Your old Nintendo Switch has not said his last word. A new unofficial method now makes it possible to launch almost the entire catalog Nintendo Wii And Nintendo GameCube on the hybrid console, free of charge on the software side. No need to Nintendo Switch 2 nor a Nintendo Switch Online subscription: in theory, thousands of retro games become accessible on a simple dock or in portable mode.
Behind the scenes, everything depends on Dolphinthe benchmark Wii and GameCube emulator, now experimentally integrated into the homebrew frontend Tico alpha 0.7.0. Published on April 20, 2026, this version adds for the first time a Dolphin core which runs directly under Horizon OSthe official Switch system, without using Android or Linux. Enough to transform the console into a very serious emulation machine, with a few drawbacks to be aware of.
Nintendo Switch: how thousands of Wii and GameCube games become free?
In its release notes published on GitHub, the Tico team clearly describes the situation: “This is the most demanding core to run on Switch (Horizon) to date, so instability is expected”. In exchange, the console can theoretically access almost all Wii and GameCube games. On PC, Dolphin already boasts a compatibility rate of over 85%, which represents several hundred titles per console. By adding them up, we are talking about thousands of potentially playable games.
Gamingbible already reports conclusive tests on GameCube classics like Luigi’s Mansion, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Or Super Smash Bros. Meleeas well as Wii games such as Rayman Origins And Rhythm Heaven Fever. Performance varies between titles, but these games are considered playable. Important however: when we talk about “free”, we are talking about the Tico software and the Dolphin emulator, not the games themselves, still protected by copyright, the download of which remains illegal.
What does this Wii and GameCube emulation really allow on Nintendo Switch on a daily basis?
Concretely, on a Nintendo Switch modified, Tico functions as a launcher that runs directly under Horizon OS. The user selects their Wii and GameCube game backups from the microSD card, then launches them with the Joy Con or the Pro controller. To keep the emulation fluid, the developers activate a “boost” mode which pushes the CPU and GPU well beyond the original frequencies, at the cost of significant heating, reduced autonomy and some inevitable crashes in this first alpha.
Nintendo Switch or Switch 2: who wins between secret method and official paid offer?
Officially, Nintendo is now reserving Nintendo GameCube games for Nintendo Switch 2via the Nintendo Classics collection included in the Nintendo Switch Online subscription with additional pack. Limited catalog, monthly payment and selection controlled by Nintendo are on the program.
The Tico plus Dolphin method is fascinating because it offers, free of charge on the software side, massive access to rarely re-released games, directly on the current Switch. However, it remains reserved for tinkerers ready to accept technical risks, legal uncertainties and a possible response from Nintendo, which has already blocked Dolphin on Steam via a DMCA request.