The Switch is certainly a versatile little system with a host of engines having added support for the ‘homeheld’ since launch nearly two years ago. In addition to all the official tweak-ery, unofficial platforms have also been seen running on the console ‘in the wild’ – we’ve seen photos of Linux running in a rudimentary form, and hackers are always poking away at Switch’s vulnerable spots.
Now it seems that the hacking community may have made another breakthrough. Twitter user @natinusala shared a photo last night of a Switch displaying a familiar logo:
The photo alone is hardly proof, but a gitlab.com link in a following tweet points towards the work that supposedly gets Android up and running on Nintendo's console (in a very unoffical capacity, we hasten to add). Of course, simply having the OS boot doesn’t necessarily mean it’s in a fit state, but it’s interesting to see, nonetheless. Reports around the launch of the console suggested that Nintendo was originally interested in a modified Android operating system for their console before taking a custom route.
Android support in an official capacity would open avenues to all sorts of games on the console - Nintendo’s growing mobile catalogue included - so these unofficial steps are intriguing. Before the console’s launch, you can imagine Nintendo being very eager to get as much software as possible on the platform, but with Switch recently celebrating 1800 games on the eShop, Android support probably isn’t top of Nintendo’s to-do list.
Intrigued? What OS would you like to see running on Switch, off the record, on the QT, and very hush-hush? It's Windows 98, isn't it - love that Solitare. Let us know in the comments!
[source nintendosoup.com, via venturebeat.com]
Comments 36
Maybe he's just using the YouTube app.
But...why though?
@mikegamer "Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should."
if so put windows 10 on it then you can play minecraft cross platform with a switch
@mikegamer why not?
Sounds like something that's not very useful or worth the trouble.
Doesn't need to run Android, just app compatibility.
I bought a 10" Amazon Fire tablet despite its horrible limited Android offshoot OS only bc it's easy to load the Google Play store. I haven't come across an app yet ha hasn't worked on it.
I am aware Fire is runni g Android, Switch isn't, I'm just saying I'll take an app store, they can keep the OS.
Just think of all the Nintendo games we could play on Switch if it had Google Play -
Mario Jump
Dragalia Lost
Fire Emblem
Mario Kart Tour
Animal Crossing Boot Camp
I'd take those 5 over probably 1,700 of the1,800 games currently on the Switch.
To quote a character in a satirical Russian poem, "Awesome! And, uh... what's the point?"
@mikegamer So you can use games and apps on a bigger screen than your phone while on the go, just tether it. That and opens the doors for homebrew and a whole bunch of other awesome stuff.
off the record, on the QT, and very hush-hush
You can't sneak that L.A. Confidential line past me, Gavin
If I wanted to play mobile games that badly, I'll just use my phone.
Now can we get a port of all the nintendo mobile games to switch?
Extremely suspect. So many Android tablets out there that could resemble the Switch in that position. Isn't the Switch OS a special version of Android created by Nintendo?
@progx except it's not really, the switch's CPU is already supported/compatible with android, and it's not much of a stretch that if someone wanted to, they could get android to boot like they did with linux (remember, android is basically a whole bunch of stuff on top of linux). And the Horizon (the switch's OS) isn't very similar to android at all.
A Switch that could dual boot to Android and open up access to tonnns of useful apps would make the Swith even sweeter than it already is.
I'm kinda glad everybody else in the comment section shares my opinion - "But why would we even want that?"
The phone games had in mind that everybody owns at least one Android or iOS device or a device that can run either of them. So why would you need it on another device?
Also, who would want to play phone games on a big display anyway? I never understood those Android based consoles, considering 95% of the games on the marketplace are complete garbage.
Performance would have been shocking using Android. The BSD based kernel is vastly more efficient. I don't believe Nintendo ever considered Android and if they did it would have been for no more than 30 seconds
Why on earth would you want Android on it?
@Monado_III I understand you could run it. The angle of the picture is suspect since we can't see the entire unit. They could be holding a "no-name" brand of tablet that could resemble the Switch's screen. Or custom built one. Again, it came from view of the picture on Twitter.
Horizon utilizes several Android components within its OS. It is Android "based", not a full version of it, that isn't hard to understand. The Switch's kernel is FreeBSD, which makes it essentially as Unix based machine. There are parts of Android in the Switch OS.
well at least it would be far easier to run emulators on it if android was sideloaded onto it but i still don't see the point as there are other devices that can do the same thing even better rather than risk your switch getting console banned, not worth it in the long run.
I understand there is no real point to do this but sometimes it's just to do it i once spent most of a day trying to resurrect a phone stuck in a bootloop it was an ancient phone running Android 2.1 no use to anyone really but it was fun and i managed to get it running Android 5 via cyanogenmod still ran like crap but it worked
I feel the motivation behind this is similar to the reason why someone made Windows 95 run on a smartwatch. There's zero use for it, but they did it to see if it's possible.
android would be fine i guess, but why would we put Windows 98 on the switch. is someone trying to bring jezz ball back into style...lol or better yet, radio station screen savers...lol
just imagine your Nintendo switch (your secondary Nintendo switch )playing music in standby mode during a party...
i think our Nintendo switch systems earned a short break due to the upcoming Nintendo direct.
Benfit: I’d like Dragalia Lost on Switch.
Downside: I’d rather Nintendo made a switch version of Dragalia Lost.
@mikegamer I hate to be that guy, but why not? It's just something fun to do.
Sometimes, Rumours aren't rumours. This article is a Dhalsim reach.
Can we scale back on the rumours, per chance? Please? Or can I hide them?
@Aozz101x Android "games" aren't that fun
Android is fine just for my phone imho. I don't miss it on switch.
Hold on, am I the only one who supports the idea of running Android - or just Google Play/Android app support - on Switch?
To all of you saying, "I don't get it," or, "but why though," and, "I can play Android games on my phone, what's the point?" - the biggest and most obvious reason - JOYCONS!!
There are tons of great Android games that are super fun to play but don't offer a great gaming experience because of the lack of a physical controller. The best example that first comes to mind is Deus Ex: The Fall which came out in between Human Revolution and Mankind Divided (and I'm just realizing it's not on the Play store anymore...I'm pretty sure I paid for that...). This was a full on Deus Ex game with graphics and mechanics like the console versions, and that was awesome. What wasn't awesome were the controls, especially if you were used to playing games like Human Revolution on PS3. Games like this on Switch would be fantastic! There are many other games like this that try to offer console-like experiences on your Android phone that would actually be able to offer the console experience if Android app support is extended to Switch. I think it would be seriously awesome. Plus, and this is the best part; if it's not for you, you don't have to use the feature.
Think about Steam Link for Switch! Access and play your PC games on Switch! And also, a feature I really wish the Switch had built-in, VLC/media player/a way to play local media content. Personally, I have a 256GB micro SD card in my Switch just begging for more content. Besides, who has the time or the battery life to actually play games on your smartphone? I have purchased games on the Play Store before, for sure, but they never stay there. Smartphone batteries just die too fast for it to be a practical gaming platform, in my opinion - and especially so considering the lack of physical controls.
Not a rumor. This is legit and was first posted on my thread over at GBATemp.
https://gbatemp.net/threads/android-os-on-switch-ultimate-discussion-thread.495027/page-13
For those of you that don't get why many of us want Android on Switch, just accept the fact that this isn't for you and simply move on. No need whining and fussing about it.
It just the Youtube app. Nothing special.
@retro_player_22 No. It's legit Android. I've been talking to the hacker that's working on this for the past week. Originally he was going to work on Android TV OS for the Switch but TV OS has a few issues so he settled with stock Android. I'm suggesting that he add the Leaback launcher as the default. That would at least create a compromise. We should see the final project within a month or two.
I’m not with it...at all. But that’s just me.
@Mince "Don’t buy a switch if most switch games don’t interest you."
Why can't I buy a Switch for the 100 games that do interest me, do I really need to like all 1,800 in order to buy 1? Do I really need to like "most" of the 1,800? Even Egggg The Platform Puker? That's 900 games. Do you own and like 900 games on your Switch? If you haven't purchased more than 900 games on your Switch than why did you buy it?
I see you've edited your comment, which is fine, I like the new version better anyway, but I had that in my head while reading your email so I had to get it out.
Oh boy! Now I can play fricking Clash of Clans on my switch!
It already runs a custom version of Android, this is why Nintendo has taken so long to get updates going as they continue to struggle with coding under such an alien code. Sure it looks better, but there is a reason why chat is missing and the eShop is still worse than OG Xbox, Wii or 3DS. They should have asked more people for help instead of hiding in their shell once Cyanogen developers told them no. Hopefully, they get the hang of it soon because the eShop is beyond a joke at this point. I shouldn't have to know what games I want before browsing.
Maybe this mod will open up Homebrew opportunities. Outside of that seems pointless with such a low powered device.
This Android application is going to the Nintendo Switch(eShop)?
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