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What appears to be very clear evidence of the existence of Game Boy and Game Boy Advance emulators for Nintendo Switch has recently surfaced on the internet.

Apparently, a few days ago, a 4chan user shared links to download 4 files containing .nsp and .nca files obtained directly from a Nintendo Switch development kit.

These files, to summarise and not to go into a too-long technical explanation, are a Game Boy Advance emulator (codenamed Sloop), and a Game Boy emulator (codenamed Hiyoko).

The files are reportedly signed by Nintendo Europe Research & Development, a Nintendo subsidiary headquartered in Paris, which previously developed other emulators for different Nintendo consoles (Nintendo DS and Wii emulators for the Wii U Virtual Console, or the GameCube emulation technology used in Super Mario 3D All-Stars.)

Twitter user TrashBandatcoot also shared information about this leak, as well as images of the emulators running directly on a Nintendo Switch. The user’s account has since been deleted, but here’s a cached version of the images

All of this raises speculation about the inclusion of the GB and GBA emulators in the Nintendo Switch Online subscription service, which already allows you to play NES, Super Nintendo, SEGA Genesis/Mega Drive, and Nintendo 64 games thanks to emulation.

In fact, in 2021 Eurogamer and Nintendo Life already reported that Nintendo was planning to add the option to play GB and GBA games through Nintendo Switch Online.

Stay tuned.

Via | Gematsu