SwitchRecomp runs Super Mario Odyssey as a native PC program
A Switch static recompiler is running Super Mario Odyssey on PC with no emulator. It's early, has bugs, and isn't released yet.
A tool called SwitchRecomp is running Super Mario Odyssey as a native PC program, with no emulator involved. Two posts on r/decomps from different accounts (MZLabs and BelmanteGu) describe it, and the sources don’t say whether it’s one team. This is an early experiment, not a release, but a current Switch game running natively on a PC is a big step.
The idea is simple. The tool translates the Switch game code into C once, then compiles it into a normal executable. The game’s NVN graphics calls get translated to Vulkan. The author says it’s the same idea as the N64 and PS1 recomp projects, just aimed at Switch.
The newer post says in-game videos work now. The Action Guide video in the menu used to show garbage and crash, and that’s fixed. There’s also some GPU-side performance work. The earlier build got through the menus and opening, and was playable in Cap Kingdom and inside the Top-Hat Tower. On a laptop with an RTX 3050 it ran around 58-59 fps in Cap Kingdom, dipping to about 53 in heavier spots. It doesn’t hold a locked 60 yet. Tears of the Kingdom only gets as far as the “Nintendo presents” screen.
Expect rough edges. Results change from PC to PC, mostly because of GPU drivers. The earlier build had no audio, and the newer post doesn’t mention it. The sea of clouds sometimes covers the screen, for example after pausing. Next, the author wants faster translated game code, then a first test on Android.
The pattern is familiar from the older console recomp projects, but a Switch title on PC is a bigger deal. Still, nothing is public to run yet, and the source code isn’t out.
How to try it today: you can’t, but you can get in line.
- Have your own legally dumped copy of the game. The author doesn’t share games, keys or firmware.
- Join the Discord and apply to be a playtester. Don’t join just for the source code. The server is for testers, discussion and updates.
- If you get in, send logs, especially from hardware the author hasn’t tested yet.
