LineageOS Android Port For Nintendo Switch Arrives With NVIDIA GeForce Now Support
The Nintendo Switch is an excellent game console, one that is uniquely flexible for playing games on your big screen TV or in portable form. If you happen to own one of the earlier models, it is also hackable. Now thanks to Switchroot, a group for open source development on the Switch, the nifty console can be modded with an Android port, which in turn opens the door for GeForce NOW support.
This is a very specific hack, though. NVIDIA's Tegra X1 system-on-chip (SoC) powers the Switch, a previous version of which contained a hardware vulnerability. While technically a potential security vulnerability, the flaw can be exploited to install emulators and unauthorized software. The caveat is that these 'vulnerable' Switch consoles were typically sold before July of last year.
This particular hack is also a "bit of a finicky thing," XDA Developers states in the above video. Part of what makes it finicky is that it requires installing an image to an SD card that matches its size (and of course this process wipes any data that was previously stored on the card).
There are also some things that do not work correctly after the mod, such as auto rotation, proper handling of Joy-Con inputs in some apps, and deep sleep, to name a few. Battery life is also reported as being "not great." But, it is possible to install LineageOS on older Switch models.
Why wait for console ports? 😏 pic.twitter.com/efNeCJ0EAj
— switchroot (@switchroot_org) June 16, 2019
Once installed, users have access to a wide catalog of Android games, similar to owning an NVIDIA Shield (which is also powered by a Tegra X1). Users can also stream PC games through the Switch once it's been modded, including through GeForce NOW. In essence, this opens the Switch up to a whole new world of gaming.
If you want to give this a go (and the usual disclaimer applies—proceed at your own risk), follow the instructions outlined here. Just be sure to grab the correct image that is matched to the size of your SD card, be it 16GB, 32GB, 64GB, or 128GB.
Thumbnail/Top Image Source: Switchroot (via Twitter)
