In 2026, three Nintendo Switch emulators are tied for the top spot on PC: Eden, Ryubing and Citron Neo. All three are free, open-source, and have taken over since the closure of Yuzu and Ryujinx.
Eden is the default choice for most players (active development, broad compatibility). Ryubing, a fork of Ryujinx, is preferred for its stability and accuracy. Citron Neo serves as a fallback solution when a game doesn't run properly elsewhere.
Why Yuzu and Ryujinx Have they closed?
Yuzu closed the March 4, 2024, following a legal settlement with Nintendo. On the agenda: 2.4 million dollars damages, the destruction of the source code, and the transfer of the domain name yuzu-emu.org.
Ryujinx followed the October 1, 2024. Nintendo contacted the lead author directly, gdkchan, which then dissolved the organization GitHub and all associated files.
Since then, these two emulators have not received any updates or bug fixes. It is this gap that has paved the way for new forks such as Eden.
Good to know: Emulation is still legal in France. What isn't legal is downloading games (ROMs) that you don't own. You must only use games and system files extracted from your own Nintendo Switch.
Before you can run a game on a PC, you need to gather three files:
- the encryption key file (prod.keys), which you can retrieve from your console; ;
- the firmware file for the Nintendo Switch, which also comes from your own console; ;
- The game files (ROM) that you legally own.
Once these files have been downloaded, installing an emulator such as Eden It only takes a few minutes on a PC. Download the app from its official website, launch it, and then specify the folder where your games are located in the settings.
Eden, the new go-to Switch emulator
It runs on Windows, Linux and Android. The support macOS has been around since its latest versions, but it remains experimental (Expect a few graphical glitches.) Always download the latest version from the official website from the project, never from a third-party mirror.
In terms of performance, Eden is located at the level of Yuzu at the end of its life and remains generally stable in a wide variety of games. Whether you want to relaunch Super Mario, Zelda or more recent releases—it runs smoothly once your firmware and keys are set up. Eden also manages the DLCs : Just install the DLC file in the same folder as your game, then add it through the emulator's settings.
Configuring a joystick can also be done through the settings, with automatic detection for most common models. You can also take advantage of certain Free Games on Switch in the same way, provided you've extracted them legally from your console.
The code for’Eden was never hosted on GitHub: from the start, the team chose to use a self-hosted server to avoid DMCA takedown notices. In February 2026, Nintendo has launched a wave of removals targeting 13 Switch forks on GitHub (Citron, Ryubing, Kenji-NX, Sudachi, Suyu and others), with no direct effect on Eden.
Ryubing, the best for stability
Unlike Eden which focuses on speed and innovation, Ryubing prioritizes stability : fewer crashes, smooth graphics, and consistent performance. This is the best choice if you play demanding games or want to avoid any surprises.
Since February 2026, Ryubing is officially in maintenance mode: development is limited to bug fixes and compatibility updates, with no major new features. In practice, it remains the’one of the most reliable Switch emulators for PC. It runs on Windows, Linux, and macOS. Unlike Eden, there is no official Android version.
Citron Neo, the backup option when a game won't run elsewhere
The Project publishes regularly of the builds nightly, which allows for quick fixes when a game causes problems.
The installation follows the same logic as’Eden : Download the latest version from the official repository and add your firmware and keys to the folder specified in the settings.
The other side of the coin: the community support is considered more irregular than that of’Eden. Citron Neo It therefore remains a stopgap solution, best reserved for games that cause problems on PC rather than for everyday use.
And Suyu, Sudachi, Kenji-NX ?
These three names often come up in searches for Nintendo Switch emulation. Be careful not to confuse them with Citra, which in turn emulates the Nintendo 3DS. Their status varies greatly from one project to another:
- Suyu : abandoned. Development officially ended in February 2025. Best avoided.
- Sudachi : abandoned. Development has been on hold since August 2025, as the developer has shifted his focus to another project. Not recommended for regular use.
- Kenji-NX : retained. It is a fork of Ryujinx, which picks up the story where Ryujinx had come to a stop, with the same architecture in C#. Its latest stable version was released on’October 2025. It's a good secondary option for systems with limited resources.
- Citron (original): discontinued in February 2026. Following internal drama and DMCA takedown notices from Nintendo, the lead developer shut down the project. Citron Neo (mentioned above) is now taking over.
In practice, it all depends on the game and the configuration from your PC. Eden is the best starting point For most players, Ryubing is the way to go if stability is your top priority and Citron Neo is still useful for troubleshooting.
No matter what you choose, keep your emulator up to date: it's the best way to enjoy the latest fixes graphics and performance. And if you're looking for other ways to use your Switch, you should know that you can also watch Movies on Switch.
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English
O meu PC roda melhor no YUZU porque é de entrada (Kit Xeon X79). A vantagem do YUZU é possível configurar cada jogo, o Ryujinx parece que ainda não tem essa opção. Assim também a firmware porque o Ryujinx necessita instalar para poder rodar, sem a firmware o Ryujinx não consegue rodar os jogos, ao contrário do YUZU que funciona sem firmware (não obrigatório). O Ryujinx roda melhor em PCs mais potentes e de maior performance. O YUZU roda melhor em PCs de entrada (um pouco mais antigos).