Cyberpunk 2077 Is Playable On Nintendo Switch Through A Google Stadia Workaround

It's no secret that playing Cyberpunk 2077, particularly on last-gen systems, can be messy, so imagining the game playing on Nintendo Switch sounds implausible. But a Nintendo enthusiast has found a way to get the open-world RPG running on Nintendo's console-handheld hybrid--and the process involves hacking the system to access Stadia.

YouTuber Nintendrew uploaded a video to his channel demonstrating how he got Cyberpunk 2077 to play on his hacked Nintendo Switch. He discusses the game's performance, which seems to run steadily at 720p when undocked and 1080p when connected to a TV, and how Stadia allows users to stream Cyberpunk 2077 to the system. There are a few required tools, like a Stadia account and payload injector, but Cyberpunk 2077 is apparently fully playable on Switch after downloading and installing a version of Google's Android operating system.

Once Android is installed, Switch players can download the Stadia app from the Play Store and start streaming Cyberpunk 2077. Both Joy-Con and Pro controllers are compatible with Cyberpunk 2077, with controller mapping being identical to its Xbox console inputs. And of course, once Stadia is installed on Nintendo Switch, a bunch of other AAA, non-Switch games--such as Destiny 2 and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order--can be streamed to the system as well. It's worth noting that while Stadia isn't directly available on Switch, Nintendo has released a few titles through the cloud, including Remedy's Control and IO Interactive's Hitman 3.

Check out Nintendrew's video below, which shows Cyberpunk 2077 running in real-time on the console-handheld hybrid.

Cyberpunk 2077 was met with criticism following its December 10 launch for its multitude of bugs and glitches, and developer CD Projekt Red received a lot of heat because of it. A new PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One patch aims to iron out some of the game's problems, with more updates planned for the coming months. Still, CD Projekt Red is in hot water, as publisher CD Projekt could be staring down a class-action lawsuit due to the game's abysmal quality.

In other Nintendo Switch news, we're rounded up the best Switch games in 2020 by their scores. The list includes titles like the charming A Short Hike, the critically acclaimed Animal Crossing: New Horizons, the underrated Bloodroots, and the popular Hades, among others.