Mush8 (Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on iPhone and Mac)

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe came out on Switch in 2017 and has never been released elsewhere. c22dev, an iOS developer who also made the Muguet GTA V port, published Mush8 on 16 October 2026. The repository has two commits and no releases, and it collected over 500 stars in its first days. Users have opened issues about build failures and crashes, so expect rough edges.

This site is not affiliated with the Mush8 developer or with Nintendo.

What it is

The Switch and Apple silicon both use arm64 processors, so most of the game’s code can run as it is. Mush8 has two parts:

• nxpatch rewrites the few instructions that cannot run outside a Switch: the x18 register, system calls and system registers.
• nxhost plays the role of the Switch’s operating system (Horizon): files, saves, controllers, audio and network. It also implements the Switch graphics API, NVN, on Metal. The game’s shaders are translated to Metal and compiled ahead of time.

On a Mac the patched game code is loaded when you start the game. On iPhone and iPad there is no JIT, so the game code is linked into the app when you build it. That is why the iOS app has to be built on your own Mac from your own files. It is a game-specific port, not a Switch emulator.

What you need

• Your own game dump: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe base game and update 4.0.1 as .nsp files, optionally the Booster Course Pass. Plus prod.keys and a Firmware folder dumped from your own Switch, which supplies the fonts and Miis. File names don’t matter. We do not explain how to dump or obtain files.
• To build: an Apple silicon Mac on macOS 14 or newer, Xcode 26 or newer and the Rust toolchain. For iOS also a pinned Rust version with the iOS target and XcodeGen. The included build script installs what is missing.
• iPhone or iPad: iOS 26 or newer with 6 GB of RAM or more; the README calls 8 GB comfortable. The README phrases the system requirement as “iOS/macOS 26”, so on Mac it may also need macOS 26; we couldn’t confirm.
• Signing: a free Apple ID in Xcode works. You can also make an .ipa and install it with AltStore or SideStore. A paid developer account gets the extended virtual addressing entitlement and the full memory layout; without it the game runs in a smaller 5 GB layout.

Multiplayer and controls

• LAN: players on the same network; a Switch can join too.
• Online: any lan-play.com server, Switches on that server included. Nintendo’s own online service is not available.
• Wireless: nearby Mush8 players, no router needed.
• Controllers: Switch Pro, Joy-Con, DualSense, Xbox and others, one player each. Keyboard on Mac, touch controls on iOS when no controller is connected, optional gyro steering.
• iPhone as a controller: an iPhone running Mush8 can join a Mac on the same Wi-Fi as an extra player, with no game files on the phone.

Known limitations from the README: 5 to 8 player split screen is Switch 2 only and hidden, there are no amiibo yet, and two short videos play as a slideshow on iOS.

Is it official, and will it stay up?

Mush8 is an unofficial fan project, not affiliated with or endorsed by Nintendo. The repository contains no game files, and there are no prebuilt apps; the game code only ends up in an app you build on your own Mac. Nintendo has acted against Switch emulation projects before. We found no takedown notice for Mush8 as of 21 October 2026. Get it only from the official repository.

Was it made with AI?

The README doesn’t say. The repository has only two commits, so the history doesn’t show it either. The author’s other project, Muguet, has most commits marked as co-authored by Claude.

Related

• KartPad: Mario Kart Wii as a native app for iPhone, iPad, Mac and Android.
• Diablo II: Resurrected on iPhone and Mac: another Switch game run natively on Apple devices with the same approach.
• Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Super Mario Bros. Wonder: Switch recompilations for PC.
• More Apple-device ports: iPhone and Mac ports.

Unofficial. This page is written by an independent directory. It is not made by, endorsed by or affiliated with Nintendo or c22dev (Mush8 (Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on iPhone and Mac)'s author). We do not host any files, and we never link to game files, ROMs or ISOs.