Robert Triggs / Android Authority
TL;DR
- N64 games emulated via Nintendo Switch Online on the Switch 2 will have significant upgrades.
- These include a new CRT filter, button remapping, and the ability to rewind.
- All of these have been available on standalone emulators for years.
The Nintendo Switch 2 is just one month away from hitting shelves, but the new hardware will have upgrades beyond expensive first-party games like Mario Kart World. The Nintendo 64 Classics app included as part of Nintendo Switch Online, which emulates a collection of N64 games, is getting some highly anticipated new features.
Those new features include a CRT filter for a more authentic retro look. For older games that were designed for CRT displays, this can make a huge impact in reducing perceived blurriness. The upgrade also adds button mapping for each individual game, partially offsetting the terrible control schemes the console is known for.
The other big new feature is rewind. It’s unclear how far back it can go, but it essentially allows you to turn back time and undo any mistakes made in the past few seconds. It works separately from save states, but it requires a lot of extra power. That’s likely why the feature is exclusive to the Nintendo Switch 2, which is a significant upgrade over the aging Switch 1 hardware.
Filters, button remapping, and rewind have been available on emulators for years.
There is an elephant in the room here, and that’s, well, every other N64 emulator on the market. These features and many others have all been standard on emulators like Mupen64 for over a decade. These emulators are also free, while the Nintendo 64 Classics app requires a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription, which will run you $50 a year. You will have to supply your own ROMs, of course.
Still, it’s good to see Nintendo support retro games on its latest hardware. The company hasn’t been friendly to third-party emulation development in the past, but at least it’s adopting some of the perks that come along with it.
