Nintendo Switch Emulator Citron Emerges Amidst Controversy
Image: Damien McFerran / Nintendo Life
Recently, the emulator world buzzed with the news of Yuzu’s demise due to Nintendo’s crackdown. Following its shutdown, a new emulator emerged named Suyu, which met the same fate shortly after. Now, jumping into the scene after over eight months, Citron has made its appearance, thanks to Overkill.
Citron, the latest Yuzu fork, has made its way to early access on Android. As reported by AndroidAuthority.com, this Switch emulator retains the essence of its predecessor, with some minor upgrades and optimizations to set it slightly apart.
What distinguishes Citron is how its developer, Zephyron, is positioning the emulator. According to the creator, this is a “Nintendo Homebrew Emulator” meant for educational purposes and explicitly not a Nintendo Switch emulator… interesting, right? The site’s first visit pop-up emphasizes its educational nature and shifts the legal responsibility to the user.
Furthermore, Citron warns users against loading pirated or unauthorized games, although this warning seems futile in practice, akin to placing a ‘Do Not Enter’ sign on an unlocked door, given the lack of official barriers to uploading any keys. This mirrors Suyu’s position earlier in the year, and history suggests it may not bode well.
While there’s a sliver of hope that Citron might evade Nintendo’s enforcement, it’s improbable that these distinctions are adequate for the gaming giant to look away. Anything remotely linked to Yuzu is likely to trigger alarms at Nintendo’s headquarters.
Legal teams certainly have their hands full. Recently, a new emulator sprang to life from what was presumed to be dead Ryujinx source code, hinting that we may not have seen the last of such endeavors. Cut off one head, and two more may grow back, as the saying goes.
How long do you think it’ll be before Nintendo pounces on this one? Let us know in the comments.
[source overkill.wtf, via androidauthority.com]