Game-Key Cards | AARCH64 built in | None named |
Nintendo Switch
Hardware
The Switch has 4 Cortex-A57 cores at 1.02 GHz. Games ship as NSO files inside encrypted NCA containers. Homebrew uses NRO (Nintendo Switch; switchbrew NSO).
Tools
Ghidra-Switch-Loader loads Switch executables. Ghidra's AARCH64 language covers v8.5-A, "missing some 8.5 vector" (AARCH64.ldefs).
Projects to learn from
A Breath of the Wild v1.5.0 decompilation is in progress (GitHub: botw).
Keys and the yuzu settlement
Switch NCA contents are encrypted. Emulators need prod.keys, title keys and firmware dumped from the user's own console (not confirmed) (switchbrew: NCA).
On 4 March 2024 Tropic Haze, yuzu's developer, settled with Nintendo for $2.4 million. A Rhode Island federal court entered a permanent injunction against offering yuzu or software that circumvents Nintendo's protections. The yuzu domain went to Nintendo (Android Authority; Nintendo World Report). Citra was taken down at the same time (Wikipedia: Citra). The 2024 to 2026 cases ended in settlements. No court ruling on console emulators is known from that period. The user decides how to obtain and use their own keys and dumps.
Emulator status
Repositories can disappear, so pin an exact emulator build and keep a local copy.
On the Switch, yuzu development stopped in March 2024. Ryubing, a Ryujinx fork at ryujinx.app, moved to maintenance in February 2026. Eden and Citron are described as the active forks. Suyu was an early fork. In February 2026, takedown notices reportedly targeted at least 13 Switch projects, including Citron, Eden and Ryubing. These Switch facts come from secondary 2026 coverage (tech-insider: Eden vs Ryubing; tech-insider).
Nintendo Switch Lite
Hardware
The Switch Lite came out on 20 September 2019 on the 16 nm Tegra X1+. It has a 5.5-inch 720p display and built-in controllers. A d-pad replaces four buttons. It plays games that support handheld mode (Wikipedia: Nintendo Switch Lite).
Tools
Its games are Switch games, so the Switch tools apply unchanged (Ghidra-Switch-Loader; switchbrew NSO).
Nintendo Switch 2
Hardware
The Switch 2 came out on 5 June 2025 in most regions. Its Nvidia T239 SoC has eight ARM Cortex-A78C cores at 998 MHz docked and 1,101 MHz handheld. It has 12 GB of LPDDR5X on a 128-bit bus and 256 GB of UFS 3.1 storage. Only microSD Express cards can load games. The 7.9-inch 1080p display runs up to 120 Hz with HDR10 and VRR.
Games come on game cards, as eShop downloads and as Game-Key Cards. A Game-Key Card holds only a licence and must stay inserted while the game is downloaded and played. The Switch 2 runs most Switch games through a mix of software and hardware emulation. The Joy-Con 2 can work as a mouse (Wikipedia: Nintendo Switch 2).
Tools
The code is AArch64, which Ghidra's AARCH64 module and Unicorn's ARM64 support cover. Its security and homebrew status are not confirmed. No Switch 2 emulator is known.
For an exact reimplementation
With VRR and up to 120 Hz, a Switch 2 game sets its own frame rate within what the display allows. Record that rate in each test. The Game-Key Card and the Joy-Con 2 mouse are outside inputs (Handheld practices).