Yuzu has just released the highly-anticipated 136 update, dubbed ‘Yuzu NCE’. This stands for ‘Native Code Execution’, and allows Switch code to run directly on your device’s CPU. This is thanks to the similar architecture between Switch and Android. Thanks to YouTube channel ‘forthenext‘ for the explanation!
What Does Yuzu NCE do and Why Should I Care?
This is particularly exciting for Nintendo Switch emulation fanatics, as not only does it introduce a bunch of performance improvements, but it could be the difference between being able to play a game, and not. In fact, take a look at that video above and you can see Super Mario Bros. Wonder and Ori and the Blind Forest running at a near-locked 60fps, while Skyrim is comfortable at 30.
There are some drops for sure, but it’s a very stable experience. The AYN Odin 2 does have powerful hardware, granted, but the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is in a ton of mobile handsets these days. We’ve also got the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 coming soon, with considerable improvements.
Could it Improve Moving Forward?
It’s worth remembering that this is very early days for the NCE update too. Just like with the regular version of Yuzu, you can expect a ton of performance improvements that should clean up any of the issues you spot during the launch phase. Couple that with more powerful hardware arriving over the next few years, and we’ll easily reach the point where Switch emulation actually surpasses the native experience.
If you’d like to check out Yuzu NCE, you can grab the official release from GitHub. Remember: Droid Gamers doesn’t take any responsibility for any issues that occur from using emulation. It’s unofficial software, and you will encounter issues. Use it at your own risk.
How to Enable Yuzu NCE on Android
You have to enable NCU for it to work. To do so, follow these steps:
- Launch Yuzu
- Tap ‘Advanced Settings’
- Hit ‘Debug’
- Then ‘CPU Backend’
- Finally, ‘NCE’
Enable that and you’re good to go.
