Nintendo Switch Users Have Thousands of Free Wii and GameCube Games Now
Topics: Nintendo, Nintendo Switch, Retro Gaming, Mods
Featured Image Credit: Nintendo
Topics: Nintendo, Nintendo Switch, Retro Gaming, Mods
The Nintendo Wii and Nintendo GameCube are back in the year of our Lord 2026, and every game is playable on the Nintendo Switch/Nintendo Switch 2.
Over the years, the ever-growing Nintendo Switch family of consoles has been accumulating more games from Nintendo’s long history as a developer/publisher.
Its current library spans years of releases thanks to Nintendo Switch Online, and there are also plenty of re-releases like The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD and Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2.
There are many more yet to be officially ported to the Nintendo Switch though, but what many gamers might not know is all Nintendo Wii and Nintendo GameCube games can now be played on your modern console, for free too.
While PCs are the platform to emulate games, clever games are discovering it’s just as effective on other hardware.
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The Steam Deck is a good option and we’re only buying a Steam Machine to emulate games with, nothing else.
Even your Amazon Fire TV Stick has been noted as an excellent device for emulation, allowing you to play thousands and thousands of retro games on your TV without the need for a console or computer.
READ MORE: Classic Nintendo and PlayStation Games Are Playable On Your TV, No Console Required
The Nintendo Switch is just as good though, and with all the different wireless controllers available for it now, it’s arguably the best…
After a lot of work, the famed Dolphin emulator works on the Nintendo Switch and the latest update allows both Nintendo Wii and Nintendo GameCube games to be played on the system.
It’s not perfect mind you, and the update makes that clear, reading: “This is the most demanding core to run on Switch (Horizon) to date, so instability is expected — especially in this initial release. A compatibility list is being compiled to track how well games are running.”
So far games like Luigi’s Mansion, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess and Super Smash Bros. Melee have been tested for the GameCube side of the emulator, whereas titles like Rayman Origins and Rhythm Heaven Fever have been tested for the Wii.
Results have varied but nevertheless, the games are playable, and with time any faults will be ironed out.
What this means for the Nintendo Switch though is it’ll soon be the perfect emulation tool for you, so if you’re yet to upgrade to the Nintendo Switch 2, don’t throw your old console away!
It’s the more affordable option as while you don’t need a high-end PC if your goal is to emulate games, even the lower-end setups cost a pretty penny.
Don’t go all-in on Nintendo Switch emulation yet as there’s still plenty of work to be done but in time, it’ll be a great place to play the entirety of your Nintendo Wii and Nintendo GameCube collection, provided you can legally provide the ROMs, of course.