As you probably know by now, Nintendo launched the Switch 2 earlier this month, and the long-awaited console sequel has been a massive success for the Japanese video game giant. But let’s turn our attention back to the original console; it’s still a great piece of hardware, after all. Well, apparently not good enough for Apple’s iOS, as one keen tech tinkerer found out.

PatRyk, who goes by the handle @Patrosi73 on X/Twitter, recently posted about getting iOS to run on the original Nintendo Switch console. They call it “the world’s slowest iPhone” and say it takes over 20 minutes to even boot up and crashes at pretty much every opportunity you give it.

Constant crashes after 2 days of work

The tech enthusiast claims that it took “2 days of my life to install this,” so you’d probably hope that the results are decent. Sadly not. It’s very much baby steps, and nowhere near the level of success you’ll get from doing the same thing with Android. In fact, people have been porting Android to the Switch for years, one good example being the Switchroot project. As for iOS, this sort of thing is much complex with Apple’s closed-source operating system.

20 minutes to get the thing up and running is further set back by “kernel panics every 2nd thing you do,” and the fact that you “can't open any apps (they all time out and crash)”.

Nevertheless, the fact that this is even possible is a feat in itself. Needless to say, it will require much more optimization to bring it to a serviceable level. This project is possible thanks to a version of QEMU (an open-source emulator) that emulates Apple Silicon devices – currently only the iPhone 11. This branch is created by ChefKissInc, and you can check out the GitHub page here.

Obviously, a Nintendo Switch has no business replacing your iPhone for day-to-day use, but it’s a neat project we’d be keen to learn more about if PatRyk can find the motivation to continue working on it. A valid use for your old Switch now that the Switch 2 is out? Probably not, but it’s a fun idea.

About the Author

Jack Goodall

At PC Guide, Jack is mostly responsible for reporting on hardware deals. He also specializes in monitors, TVs, and headsets and can be found putting his findings together in a review or best-of guide.