Overview of the Remake Launch

Nintendo’s highly anticipated remake of Zelda: Ocarina of Time launched on the Switch 2 on November 5. However, the game quickly garnered attention for being run on unauthorized platforms, including a jailbroken PlayStation 5 and an iPhone.

PS5 Port Details

A noteworthy attempt to port the game to the PlayStation 5 came from a developer known as Vampinity, who shared results via the GitHub repository for EglantinePS5, which is a Switch emulator based on the Eden framework. Under firmware version 12.40, the port allows the game to load a save file, enabling Link to exit his house into Kokiri Forest at an estimated frame rate of 15 to 20 FPS.

However, users have reported significant limitations. Vampinity described the experience as “nowhere near playable,” noting that the game runs out of memory shortly after loading, leading to issues such as heavy fog and missing geometry in the forest. Claude, another developer, contributed by writing the necessary patches, while much of the shader work was adapted from various forks of Lichii, an emulator that successfully managed to launch the remake on PCs.

iPhone Emulator Insights

Simultaneously, developer Joe Jiang has demonstrated promising results with an iPhone port of the remake, showcasing Kokiri Forest on an iPhone 17 Pro Max. Jiang highlighted significant challenges associated with memory constraints; the game typically requires around 9 GB, while iPhone applications are limited to 8,192 MB. His innovative approach keeps the game quality intact, reportedly operating at just 3.4 GB when scenes are loaded.

Jiang has indicated that this method could potentially allow for the emulation of any Switch or Switch 2 title on multiple platforms, including iOS, iPadOS, Apple TV, and even Android and HarmonyOS. Although Jiang has not yet released this emulator, it is noteworthy that the iPhone is not entirely new to running Switch titles—Mario Kart World was operational shortly after the Switch 2 became jailbreak-compatible.

Conclusion

While neither of these emulation methods currently provides a practical means of playing Zelda: Ocarina of Time, the rapid development has raised concerns for Nintendo regarding the speed at which their remake has transcended platform boundaries. As these developers continue to refine their approaches, the potential for broader access to the remake awaits further clarification.