Cyberpunk 2077 Runs On Nintendo Switch With Google Stadia Hack

Cyberpunk 2077 and its developer CD Projekt RED have quickly become those things that gamers love to hate. But despite its troubled launch on consoles, the game has raked in millions of sales, already excluding returns. It's pretty ironic then that someone was able to play Cyberpunk 2077 smoothly on the technically weakest current-gen console but, truth be told, it's really just smoke and mirrors and involves a process that some Nintendo Switch owners might not be willing to go through.

If it hasn't been obvious, the only way that the Switch's rather old hardware will be able to run Cyberpunk 2077 is if it doesn't run it at all, at least not directly. The secret sauce here is Google Stadia, which allows people to access the not-so-broken version of the RPG even on devices incapable of running PC games at all. At the very least, all it needs is an Internet connection and a Chrome browser, the latter of which isn't available on the Switch either.

That brings us to Nintendrew's actual workaround, which is to get Android running on Nintendo's console. In terms of specs, the Switch is pretty much an old Android tablet running Nintendo's custom OS. It didn't take long for hackers and modders to find a way to install an actual Android OS on it, though, and that, in turn, would allow installing the Stadia Android app on the Switch.

Installing Android on the console isn't as simple as inserting a game cartridge, though, and definitely not as risk-free. Although the process has been simplified and streamlined by now, it still requires some technical know-how, some custom-made accessories, and the daring to potentially brick your device. Regardless of success or failure, it probably voids the Switch's warranty anyway.

Once all of the set up is done and you're left with a still functional Nintendo Android tablet, you can pretty much play Cyberpunk 2077 anywhere, at least anywhere you can stream Stadia games. Everything works, from the Joy-cons to 1080p resolution in TV mode, without further modification. Of course, this also means you can use the Switch to play any other Stadia title available or even do anything you can with a regular Android tablet as well.