"To begin with, are emulators illegal or not," Nishiura asks. "This is a point often debated. While you can't immediately claim that an emulator is illegal in itself, it can becom

However, when you play the same game on your own PC or phone, using an emulator that Nintendo doesn’t own, would it still be legal? The Sony v. Connectix case created a precedent that makes emulation of video game consoles is legal, including copying its copyrighted BIOS.

Nintendo is famously litigious when it comes to emulators. In March 2024, developers of Nintendo Switch emulator Yuzu were ordered to pay $2.4 million in damages after a court settlement with Nintendo.

An attorney for Nintendo has discussed the company's stance on emulation and what it considers to be illegal, according to Japanese law. Koji Nishiura, patent attorney and deputy general manager of Nintendo's intellectual property department,