Nintendo Switch games can now run natively on Apple TV via TVport

An open-source project dubbed TVport has emerged on GitHub, allowing Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 games to run natively on Apple TV devices. By leveraging Claude Code, the developer has successfully recompiled game dumps to function within the tvOS ecosystem.

• Enables native gameplay rather than cloud-based streaming.
• Currently supports titles like Super Mario Odyssey and Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
• Ongoing development focuses on Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom optimization.
• Requires 4th-gen Apple TV for better memory management.

How the porting works The project is a fork of nxnative designed specifically to recompile game dumps for the Apple TV platform. Since textures and assets are loaded differently on Apple TV compared to the original console, the developer is focusing on game-by-game fixes to ensure proper diagnostic support during the beta phase.

Performance metrics Early benchmarks show promising results: Super Mario Odyssey runs at 60FPS with minimal stutters, while Animal Crossing runs flawlessly at 30FPS. For more demanding titles like Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, the developer is experimenting with 75% render scaling and MetalFX upscaling to mitigate thermal throttling on the device.

Compatibility and hardware While some games run on older hardware, the developer recommends the 4th-gen Apple TV, which features 8GB of RAM, to handle the increased memory demands of modern Switch titles. This ensures a smoother experience for more complex game environments.

Implications for the tech industry While these projects demonstrate the impressive potential of Apple TV hardware and the power of AI-assisted reverse engineering, they face significant legal hurdles regarding Nintendo's intellectual property. For developers, this serves as an interesting case study in cross-platform recompilation and the capabilities of modern media streaming devices.