Yuzu Emulator Creator Settles Nintendo Lawsuit

It’s no secret that emulation has been rampant online for years. There are countless emulators available to help users enjoy video games on nonnative hardware. For some, this is welcomed as it further aims to preserve video games. At the same time, others have found emulation to be rather damaging. For instance, Nintendo had recently filed a lawsuit against the creator of Yuzu, an emulator made to allow users to play unofficial Nintendo Switch games.

Now again, looking back, some emulators are generally deemed fine by the community. These are for games that are far older and sometimes impossible to play on modern platforms. However, it can be tough to argue for an actively available emulator for a currently sold platform. The Nintendo Switch platform already has a few emulators, with Yuzu being one of the biggest. 

We reported recently how there was a lawsuit against the creator group behind the emulator from Nintendo. However, today, thanks to The Verge, we’re discovering that there has been a settlement. It looks like Yuzu is not looking to put up a fight on this emulator and will instead pay $2.4 million to Nintendo. 

Nintendo voiced how this emulator was used to play pirated Nintendo Switch games. If this did go to court, Yuzu creators, Tropic Haze, might have had to dig further into their pockets. Regardless, it was a quick turnaround for a settlement, as we had just seen the lawsuit go out. 

With that said, there is a bit more here than just ceasing the development and distribution of Yuzu. Outside of stopping the development of the emulator, there is also the forfeit of the Yuzu emulator main website domain, deletion of all tools to develop Yuzu, and giving up any hardware or modified Nintendo Switch units. 

Of course, with Yuzu readily available online, it might not be long before another group takes on the challenge to develop and improve the emulator further. Meanwhile, fans of Nintendo are still waiting on just when the next game console will be released. So far, reports suggest we could be looking into 2025 before the Switch successor makes its way out to the public. This means we’ll stick with Nintendo Switch hardware for the remainder of this calendar year.