It has finally been documented – someone has managed to launch and run Grand Theft Auto 5 on the Nintendo Switch, even if it is kind of unplayable. Recently, a tech YouTuber by the name of Geekerwan uploaded a video showcasing a hacked Nintendo Switch running both an Android and a Linux operating system – and the results were pretty incredible.
It looked like a Nintendo Switch – because it was – but it didn’t behave like one. With the Android operating system, it became a typical tablet. But when Linux was installed, it became a micro gaming PC, effectively mutating the Switch into a Steam Deck. It was then that Geekerwan got inventive, running games like Titanfall 2, Devil May Cry 5, God of War, and Grand Theft Auto 5.
But Does It Run?
On the Nintendo Switch hardware, it was a constant struggle. On God of War, Geekerwan was able to produce crisp graphics but there were sound bugs and the game ran at around 12 FPS. On Titanfall 2, the game was mostly playable, and in some scenes, the Nintendo Switch was able to pull up to 35 FPS – that’s more than Tears of the Kingdom.
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It really had a tough time with Grand Theft Auto 5, though. It was set up to run in a 720p resolution on ‘Low’ settings, but it effectively failed to make it past double digits in terms of the frame rate. It plummeted as low as 3 or 4 FPS at some points – but it did run!
Recently, during the Microsoft x Activision acquisition, it was revealed that developers believed it would be ‘easy’ to port Call of Duty games like Modern Warfare II and Warzone over to the Nintendo Switch. It’s by no means an official solution here, but it does seem a little tough to not scoff at that concept, given how some of these games run on the hacked Nintendo Switch, especially considering the size and scope of games like Warzone.
Related – A Red Dead Redemption Remaster Could be Revealed in August.
Will you be messing around with your Nintendo Switch anytime soon?
Thanks to TwistedVoxel for bringing this content to light!
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