nxnative frequently asked questions
Short answers about devices, keys, build time, sideloading and what this site is.
Is nxnative an emulator?
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No. According to the project, the game's own code runs directly on the Apple chip while Switch graphics are rebuilt on Metal. nxnative rewrites the game's code modules and provides a host that stands in for the Switch system services.
Which iPhones and iPads can run it?
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The project requires iOS or iPadOS 26 or later on an iPhone 15 Pro or newer (A17 Pro chip or later), or an iPad with an M1 chip or later. The games' textures are BC-compressed, and older iPhones cannot read that format.
What do I need to build an IPA?
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A Mac with macOS 26.6 or later, Xcode 27.1 (from Apple's download page, not the App Store), Homebrew and an arm64 Python 3.12 or newer, plus your own game files (.nsp, .xci, .nsz or .xcz) and your own prod.keys. See the build guide.
Does this website provide games, keys or IPA files?
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No. This site hosts none of them and will not link to them. You bring your own game files and keys from your own console.
How long does the first build take, and how much disk space do I need?
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The project says the first build takes 30 to 60 minutes and needs free space of about twice the game's size plus 10 GB. Building again is much faster.
How do I install the IPA?
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Use a sideloading tool such as AltStore, Sideloadly or LiveContainer. If the tool offers Increased Memory Limit, turn it on because bigger games need it. See the sideloading guide.
The game is too big to install. What now?
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Build again with --romfs separate and run the command the script prints to copy the game files to your phone.
Can I play on a Mac?
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Yes. Add --platform mac-app to the build command and you get a Mac app to open from Finder. Read the Mac guide.
Is this site the official nxnative website?
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No. NX Native is an unofficial community guide site. The official project lives at github.com/seedds/nxnative.
What license is nxnative under?
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The project is MIT licensed. Third-party code keeps its own license, as listed in the repository.
Why not the newest Xcode from the App Store?
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The shaders are built with Xcode 27.1's Metal compiler, and a build with another compiler stops. Install 27.1 from Apple's download page, rename it Xcode-27.1.app and select it with sudo xcode-select -s /Applications/Xcode-27.1.app.