Zelda remake: Video shows PC emulation already working on launch day

That didn't take long: Nintendo released its remake of Ocarina of Time for the Switch 2 on November 5, enjoying an impressive, if somewhat controversial, launch. On the very same day, the YouTube channel Unreal Gaming PC published a video showing the game running on a PC through the Switch 2 emulator Lichii – although the results are still far from perfect. The remake can also already be emulated on the PS5.

The video shows roughly the first 13 minutes of the remake. Cutscenes already run at a fairly consistent 60 FPS. However, as soon as the player takes control of Link, the frame rate drops dramatically to around 25 FPS. That's hardly a playable experience, especially since the visuals aren't rendering properly yet. The emulation currently suffers from overexposure, flickering lighting and missing textures.

Still, it seems possible to progress further in the Zelda remake using Lichii than the video suggests. Reddit user u/FuaOtraCuentaMas reports having reached Gohma, the game's first boss. According to the user, the game runs at around 15 FPS outdoors and between 30 and 45 FPS indoors. It will likely take considerably more development work before the remake can be emulated on PC at an acceptable level of quality. Even so, it's remarkable that Ocarina of Time was already running on PC monitors on the very day it launched.

Rapid emulation progress sparks controversy

In another Reddit thread, users are also debating the possible involvement of AI. Some suspect that artificial intelligence may be responsible for the rapid progress, although there is currently no evidence confirming its use in Lichii. The discussion has also sparked accusations of double standards. Some commenters argue that celebrating AI when it's used to develop emulators while rejecting its use in games outright is inconsistent.