Many developers love using the Nintendo Switch for experimenting with different operating systems, even ones not originally meant for the handheld. We’ve seen Windows 10 and Linux successfully run on the Switch before. Now, another skilled developer, PatRyk, has managed to get Windows 11 running on the Nintendo Switch, specifically the ARM version.
To achieve this, PatRyk used a virtual environment with KVM enabled, running on Linux QEMU, an open-source emulator. However, the process wasn’t straightforward. It took about three hours to complete the setup, and even after everything was up and running, Windows 11 operations still take around ten seconds each.
PatRyk graciously shared the project’s details with Windows Latest, explaining that they began by installing Fedora Linux on the Switch’s SD card using Switchroot.
![Windows 11 ARM](https://techpk.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Windows-11-ARM-1024x898.png)
Switchroot’s Fedora Linux implementation is necessary because it’s the only version that comes with KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) support already built into the kernel. This feature is crucial for improving the performance of virtual machines running on the Nintendo Switch.
— PATRYK (@PATROSI73) MAY 12, 2024
For those who might not know, the Nintendo Switch runs on a Tegra processor based on the Nvidia Tegra X1, which is quite old, dating back almost a decade. This aging hardware is why emulation can be painfully slow.
After getting Fedora set up, PatRyk turned to a Windows 11 ARM QEMU script from GitHub, but had to tweak it to make it compatible with the Switch’s hardware.
“To make it work, I first installed Fedora Linux on the Switch’s SD card using Switchroot, as it’s the only distribution that supports KVM out of the box,” explained PatRyk to Windows Latest. “Then, I adapted a Windows 11 ARM QEMU script from GitHub.”
Initially, the script didn’t allow installation on USB storage, but changing the controller to ‘virtio’ solved the problem.
For the virtual machine, PatRyk allocated 4 cores and 3GB of RAM, which is close to the maximum since the Switch only has 4GB of RAM available.
— PATRYK (@PATROSI73) MAY 12, 2024
Unfortunately, even with these adjustments, the aging Nintendo Switch struggled to smoothly emulate Windows. Demonstrated in both the above and below videos, Windows 11 runs sluggishly, taking over two minutes just to load the desktop.
The developer shared a six-minute video with Windows Latest showcasing the boot experience of Windows 11 on the Nintendo Switch.
Indeed, it’s quite slow. However, given the constraints of running Windows on an old Nintendo Switch through emulation on Linux, this sluggish performance is about the best one can hope for.
Running Windows and Linux on the Nintendo Switch is no walk in the park, and it’s certainly not something you could rely on for daily use. The developer encountered numerous challenges while attempting to showcase the project.
For instance, the virtio driver often caused issues with hard drive operations, further slowing down the process. At times, the system would crash altogether or trigger segmentation faults in QEMU, leading to delays that necessitated restarting the device.
PatRyk explained that their motivation for running Windows and Linux on the Nintendo Switch was more about fun and curiosity than practicality. This aligns with their previous project, where they successfully installed Windows 11 on an old Intel Pentium Dual Core E2180.
“I mostly did this out of sheer boredom and because I enjoy experimenting with running challenging operating systems on low-end hardware (like Windows 11 on an Intel Pentium Dual Core E2180 – yes, I actually did that),” PatRyk shared.
Microsoft needs to optimize the Windows 11 interface for handhelds
Developer PatRyk‘s project is another example of Windows 11’s versatility, but it also reminds us that Microsoft’s desktop OS is still not optimized for handheld devices.