I’m thinking it would be awesome if Nintendo released an official emulator for their older handhelds and consoles that could be played on smartphones. Imagine if it tied into the Nintendo Switch Online subscription like it does on the Switch, plus having cloud saves would be a big bonus. I rarely carry my Switch around, but I almost always have my phone on me, so having an official Nintendo emulator app for mobile devices would make revisiting classic games way easier and more convenient for me.
5 Answers
Nintendo probably wants to keep folks buying their actual hardware instead of offering older games on phones. They tend to focus on selling consoles first, so an official mobile emulator might not fit their current business model.
I get that, but couldn’t an emulator app be a clever way to reel in new players? They could release a free app with a couple classic games to try out, then unlock the full library through a Nintendo Switch Online subscription. That way, Nintendo gets recurring subscription revenue, and people who only casually play retro titles on their phones might get interested enough to eventually buy a Switch. It could be a great gateway into their ecosystem.
From a business point of view, I see the concern: what does Nintendo gain from making their classic games that easily available on smartphones? However, I do think it could expand their audience and increase subscriptions to Nintendo Switch Online. Plus, it might make older gamers nostalgic and more willing to invest in a Switch if they get a taste of Nintendo’s library on their phone first.
I use my Switch mostly docked at home, so I don’t really carry it around to use handheld. That’s why having the games accessible on my phone sounds appealing, just for the convenience. It might not be Nintendo’s main target audience, but for those like me who don’t use the Switch as a portable device that much, a mobile app makes a lot of sense.
Honestly, I think an official emulator app with cloud saves tied to Switch Online would be convenient and could make classic games accessible to a wider audience. It might not be Nintendo’s top priority now, but it seems like a win-win — easy access for fans and new revenue through subscriptions.
