Astris Emulator: The Ryujinx Fork Built Only for Apple Silicon Macs

Astris is a Nintendo Switch 1 emulator based on Ryujinx that runs only on Apple silicon Macs with macOS 15 or later. As of October 2026 it is still updated often (latest 1.0.32, October 9, 2026), which makes it one of the most active Ryujinx forks on Mac. It has no Intel Mac, Windows, Android or iOS builds.

Where Astris comes from

Ryujinx shut down in October 2024 after Nintendo stepped in. Its code is MIT-licensed, so several forks followed: cross-platform Ryubing, Kenji-NX with an Android build, MeloNX for iOS, and Astris.

Astris is developed by V380-Ori and targets a single platform. There is a good reason to focus on Mac: when Ryujinx released its macOS port in November 2022, it used Apple's Hypervisor to run Switch game code directly, since Apple silicon and the Switch both use ARM CPUs. Astris spends all of its effort on the Mac instead of also maintaining Windows and Linux builds.

Emulation General Wiki lists Astris as active but does not mark it as recommended.

Status as of October 2026

• Release pace: version 1.0.32 arrived on October 9, 2026. That is far more recent than Ryubing's stable 1.3.3 (2025-10-11) or Kenji-NX desktop 2.0.5 (2025-10-06).
• Requirements: Apple silicon (M1 or newer) and macOS 15 or later.
• Distribution: the developer publishes binaries, plus a mirror. The release repository is labeled MIT, but the developer has not said whether the full source code is public.
• Website: none, which is why the info box on this page has no official site button.

Platform support

For a full comparison, see the Mac setup guide and the Mac platform page.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Mac-only focus means faster fixes and frequent releases.
• Built on Ryujinx's accuracy-first core, so compatibility starts from a solid base.
• Feels familiar if you used Ryujinx before.

Cons

• Apple silicon and macOS 15+ only.
• A small, one-developer project. Long-term maintenance is uncertain.
• Unclear source availability makes independent review or a community takeover harder.
• No official site, which leaves room for fake download pages.

Things to know before using Astris

Like other Ryujinx-based emulators, Astris needs keys and firmware to run games. For what they are and where they go, see keys and firmware explained.

Because Astris has no website, sites using its name have already appeared. Nothing shows they are run by the developer, so don't download installers from them. See how to spot fake emulator sites.

Should you use Astris?

If you have an Apple silicon Mac on macOS 15 or later, Astris is worth trying, especially if Ryubing crashes or runs poorly on your machine. The simplest approach is to install both and compare the same game. If you want the newest compatibility work, add the Mac build of Eden, which its developers label experimental. For a single popular game, nxnative can turn it into a native Mac app. Still unsure? Start with the best Switch emulators in 2026.