Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom runs natively on Mac, iPhone and iPad
By Tgames · · 2 min read
Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom runs on Mac, iPhone and iPad without an emulator: the game's code runs directly on Apple chips, at 90 fps on an M4 Mac.
Not an emulator
MacNativeGames, the project by Yong Li (ly05010419 on GitHub), was opened on 17 October 2026 and showcased on X on the 18th: “Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom on an M4 MacBook Air: instant loading and 90 fps”. The method differs from that of Ryujinx or Eden. The Switch and recent Macs both have a 64-bit ARM processor: the game's code runs directly on the Apple chip, rewritten only where the system requires it. A small “host” answers the Switch's system services, and the console's NVN rendering is rebuilt on Metal.
What is supported
Three days of updates
What you need
The repository (MIT license, more than 3,300 stars) contains no game assets: no program, no images, no sound, no keys. You need your own cartridge or your own file (XCI or NSP) and the keys dumped from your own Switch, which requires a hacked console (see our Atmosphère tutorial). The built app contains the game: the author reminds users that it is for your own use only and must not be shared. The README recommends getting help from an AI assistant to compile it.
Nintendo actively protects its Zelda games: as with Pokémon Let's Go recompiled for PC, a takedown of the repository is possible. On PC, the approach is reminiscent of suyu, which recompiles Switch games natively.
Sources: MacNativeGames (GitHub) · The author's announcement (X)
Not an emulator
MacNativeGames, the project by Yong Li (ly05010419 on GitHub), was opened on 17 October 2026 and showcased on X on the 18th: “Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom on an M4 MacBook Air: instant loading and 90 fps”. The method differs from that of Ryujinx or Eden. The Switch and recent Macs both have a 64-bit ARM processor: the game's code runs directly on the Apple chip, rewritten only where the system requires it. A small “host” answers the Switch's system services, and the console's NVN rendering is rebuilt on Metal.
What is supported
- Tears of the Kingdom 1.0.0, 1.2.1 and 1.4.3, on Apple silicon Macs, iPhone and iPad. Version 1.4.3 has been played on an iPhone 14 and on an iPad.
- On iPhone and iPad: iOS or iPadOS 26 and an iPhone 14 or newer. The script produces an unsigned IPA, and the touchscreen reproduces all the buttons and both sticks of a Switch controller.
- Breath of the Wild 1.6.0 arrived on 20 October, on Mac only and as an “early” version: title screen, saves, Great Plateau and DLC work.
Three days of updates
- A shader list shared by players, containing 45,980 variants: it holds only identifiers, no code, and removes compilation stutter.
- A first launch on iPhone in about 7 seconds, instead of four and a half minutes.
- On Mac: ultrawide display 21:9 (and 21:9 and 32:9 UIs), anti-aliasing MetalFX, frame generation, fps counter and native 1080p in docked mode for Breath of the Wild.
What you need
The repository (MIT license, more than 3,300 stars) contains no game assets: no program, no images, no sound, no keys. You need your own cartridge or your own file (XCI or NSP) and the keys dumped from your own Switch, which requires a hacked console (see our Atmosphère tutorial). The built app contains the game: the author reminds users that it is for your own use only and must not be shared. The README recommends getting help from an AI assistant to compile it.
Nintendo actively protects its Zelda games: as with Pokémon Let's Go recompiled for PC, a takedown of the repository is possible. On PC, the approach is reminiscent of suyu, which recompiles Switch games natively.
Sources: MacNativeGames (GitHub) · The author's announcement (X)
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