TVPort native Switch games — A developer using the handle u/FloatingFalafel has published TVPort, an open-source toolkit that recompiles Nintendo Switch titles so they run natively on the Apple TV 4K. The project, a fork of the nxnative toolkit, relies on a Mac and Anthropic’s Claude Opus 5.5 to produce builds for the set-top box. The effort is one of several recent attempts to use AI coding assistants to move software onto new hardware.
How TVPort handles game data
TVPort does not ship with any game files. Users must supply their own copies, which the developer notes should come from their own Switch cartridges. The tool then processes those files on a Mac to create a native Apple TV build. Beyond recompilation, TVPort can back up save data to a Mac or iCloud and lets users pick a target frame rate of either 30 or 60 frames per second.
FloatingFalafel explained that while most games behave similarly on the Switch, certain titles load textures into memory in different ways. Those differences require diagnosis and fixes before the game will run correctly on the Apple TV hardware.
Performance varies by title
Early reports from the developer suggest that results depend heavily on the game. Super Mario Odyssey is said to hit 60 fps, though it exhibits occasional minor stutters and audio problems near waterfalls. Animal Crossing: New Horizons reportedly runs at a locked 30 fps without issues in the developer’s testing.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is a tougher case. During tests, the game caused the Apple TV to thermal throttle, and FloatingFalafel indicated that running such a demanding title would require significant diagnostics and even partial rewrites of the game’s engine delivered as a patch within the program. They cautioned that heavier games like Tears of the Kingdom may never work on the third-generation Apple TV 4K.
AI porting remains controversial
The use of AI tools to decompile and recompile games has drawn criticism. The operators of decomp.dev, a well-known site in the decompilation scene, recently announced they were closing it because bad actors using AI had damaged the community aspect of the work. Anthropic has since directed Claude Code not to recreate existing games.
FloatingFalafel is also working on native Switch ports for the Xbox Series X, according to the developer. For now, TVPort offers a proof of concept that the Apple TV 4K can serve as a gaming device capable of more than streaming video, even if the Switch hardware itself is nearly a decade old and was considered underpowered at launch.
