In a rather bizarre twist of fate, Nintendo may have acquired the rights to the Ryujinx website from its original developers. Throughout 2024, Nintendo has been going after various Nintendo Switch emulators in an effort to stomp out piracy and emulation. While that seems like a futile effort in the long run, in the short term, it has made it increasingly difficult to emulate Switch games on PC. According to a search result from Whois, a database that lists the registration information for owners of websites, Nintendo seemingly outright purchased the domain for Ryujinx.
In an update from November 7, 2024, Nintendo of America Inc. is listed as the organization that owns ryujinx.org. There has been no official word from either Nintendo or the Ryujinx Team on the matter. The date listed could be when Nintendo officially acquired the domain, but it could also be when registrant information was updated.
Why did Nintendo buy Ryujinx?
The likely reason for Nintendo buying the domain is so that no one else can acquire it to rehost downloads of Ryujinx.
Even with this preventative measure, there are still Github repositories available that host Ryujinx. It’s not impossible to find if you dig deep enough, though Nintendo is obviously being proactive in attempting to get it removed permanently. With the news that the Switch successor will play all current Switch titles, Nintendo’s insistence on shutting down emulators could possibly be attributed to the Switch 2 offering improved performance. It’s hard to say, but this story is certainly getting interesting.
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Written by Peter Glagowski
Peter has been a freelance gaming and film critic for over seven years. His passion for Nintendo is only matched by the size of his collection.
