Fine for the Switch Yuzu emulator sends a shockwave across the emulation landscape

It turned out yesterday Tropic Haze, the maker of the Switch Yuzu emulator, must pay Nintendo $2.4 million. Additionally, the emulator must be offline, the source code may no longer be distributed, and makers may not create software in the future that can circumvent Nintendo's digital security. Tropic Haze also developed the 3DS Citra emulator, for which the same goes.

The agreement between Nintendo and Tropic Haze has a major impact on the emulator scene. Now the developer of the Nintendo DS Drastic emulator for Android has changed tack. On Discord (Heb the edge) announced that Drastic can now be downloaded completely free, after previously being on sale for $4.99. The creator maintains that he has “no financial incentive” and that he plans to take Drastic offline forever. He claims he was planning to do it anyway, but the fine imposed on Tropic Haze “made the process more urgent.”

There also seems to be panic in other simulation communities. The popular Discord server for Steam Deck has temporarily shut down its simulation-related channel because they “cannot address any potential legal ramifications surrounding Yuzu or the simulation at this time.” The Verge reports that the Discord server for Ryujinx, another Switch emulator, is no longer accepting new members.