Release
Lemon, a New Android Switch Emulator Forked From Eden, Adds Mali Support, Frame Generation and Online Play
Key points
- Lemon is an Android-only Switch emulator forked from Eden (Yuzu → Eden → Lemon), licensed GPL-3.0-or-later. Android Authority covered it on Oct 15, 2026.
- It debuted as v0.1 on GitHub on Sep 18, 2026, then moved to its own server on Oct 2, where releases restarted at 1.0.0.
- It was built for Snapdragon (Adreno) first. Version 1.1 (Oct 8, 2026) added Mali GPU support and split it into Lemon, Lemon Lite and Lemon Lite & Spoofed.
- Features include built-in frame generation (Lemon FG), online play via the community Nextendo Network, cheats, quick save/load, per-game layouts and save import from Eden, Citron and Yuzu.
- The latest release is 1.3.0 (Oct 28) as of Nov 1, 2026, adding controller hotkeys and one-tap cheat downloads. Real-world compatibility still hasn't been independently tested.
Lemon is a new Android-only Switch emulator forked from Eden (Yuzu → Eden → Lemon). Android Authority reported on it on October 15, 2026: it was originally made for Snapdragon devices, added Mali GPU support in version 1.1, and comes with frame generation, online play through the community-run Nextendo Network, and save import from Eden, Citron and Yuzu. It first appeared on GitHub on September 18, and as of November 1 the latest official release is 1.3.0 (October 28). It is very new, though, and its real compatibility still lacks independent confirmation. See our Lemon emulator page for the full profile.
What we know
From Android Authority, Lemon's official site and the project's release history:
- Scope: Android only, requiring Android 12 or newer (arm64) and an Adreno or Mali GPU. It's open source under GPL-3.0-or-later.
- Origin: the site says it is built on "the open-source emulation core developed by the yuzu community and the projects that followed it." The project's copyright header lists Lemon-Project, Eden Emulator Project and yuzu Emulator Project, and the v0.3.1 notes (Sep 23) mention "cleaning up remaining 'Eden' branding." So it's an Eden fork, not a direct Yuzu fork.
- Builds: Lemon (full), Lemon Lite (0.75x resolution and async shaders by default, no bundled driver, aimed at Adreno 6xx/7xx and Mali), and Lemon Lite & Spoofed (a different package name so some phones boost it; marked experimental).
- Distribution: code and builds live on the project's own server; GitHub is only a mirror.
- Team: the site lists Ghael, Seak, Sidgey and BitRanger, with no further background.
Features
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Mali support | Since 1.1, BCn compressed textures Mali can't read are converted on the GPU with less memory |
| Frame generation | Built-in Lemon FG since 1.2; Lossless Scaling is optional but needs your own copy of its file |
| Online play | Nextendo Network since 1.1; the project's example is Mario Kart 8 Deluxe |
| Cheats | Atmosphère-format cheats since 1.2.2, toggled even mid-game; one-tap downloads for your game version since 1.3.0 |
| Controller hotkeys | Since 1.3.0, RetroArch-style combos for quick save/load, pause, exit and the stats overlay |
| Quick save/load | Since 1.0.1 it survives dying; still experimental and cleared when the app closes |
| Drivers | Built-in Adreno driver manager with per-game drivers; the bundled Lemon-Ade driver turns on automatically on Adreno 830 |
| Migration | Imports saves from Eden, Citron and Yuzu, and copies keys and firmware if Lemon has none |
| Other | Per-game on-screen layouts, the Lemon Cheater memory editor, input macros, direct .nsz/.xcz loading |
The site also lists rendering bugs it says it fixed at the root, such as grass vanishing in Tears of the Kingdom, dark squares in shadows on Adreno (1.2.2), and miscolored characters in Splatoon 2 and Splatoon 3 on Mali. These are the project's own claims; we haven't tested them.
Release pace
- GitHub era: v0.1 (Sep 18), then v0.2 through v0.3.5 plus several nightly and experimental builds between Sep 20 and 28. From v0.3 (Sep 23) the test channels were merged back into the main build.
- Own server: 1.0.0 (Oct 2, "Lemon has its own home now," with a new interface), 1.0.1 (Oct 5), 1.1.0 (Oct 8), 1.2.0 (Oct 13), 1.2.1 (Oct 18), 1.2.2 (Oct 22) and 1.3.0 (Oct 28). That's seven releases in a month.
What 1.3.0 brought: controller hotkeys; a Download button in the cheats window that pulls codes from a community cheat database, sending only the game's ID to GitHub; much steadier quick save/load, with no more black screens when loading across scenes and far fewer "game is busy" messages; and a fix for Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate's friend service on Nextendo Network. There's been no newer release as of November 1.
What's still unclear
- Coverage: Android Authority is the only major outlet we found reporting on it, and there's no independent compatibility testing.
- Other claims on the site: the site also promotes CapyPS5, another project from the same team that it calls a PS5 emulator for Android. No outlet has verified that claim.
What this means for players
- For a safe pick on Android, Eden is still the first choice, with the longest track record and the best docs. If you want to try Lemon, get it from its official site, lemon-emu.org; the project's own FAQ warns against "Lemon APK" files on other sites. Version history, device requirements and feature details are on our Lemon page.
- MediaTek (Mali) users may want to watch its Mali support, but Mali phones generally struggle with Switch emulation. Check hardware requirements first. Snapdragon users can see the Turnip driver guide, and everyone can start with the Android setup guide.
- Saves from Citron or Yuzu can be imported.
FAQ
What is the Lemon emulator?
An Android-only Nintendo Switch emulator forked from Eden (Yuzu → Eden → Lemon), licensed GPL-3.0-or-later. It first came out on Sep 18, 2026, was designed for Snapdragon phones first, and has supported Mali GPUs since version 1.1. The official site is lemon-emu.org.
Is Lemon better than Eden?
There are no reliable head-to-head tests yet. Eden has a longer track record, more users and better documentation, and is the mainstream Android choice. Lemon builds on Eden's code and adds frame generation, online play, cheats and quick save/load, but only one major outlet has covered it and its compatibility hasn't been independently checked. Try Lemon if you like experimenting; stick with Eden if you want stability.
Does Lemon work on MediaTek (Mali) phones?
The project says it has supported Mali since 1.1, converting BCn textures Mali can't read on the GPU (to ASTC, and BC4/BC5 to EAC since 1.2). The Lite build offers experimental PanVK drivers for Mali-G720 and Mali-G52. PowerVR and Samsung Xclipse are still unsupported. Mali phones generally emulate Switch worse than Snapdragon ones, so results depend on the device.
Can Lemon import my Eden saves?
The site says Lemon can import saves from Eden, Citron and Yuzu without opening those emulators, and copies keys and firmware too if Lemon has none. If a game already has a save in Lemon, you choose whether to replace or keep it, and replaced saves are backed up first.
When was Lemon first released?
The release history on its GitHub mirror starts with v0.1 on Sep 18, 2026, followed by v0.2 through v0.3.5 and several test builds between Sep 20 and 28. From Oct 2 it has released on its own code server, starting again at 1.0.0. That matches Android Authority's 'last month' (September).