Eden

Overview

Eden is a free, open-source emulator for the Nintendo Switch. An emulator is a program that imitates a console, so that your computer or phone can run that console's games. Eden is derived from yuzu, an earlier Switch emulator, and runs on Windows, Linux (including the Steam Deck), macOS and Android.

It is made for people who want to play the Switch games they own on a computer or a recent phone. Eden is demanding: it needs a mid-range computer or phone at least, and results change a lot from one game and one device to another.

Eden does not come with any game, key or firmware. You must bring your own, dumped from your own console and your own games. Setting everything up the first time takes about half an hour.

Key words explained

• Dump: to copy a file from your own console or game onto your computer. Games, keys and firmware are all dumped from your own Switch.

• Keys (prod.keys): a small file that holds the secret codes your console uses to unlock the encrypted files of games. Without it, Eden cannot read any game.

• Firmware: the console's own operating system. Some games need parts of it, so Eden asks you to install the firmware dumped from your Switch.

• NSP and XCI: the two usual file formats for Switch games. NSP comes from the digital shop, XCI from a game cartridge.

• Update and DLC: an update is a patch that fixes or improves a game. DLC is extra paid content. Both are separate files that you install on top of the game.

• Vulkan: a way for a program to talk to your graphics card (the part of the computer that draws the image). Eden uses it by default.

• Shader: a small program run by your graphics card to draw part of the image. Eden must translate the console's shaders for your card, which takes a moment the first time each one appears. This causes short freezes called shader stutter.

• Shader cache: a saved copy of the shaders already translated, so that the freezes fade over time.

• Nightly: a version of Eden built almost every day, with the newest changes. Stable is the carefully tested version.

• Portable mode: Eden keeps all its files in its own folder instead of your user folder, so you can move it or keep it on a USB drive.

• Controller mapping: telling Eden which button of your controller does which button of the Switch.

System requirements

These are the figures published on the official requirements page. Minimum means it starts and some games run. Recommended means a smoother experience.

• Desktop processor: minimum Intel Core i5-4430 or AMD Ryzen 3 1200. Recommended Intel Core i5-11400 or AMD Ryzen 5 3600. The processor should support a feature called FMA, which most recent ones do.

• Laptop processor: minimum Intel Core i5-8265U or AMD Ryzen 3 2300U. Recommended Intel Core i5-13420H or AMD Ryzen 7 5700U.

• Graphics card on Windows: minimum NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 4 GB or AMD Radeon RX 550 4 GB. Recommended NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 6 GB or AMD Radeon RX 5500 8 GB. Integrated graphics: minimum Intel UHD 620 or AMD Radeon Vega 3, recommended Intel Iris Xe or AMD Radeon 680M.

• Graphics card on Linux: minimum NVIDIA GeForce GT 1030 4 GB or AMD Radeon R7 240 4 GB.

• The graphics card must support Vulkan 1.1 or OpenGL 4.6, with up-to-date drivers.

• Memory: minimum 8 GB on a desktop (12 GB on a laptop), recommended 16 GB.

• Android: minimum 8 GB of memory and a chip like the Snapdragon 865, Tensor G1, Exynos 2200 or Dimensity 8200. Recommended 12 GB and a chip like the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, Tensor G4, Exynos 2400 or Dimensity 8400.

How to check your own computer: on Windows, press the Windows key, type dxdiag and press Enter. The System tab shows your processor and memory, the Display tab your graphics card. On an Android phone, look in Settings > About phone for the chip and memory.

What you need

• The Eden program, from the official site (see Installation).

• Your keys (prod.keys), dumped from your own Switch. Why: games are encrypted, and Eden needs the keys of a real console to read them.

• Your firmware, dumped from your own Switch. Why: some games need it to start, and it must be recent enough for the game.

• Your games, dumped from your own cartridges or your own digital purchases, as NSP or XCI files, with their updates and DLC if you own them.

• On Windows, the latest Microsoft C++ Redistributable (see Installation).

• A controller, which is much more comfortable than a keyboard or the touch screen.

• An internet connection to download Eden.

Eden does not provide a guide to dump keys, firmware or games, and neither does this page. They must come from your own console and your own games.

Installation

Always download Eden from the official download page. It offers two channels. Stable is updated less often but is better tested, and is the right choice to begin with. Nightly is updated almost every day and may contain unfinished features or bugs, but it can include fixes for specific games.

1. Windows: install the latest Microsoft C++ Redistributable first. Eden does not start without it. Download the ZIP file, extract it into a folder of your choice, and run Eden.exe. If Windows SmartScreen blocks it, click More info, then Run anyway.

2. Windows portable mode: before the first launch, create an empty folder named user next to Eden.exe. Eden then keeps all its data there.

3. Linux: download the AppImage file, make it executable (right-click > Properties > Permissions, or chmod +x in a terminal), then double-click it.

4. Steam Deck: switch to Desktop Mode, download the AppImage, and double-click it. Confirm the prompt the first time.

5. macOS: open the DMG and drag Eden into Applications. macOS support is experimental. If macOS blocks the first launch because the app is not signed by Apple, open System Settings > Privacy & Security, scroll to Security and click Open Anyway, twice, then enter your password.

6. Android: download the APK from the same page and install it. Android asks once to allow installs from your browser. Several APK variants exist; the standard one is the right choice unless you know you need another.

How to know it worked: the Eden main window opens, with a message about missing keys. That is normal at this point.

First setup

These steps are for a computer. On Android, the app guides you through similar screens.

1. Click OK on the message about missing decryption keys.

2. Go to Tools > Install Decryption Keys and select the prod.keys file dumped from your Switch. You can choose only one file.

3. Go to Tools > Install Firmware. Choose From Folder if your firmware is an unpacked folder, or From ZIP if it is a ZIP file, then select it. Wait for the success message.

4. Double-click the empty area of the main window to add the folder that holds your games. Eden scans it and shows each game.

5. Go to Emulation > Configure > Input and set up your controller (see Controls), then click OK.

6. Double-click a game to start it.

How to know it worked: the games appear with their icon in the main window, and a game starts. If the keys or firmware are refused, see Common problems.

Adding your games, updates and DLC

A game file alone is the base game. Updates and DLC are installed separately.

1. In the main window, go to File > Install Files to NAND.

2. Select one or more update or DLC files.

3. Eden checks them and shows a confirmation window. Untick anything you do not want and click Install.

4. When the success message appears, look at the Add-Ons column of the main window to see the new content.

Files that already include their update or DLC (merged files) need no extra step. To switch an update or DLC off, right-click the game, choose Configure Game, untick it and click OK. See the official guide to updates and DLC.

Controls

Most controllers work without any change. If yours does not, test it first in a joystick test tool, to rule out a faulty controller.

1. Go to Emulation > Configure > Controls (also called Input).

2. Pick the player and the controller type. Pro Controller is the simplest choice. Handheld imitates the console held in hand.

3. Pick your device, then click each Switch button and press the matching button on your controller to map it.

4. To keep several layouts, click New, give the profile a name and press OK. You can later assign a profile to one game: right-click the game, choose Properties, open the Input Profiles tab and choose the profile.

5. Click OK to save.

Hotkeys are keyboard shortcuts for actions such as fullscreen or screenshots. They are listed in the General part of the settings, where you can change them or remove one with a right-click.

On Steam Deck in Desktop Mode, an external controller should be ignored and Steam Virtual Gamepad 0 assigned to Player 1, as described in the controller guide.

Settings and performance

The official advice is to test a game with the default settings first and to change only one option at a time, and only if a game has a problem. The most useful options are these.

• Graphics backend (API): Vulkan is the default and the best choice on recent graphics cards. OpenGL is an older alternative. If Vulkan fails to start, try the other one.

• Persistent shader cache: saves translated shaders to disk so that stutter fades after the first sessions. Keep it on, except when testing the graphics backend.

• Vulkan pipeline cache: a second cache that reduces loading work for the graphics card. The official guide recommends turning it on.

• Resolution: how sharp the image is, compared with the console's. 1x is the console's resolution, higher values are sharper but need a stronger graphics card. Lower it if the game is slow.

• Anti-aliasing: smooths jagged edges. FXAA is fast, SMAA is a bit better. Off by default.

• Window adapting (scaling) filter: how the image is stretched to your screen. Bilinear is the console's default and fast. FSR gives a sharper result when upscaling but costs more. SGSR is designed for Qualcomm Adreno graphics chips only.

• Anisotropic filtering: makes textures look sharper at an angle. Leave it on Default or Automatic; turning it off can break some games.

• CPU options such as Unsafe FMA or Faster ASIMD trade accuracy for speed. Avoid them unless you have a specific need, as the gain varies by game and they can cause bugs.

See the official settings guide and graphics guide for the full list. On Android, expect to lower the resolution and keep the phone cool on long sessions, as phones slow down when they heat.

Saves

Eden saves games as the console does: the game writes its own save data when you save in the game. Unlike some emulators, there is no save state feature to rely on here; use the game's own save menu.

To find and back up your saves on a computer, right-click a game in the main window and choose Open Save Directory, then copy that folder. See the storage guide. Eden's own data folder is %AppData%\eden on Windows, the usual user data folders on Linux and macOS, and the app's internal storage on Android. In portable mode it is the user folder.

Mods and cheats

A mod changes a game, for example its frame rate. A cheat is a code that changes a value, such as lives. Right-click a game and choose Open Mod Directory to add either. For a simple cheat, create a text file whose name starts with cheat_ in that folder. The mods guide and the storage guide give the details.

Updating Eden

Download the new version from the official download page and replace the old program files. Your settings, keys, firmware and saves stay in Eden's data folder (or in your user folder in portable mode), so they are kept. Back up your saves before a big change. On Android, install the new APK over the old one.

Common problems

• Eden does not start on Windows, or closes at once: the Microsoft C++ Redistributable is missing. Install the latest one, restart the computer and try again. See the troubleshooting guide.

• Message about missing keys: the keys are not installed or the wrong file was chosen. Use Tools > Install Decryption Keys with the prod.keys file from your own console.

• A game does not start or asks for a newer firmware: the firmware is missing or too old. Dump it again from your own updated console and reinstall it with Tools > Install Firmware.

• Vulkan initialization error: update your graphics drivers, disconnect a second monitor, or switch the graphics backend between Vulkan and OpenGL in the settings.

• Freezes in the first minutes of a game: shaders are being translated. Keep the shader cache on; it gets better with time.

• A game runs slowly: lower the resolution, close other programs, check that your computer meets the requirements, and try the latest Stable or Nightly version.

• A mod says it only works on an emulator: in the settings, enable the RNG seed and set it to 0.

• Crash before a game loads, with web services in the log: try enabling Airplane Mode in the system settings.

• Updates or DLC do not appear: install them again with File > Install Files to NAND and check the Add-Ons column.

Going further

• Eden website

• Eden download page

• System requirements

• Quick start guide

• The Basics (release types, folders)

• Official user handbook

• Source code and releases

• Eden does not keep its own compatibility list; its handbook points to the EmuReady website.

• Another Switch emulator: Ryujinx.