Installation Guide

Ryujinx is available as pre-built binaries for Windows, macOS, and Linux. You can also build from source if you prefer.

Before installing, ensure your system meets the minimum requirements, especially the 8GB RAM requirement.

Choose Your Build Type

Ryujinx offers two release channels:

Stable Builds

Recommended for most usersReleased monthly based on the master branch. These builds provide a more enjoyable and stable experience with consistent, tested updates.Download Stable

Canary Builds

For experienced usersCompiled automatically for each commit on the master branch. May be unstable or completely broken. Only recommended for testing and development.Download Canary

Stable builds are released every month or so to ensure consistent updates without overwhelming users with frequent individual downloads.

Installing Pre-Built Binaries

Windows
macOS
Linux

Download Ryujinx

Visit the Stable Releases page
Download the latest Windows build (.zip file)
Alternatively, use the direct link: Latest Stable Build

Extract the Archive

Right-click the downloaded .zip file
Select “Extract All…”
Choose a destination folder (e.g., C:\Program Files\Ryujinx or C:\Games\Ryujinx)
Click “Extract”

Avoid extracting to a folder that requires administrator privileges to prevent permission issues.

Launch Ryujinx

Navigate to the extracted folder
Double-click Ryujinx.exe to launch the emulator
On first launch, Ryujinx will create necessary configuration folders

Optional: Create a Shortcut

Right-click Ryujinx.exe
Select “Send to” > “Desktop (create shortcut)”
Rename the shortcut if desired

Download Ryujinx

Visit the Stable Releases page
Download the latest macOS build (.dmg or .app.tar.gz file)
Alternatively, use the direct link: Latest Stable Build

Install the Application

For .dmg files:

Open the downloaded .dmg file
Drag Ryujinx.app to your Applications folder

For .app.tar.gz files:

Extract the archive by double-clicking it
Move Ryujinx.app to your Applications folder

First Launch

Open Applications and locate Ryujinx
Right-click (or Control-click) on Ryujinx.app
Select “Open” from the context menu
Click “Open” in the security dialog

macOS may show a security warning for unsigned applications. You only need to use the right-click method on the first launch.

Graphics API Setup

macOS uses Metal API through MoltenVK for graphics rendering. This is configured automatically, but you can verify in Settings > Graphics.

Download Ryujinx

Visit the Stable Releases page
Download the latest Linux build (.tar.gz file)
Alternatively, use the direct link: Latest Stable Build

Extract the Archive

Open a terminal and run:

cd ~/Downloads
tar -xzf ryujinx-*.tar.gz
sudo mv ryujinx /opt/

Or extract to a location of your choice:

mkdir -p ~/Applications
tar -xzf ryujinx-*.tar.gz -C ~/Applications/

Install Dependencies

Install required libraries for your distribution:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install libsdl3-dev libopenal-dev libvulkan1

Launch Ryujinx

Run from terminal:

cd /opt/ryujinx  # or your installation path
./Ryujinx

You may want to create a desktop entry or shell alias for easier access.

Optional: Create Desktop Entry

Create a file ~/.local/share/applications/ryujinx.desktop:

[Desktop Entry]
Version=1.0
Type=Application
Name=Ryujinx
Comment=Nintendo Switch Emulator
Exec=/opt/ryujinx/Ryujinx
Icon=/opt/ryujinx/ryujinx.png
Terminal=false
Categories=Game;Emulator;

Building from Source

If you want to build Ryujinx from source (for development or customization), follow these steps:

Building from source is intended for developers and contributors. Most users should use the pre-built binaries above.

Install .NET SDK

Install the .NET 10.0 SDK or higher:

Visit dotnet.microsoft.com/download/dotnet/10.0
Download and install the SDK for your platform
Verify installation:

dotnet --version

The minimum required version is specified in global.json (currently 10.0.100). Your SDK version must be equal to or higher than this.

Clone the Repository

Clone the Ryujinx repository:

git clone https://git.ryujinx.app/ryubing/ryujinx.git
cd ryujinx

Or download the source as a ZIP file from GitLab and extract it.

Build the Project

Open a terminal in the project directory and run:

dotnet build -c Release -o build

On Windows, you can quickly open a command prompt in File Explorer by holding Shift, right-clicking in the folder, and selecting “Open command window here” or “Open PowerShell window here”.

The built files will be in the build directory.

Run Your Build

cd build
.\Ryujinx.exe

Data Folder Location

Ryujinx stores system files, saves, and configuration in the Ryujinx data folder:

C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Roaming\Ryujinx

You can quickly access this folder by clicking File > Open Ryujinx Folder in the GUI.

Troubleshooting Installation

Windows: 'Missing DLL' errors

Install the latest Visual C++ Redistributable:

Download VC++ Redistributable

Also ensure you have .NET Desktop Runtime installed if needed.

macOS: 'App is damaged' message

This is a Gatekeeper issue. Run in Terminal:

xattr -cr /Applications/Ryujinx.app

Then try launching again.

Linux: Graphics/rendering issues

Ensure you have proper graphics drivers installed:NVIDIA:

sudo ubuntu-drivers autoinstall  # Ubuntu

AMD/Intel: Mesa drivers should work out of the box on most distributions.

Build from source: .NET version mismatch

Check your .NET SDK version:

dotnet --version

Must be >= 10.0.100. Install a newer SDK if needed.

Next Steps

Now that Ryujinx is installed:

Quick Start Guide

Learn how to load and play your first game

Configuration

Optimize Ryujinx settings for your system

Getting Started

User Guide

Features

Installation

Installation Guide

Choose Your Build Type

Stable Builds

Canary Builds

Installing Pre-Built Binaries

Building from Source

Data Folder Location

Troubleshooting Installation

Next Steps

Quick Start Guide

Configuration

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Getting Started

User Guide

Features

​Installation Guide

​Choose Your Build Type

Stable Builds

Canary Builds

​Installing Pre-Built Binaries

​Building from Source

​Data Folder Location

​Troubleshooting Installation

​Next Steps

Quick Start Guide

Configuration

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Installation Guide

Choose Your Build Type

Installing Pre-Built Binaries

Building from Source

Data Folder Location

Troubleshooting Installation

Next Steps