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Don't tell Nintendo: There's a new Switch emulator on Android
- Citron is a new Nintendo Switch emulator available now in early access.
- It appears to be a Yuzu fork, with some new features and optimizations.
- The project claims to be for homebrew games only, but that’s unlikely to keep it safe from Nintendo’s lawyers.
Nintendo has been on a tear this year, shutting down Nintendo Switch emulators Yuzu and Ryujinx ahead of a presumed Nintendo Switch 2 launch. Now a new Yuzu fork called Citron has been spotted in the wild (via Overkill), but time will tell how long it remains safe.
Based on the open-source Yuzu code, it has a few minor updates and optimizations, but overall it’s very similar to its predecessor. Even the name and logo are clear references to the now-defunct Nintendo Switch emulator.
Despite the name, Citron attempts to distance itself from its origins.
In an attempt to protect the project from legal scrutiny, Citron developer Zephyron refers to the app as a “Nintendo Homebrew Emulator” rather than a Nintendo Switch emulator. When you first open the PC version, a popup claims it’s for Educational use only and shifts any legal responsibility to the user.
They also strictly prohibit the use of Citron for pirated or unauthorized copies of games. However, once you add your keys, you can load up any game you want.
Previous forks like Suyu and Sudachi have been targeted by Nintendo, resulting in Github removing their repositories earlier this year. It’s unclear whether these attempts at playing nice will help Citron escape the same fate.
Citron is available now in early access for Windows, Linux, and Android via the official Citron website.