Tico on Switch is a Game-Changer
A great, new, native switch emulation frontend is way to go!!
SWITCH
Tico for the modded Switch is here and I am a big fan. Tico is the first ever custom emulation frontend build specifically for Switch in C++. Its primary focus is simplicity and performance and it is surely achieving it. I am mostly focusing on PS Vita Homebrew but as soon as I've seen this I knew it is gonna be great and I was right. It is GREAT !!!
Why is it so great? It is great because the installation and the whole setup process is very easy and the rewards are HUGE. It allows us to enjoy Gamecube and Wii on the Switch !!! These games were playable on Switch even before but only in Android or Linux, this method plays them directly in Horizon OS and you are ready to play in about 10 minutes time. And that's a solid achievement in my opinion. What is more, many games are already running at full speed and they are absolutely enjoyable, in spite of it being a brand new application that is under active development.
The interface is very clean and understandable. You gonna know what to do even if you've never touched a emulator frontend before. Yes, it is a frontend and it also offers you other systems to play - Sega Saturn, Dreamcast, PSP, PS1, N64, SNES... Every system works pretty much the same way. All you need is to download the core inside the settings, under updates and put the roms inside the folder. For some systems like Saturn, DC, PS1 you also need Bios but you don't need it for Wii, GC, PSP, N64. Every system supports saves/loads - you just press plus and minus at the same time and the menu pops up. For every game you can also download a nice cover
Tico has 3 main screens when you launch it - Home, Game Select, Achievements. Home is a home screen where you can add games from various systems and you can launch it straight away without the need to go to the desired system. You create a icon and click on it. In Game Select you can browse all the systems with every single game listed. In achievements you can connect to your RetroAchievements account and track your progress, earn achievements and sync your profile.
Now back to GC and Wii games. In my latest video I have tested about 20 of them and many were running around the full speed - Mario Kart Double Dash, LoZ Twillight Princess, Super Mario Sunshine, Army Men, Burnout 2, Lugi's Mansion, NFS UG2, Resident Evil 4, Prince of Persia Warrior Within, Star Fox Adventures and more. That is a very decent collection already plus I didn't have to change any settings, I have just put the roms inside the folders and launch them. Almost plug & play :)
If you have modded switch I would absolutely recommend you to try it out because it feels amazing to be able to play it in native switch HOS. On top of that the developer just shared a news that he is working on ARMSX2 that is most likely gonna be incorporated into the Tico once it is ready. PS2 on the Switch sounds like an exciting times are ahead of us :) Can't wait for this
Tico has recently also became open source. That means everyone is able to look into its code and contribute. This is a HUGE step because now not just the developer can modify and improve it but anybody with the knowledge can do it.
In the end I would like to give a shout out to the developer. Your work is greatly appreciated brother. KEEP IT UP 🙏🤘🔥
If you wanna install Tico your switch needs to be running a custom firmware. Then go to the official Github release page and download the latest build. Right now it is 0.7.1 but I am sure new updates are just around the corner. Unzip it, put .nro in switch folder and tico folder on the root of you SD card and that's it. Ideally you wanna use sd card reader or hekate's sd mount otherwise it takes a long while. Then you just launch Tico, enable Dolphin in settings, download the core, put roms inside the folders and you are ready to play some Wii and Gamecube on your Switch !!!
My video with gameplay footage and a proper Tico showcase, give it a watch if you are intrigued !!
Have a wonderful day Comrade and Companero
Reframe your inbox
Subscribe to our newsletter and never miss a story.
We care about your data in our privacy policy.