Update: 03/22/24.
Well, that was fast. A little over 24 hours since its release, the Suyu public beta has been pulled offline following a Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) takedown. DMCAs, for those who don’t know, are used to take down content that circumvents access to copyrighted works.
Speaking to Overkill.wtf, a GitLab rep said they “received a DMCA takedown notice from a representative of the rightsholder.” At the time of writing, the Suyu team says they’re yet to know who specifically sent the request. Check out the full DMCA notice below.
As mentioned in the original article below, this takedown doesn’t come as a surprise to most. Suyu didn’t fix the issues Nintendo took umbrage with when it came to Yuzu. By repurposing Yuzu’s open-source code and using the Prod Keys, Suyu is essentially just Yuzu with a new logo, problems and all.
Original article follows…
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Orignal article: 03/21/24.
At a glance:
- The first public beta for the Switch emulator Suyu is now live.
- Suyu is being touted as a replacement for Yuzu.
- Suyu is available for Windows, Linux, and Android devices.
The next evolution of Nintendo Switch emulation, Suyu, has launched its first public beta.
Following the forced closure of the popular Switch emulator Yuzu, Suyu – pronounced Sue You (get it?) – aims to continue the work started by Yuzu, with versions of the new emulator in works for Linux, Windows, and Android.
What’s different in Suyu? That’s a good question seeing as Suyu uses the same open-source code from Yuzu. From what I can tell, the only major difference is whereas Yuzu only required a copy of the Switch Prod Keys, Suyu instead requires both the Prod and Title Keys and the corresponding Switch Firmware files.
One thing I do need to note: Yuzu got shut down by Nintendo for several reasons, one of which was Nintendo’s claim that dumping the Prod Keys from a Switch console is a copyright infringement (the case was settled before a precedent could be set). By using the Prod Keys and the double whammy of the Title Keys and Firmware, Suyu doesn’t correct the leaks exploited in Yuzu’s ship. Of course, it wasn’t just the Prod Keys situation Nintendo went after. The Yuzu developers were also found to be sharing dumped copies of games between themselves (that’s piracy for those wondering) and were making money via a successful Patreon account.
It’s possible Suyu could fly under the radar if it avoids making money off of Nintendo’s work and doesn’t share dumped games, but the rule when it comes to emulation is always this: Everything is OK until it’s not. So maybe proceed with caution, yeah?
What’s new in the first beta? Check out the full list below, but the short version is this release basically rebrands Yuzu into Suyu. Don’t expect any major changes in terms of performance but, hopefully, this release should offer a solid alternative option for those looking to fill the void left by Yuzu.
- Full rebrand
- ICNS Icon generation
- Error handling
- Qlaunch initial integration(buggy/requires further testing; requires V17.0.0 firmware or newer)
- Gitlab ci for automated builds
- Require all keys to be user provided, along with firmware
- Improved Addons Manager
- Various crash fixes
- Initial work for MacOS support
- Fix for video playback AMD devices
- Enabled more features on AMD proprietary drivers
- Multiplayer API re-implemented
- Removed all telemetry
- New UI options/improvements
- QOL changes
If you do want to try out Suyu for yourself, you can grab the files for Linux, Windows, and Android from the main Suyu GitLab page. If you’re a Steam Deck user, our friends over at Overkill.wtf has a guide to get you up and running in no time.
The Fallout
The fallout from the removal of Yuzu at the behest of Nintendo has left many emulation enthusiasts without a way to play Switch games on more powerful consoles. Given the Steam Deck, ASUS ROG Ally, and even newer Android devices like the AYN Odin 2 can all play Switch games, the loss of Yuzu means the only alternative available is Ryujinx, which from my own testing doesn’t offer the same level of compatibility or performance found in Yuzu.
The knock-on of the closure also affected software like EmuDeck and EmulationStation – both of which removed Yuzu from its line-up. Hell, even I decided to remove several Switch guides following Yuzu’s collapse.
Given how poorly some Switch games run on the original hardware, it makes sense gamers would want to utilize stronger hardware to play their games in the best way possible. But, as with Yuzu, we won’t know when, if at all, Nintendo will decide to take action. Here’s hoping Suyu’s new take on Yuzu doesn’t run into the same problems that saw Yuzu’s overnight demise but, as I said earlier, it’s only OK until it’s not.
