Smash Bros. Ultimate runs natively on PC, no emulator
By Tgames · · 2 min read
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate becomes a native Windows program, built from your own Switch copy, with online play and support for eight controllers.
WindowSmash, a recompilation
The WindowSmash project, opened on October 18, 2026 in the OpenSmash-Ultimate organisation under the GPL-3.0 licence, has more than 400 stars. It builds on the ssbu-recomp repository, started on October 12. The idea: instead of emulating the Switch while you play, it translates the game's code once into C, then compiles it into a Windows program on your PC. Rendering goes through Direct3D 11.
What it brings
What you need
Still experimental
The menus and the full roster have been checked, matches much less so. Complete games between two PCs have not been fully validated, and the project promises no guaranteed performance. The first versions are only distributed as source code: a package published by mistake with code derived from the game was withdrawn.
The repository contains no game files and has no ties to Nintendo. But Nintendo remains very active against this kind of project, as we reported about Switch emulation and GitHub. For the GameCube Smash, see the Melee decompilation.
Sources: WindowSmash (GitHub) · ssbu-recomp (GitHub) · DSOGaming
WindowSmash, a recompilation
The WindowSmash project, opened on October 18, 2026 in the OpenSmash-Ultimate organisation under the GPL-3.0 licence, has more than 400 stars. It builds on the ssbu-recomp repository, started on October 12. The idea: instead of emulating the Switch while you play, it translates the game's code once into C, then compiles it into a Windows program on your PC. Rendering goes through Direct3D 11.
What it brings
- Up to eight controllers (Xbox, PlayStation, Switch Pro…) and the keyboard;
- the option of online play through "Local Wireless" mode, relayed over the Internet, with no router setup; the game's Online mode is being tested on a server run by the project;
- your DLC fighters, up to Kazuya and Sora;
- experimental Linux and Mac (Apple silicon) versions.
What you need
- Your own game, dumped from your Switch, at version 13.0.5 (the last update), with your console's keys and firmware.
- Windows 10 or 11, a processor with AVX2, a DirectX 11 graphics card, 16 GB of memory recommended and about 60 GB free.
- Time: building the game takes from 30 minutes to a few hours. An installer takes care of the tools.
Still experimental
The menus and the full roster have been checked, matches much less so. Complete games between two PCs have not been fully validated, and the project promises no guaranteed performance. The first versions are only distributed as source code: a package published by mistake with code derived from the game was withdrawn.
The repository contains no game files and has no ties to Nintendo. But Nintendo remains very active against this kind of project, as we reported about Switch emulation and GitHub. For the GameCube Smash, see the Melee decompilation.
Sources: WindowSmash (GitHub) · ssbu-recomp (GitHub) · DSOGaming
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