This Hacker Is Working On Bringing Virtual Console To the Nintendo Switch

Some retro fans were crushed a few days ago when Nintendo confirmed it wouldn't bring the Virtual Console service to Nintendo Switch, instead opting to stream classic games through its forthcoming Nintendo Online service. But that isn't stopping some fans from taking initiative and seeking out another way to get their classic gaming fix on the system.

A Kotaku report indicates that a hacker by the name of Sam Breadman is hard at work on getting SNES games up and running on the console -- and he's making some extraordinary progress in doing so. The video above shows that he actually has some of the service running already, with the help of a PegaSwitch workaround, which you can read more about here.

This particular fix is neat because it doesn't require the system to be jailbroken -- it simply introduces a workaround in which the Virtual Console service can be installed via an SD card.

While speaking with Kotaku, Breadman explained, "I just wanted an authentic SNES Classic or NES Classic experience so I can take out my Switch, give a Joy-Con to a friend and play some games. Nintendo is rather tone-deaf in this situation. If they aren't going to provide a proper solution, I am. Or someone else will. That's why I love homebrew so much. Doing what Nintendo doesn't. I never understand their business decisions."

He did note some objection to Nintendo's current plan for games through the Online service. "People don't want to be tied to online subscriptions just to have their favorite classic game with them on this wondrous device," he said. "There is still a ton of uncertainty in the air and I just want something I know I have control over."

It's unknown if Nintendo will step in and try to stop the project, but for now Breadman is continuing to toy with it and see if he can get things up and running. "[My SNES Classic Clone] will evolve," he said. "And as the switch homebrew scene matures, so will my program."

We'll keep tabs on his progress and see what gets done over the next few months. But a SNES library at our fingertips? Hey, we love Switch games as much as the next gamer -- yet that sounds pretty awesome.