Hadlee Simons / Android Authority
- Various Android console emulators have been removed from the Play Store or shut down completely.
- Some of these moves have been attributed to Nintendo’s crackdown or Google’s recent developer policy changes.
Earlier this month, Nintendo dealt a blow to popular Nintendo Switch emulator Yuzu, which was shut down and the team behind it was forced to pay over $2 million in damages. Now, other emulators on Android appear to be shutting down or being removed from the Play Store.
First, the developer behind the popular Pizza Boy emulator for Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance has announced that he will be removing these emulators from the Play Store. Developer Davide Berra didn’t directly attribute the decision to Nintendo’s crackdown.
Bella announced the news last week on the Pizza Boy Discord channel:
After seven years of incredible app development and adventures, I’ve made the difficult decision to permanently remove them from the Play Store. My family comes first, therefore, I choose to prioritize my family over the development of my app.
Berra also confirmed that the ongoing development of the Pizza Boy DS emulator, which was designed to emulate Nintendo DS games, has been terminated as a result. We’ve asked the developers if the existing Pizza Boy emulator is still available elsewhere, or if development has been stopped entirely. We also asked whether Nintendo’s actions contributed to this decision. We will update the article if/when we receive a response.
Nintendo emulator for Android suffers more setbacks
Still hoping for a new Nintendo Switch emulator on Android? Well, one of the main developers of the upcoming Strato emulator has decided to abandon the project and console emulation in general. The developer, who goes by the username Lynx, didn’t specifically cite Nintendo’s recent crackdown as a reason for quitting, but suggested their exit was due to a variety of factors.
Strato was considered a follow-up to the Skyline emulator, which was (surprisingly) discontinued following legal threats from Nintendo. However, Lynx noted that the Strato project is not over.
This isn’t the only Nintendo console emulator to take a hit, with the developers behind the long-running Drastic emulator confirming they are removing the emulator from the Play Store and open-sourcing it. The developer notes that this has been in the works for some time, but Nintendo’s crackdown “adds even more urgency to the process.”
These aren’t the only recent incidents in the Android emulator world, two other emulators have also experienced issues. The developers of the popular DuckStation emulator, which emulates PlayStation One games, have reportedly said they are “no longer using Android.” The developers put the blame on Google, demanding that the developers reveal their legal names.
Meanwhile, the AetherSX2 emulator, used to emulate PS2 games, has been removed from the Play Store, according to developer messages on Discord. Fortunately, the team is now encouraging users to download NetherSX2, which is actually a fork of AetherSX2. This isn’t surprising, though, as the original AetherSX2 developers halted development over a year ago, citing death threats. The emulator later reappeared on the Play Store with ads. So this new development also doesn’t appear to be related to the gaming/tech giant’s actions.
Either way, between Nintendo’s crackdown and Google’s policy on developers using real names, it’s clear that the Android emulator ecosystem is in some disarray right now. But there is some positive news on the horizon, with the Cassia emulator for running PC games on Android expected to launch in the second half of 2024.