A modder and tech enthusiast has managed to get the Windows 11 operating system to run on the Nintendo Switch, with disastrous results.
Windows handhelds are pretty commonplace. Whether it’s the Asus ROG Ally, the Lenovo Legion Go, or the many Windows-powered Ayaneo devices in the wild, you don’t have to step too far to find a handheld powered by the latest Windows operating system.
What you won’t find is the Nintendo Switch running Windows 11, that is, until now. X/Twitter user PatRyk posted an image over the weekend displaying the OS running on the screen of a launch model Nintendo Switch.
“Scientists have discovered the world’s slowest PC, and it looks like this”, the modder posted alongside the image revealing the Windows operating system running on the Switch handheld.
— PatRyk (@Patrosi73) May 12, 2024
PatRyk didn’t state why they decided to run Windows 11 on the Nintendo Switch, a console that by default runs its own system software, also known by the codename ‘Horizon.’ However, according to the X/Twitter user, the process took a total of three hours to complete.
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Speaking to WindowsLatest, PatRyk stated they were able to run Windows 11 on the Switch by installing Fedora Linux, an open-source Linux-based operating system, through the handheld’s SD card. A Windows 11 ARM QEMU script was then used from GitHub, alongside the reallocation of 4 cores and 3 GB of RAM through the system to help the Switch manage.
This elaborate setup results in the Nintendo Switch struggling to emulate the Windows 11 experience. In a follow-up video to the original post, PatRyk displays that even small tasks like navigating through the start menu took at least 10 seconds to perform.
While this Windows 11 project didn’t have the most ideal results, that didn’t appear to slow PatRyk down. In a later post to their X/Twitter profile, the modder shared images revealing Steam running on the Nintendo Switch. However, its results too left much to be desired, with even PatRyk recommending to “just get a Steam Deck” in the post’s comments.
