Nintendo looking to shut down Yuzu Switch emulator in new lawsuit

Nintendo has filed a lawsuit against popular Switch emulator Yuzu, looking to shut down the program in the process.

Over the last few decades, emulation has skyrocketed in popularity with fans of nearly all kinds of video game consoles.

There’s a questionable legal aspect to it, though, as many believe it directly promotes illegal piracy of games from new and old devices.

Nintendo seems to agree with that idea, as they’ve filed a lawsuit against popular Nintendo Switch emulator Yuzu and are looking for the company to cease all operations.

Nintendo files lawsuit against Switch emulator

The lawsuit was discovered by journalist Stephen Totilo on February 27, 2024, and he shared the news on his Twitter/X page.

In the lawsuit, Nintendo claims that Yuzu illegally circumvents Nintendo’s software encryption and helps promote piracy. To back up that claim, the filing notes that one million copies of Tears of the Kingdom were downloaded before release.

On top of that, it claims that Yuzu’s Patreon support doubled during that time which would mean they made more money during that launch.

Nintendo is looking for damages for Yuzu’s alleged violations and wants the emulator to shut down entirely.

Neither Yuzu nor Nintendo have commented publicly about the lawsuit or the claims behind it. However, we’ll be sure to update you as the case continues to evolve in the future.