The Xbox Series X can now run Nintendo Switch games, thanks to an experimental version of the Eden emulator. Early footage shows games like Super Mario Odyssey, Super Mario Bros. Wonder and Metroid Prime Beyond running on Microsoft’s console. The project uses Xbox Developer Mode to run software that is not available through the regular Xbox store. It is an interesting development for emulation fans, although there is still a long way to go before Xbox becomes a reliable way to play Nintendo Switch games.
The project is interesting because the Xbox Series X was never designed to run games made for Nintendo’s hardware. Developers have found a way around that limitation by adapting existing emulation software to work on Xbox. Instead of requiring a separate gaming PC, this approach could let users experiment with Switch games on a console they already own.
Xbox Developer Mode makes this possible. Microsoft provides this mode to let developers test applications on Xbox consoles outside the regular retail environment. It can run compatible Universal Windows Platform (UWP) applications, which gives developers a way to experiment with software that would not normally be available through the Xbox store.
The emulator is based on Eden, a community-developed Nintendo Switch emulator. A separate Xbox-focused version of Eden is also available as an open-source project, with development work covering graphics rendering, performance and controller support. However, the exact build used in the initial demonstrations is not fully documented, so its performance should not be confused with results published by other versions of the project.
The Xbox version of Eden has reported promising results with some games. According to its published compatibility information, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe can reach 60 FPS during races on Xbox Series X after shader compilation. Super Mario Bros. Wonder reportedly runs at around 55 to 60 FPS, while The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild runs at around 20 FPS in open-world areas. The developers have also reported memory-related problems with The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. These figures show that performance can vary significantly between games, and they do not guarantee the same results across different builds.
Getting a game to launch is only part of the challenge. An emulator also needs to handle graphics, audio, game logic and other hardware functions correctly. Some games may have visual glitches or crashes, while others may run too slowly to offer a good experience. The available demonstrations do not show how stable the setup is across longer gaming sessions.
There are also a few requirements for anyone interested in trying it. The emulator does not run as a standard Xbox game, so users need to enable Developer Mode and install the application separately. They must also provide their own game files and other required system data. The project does not distribute Nintendo games, firmware or encryption keys.
This experiment follows other attempts to run games from rival platforms on Xbox hardware, including early PlayStation 5 emulation. These projects are separate, but they highlight how developers are exploring the capabilities of modern consoles beyond their official game libraries.
Emulation also comes with legal considerations. Running an emulator is not automatically illegal, but the way users obtain game copies, firmware and encryption keys can affect the legality of their setup. Nintendo and Microsoft have not officially endorsed this project.
