Since its exclusive release for Nintendo Switch in May 2023, many PC players have dreamed of seeing Zelda Tears of the Kingdom running natively on that platform, and that is precisely what an independent programmer known as valentderah is achieving, as he is working on TotK Recomp, a PC port that adapts the game to run as a native Windows application.
This means that this PC port will not require an emulator to run, taking advantage of the performance of current GPUs with a target of 60 FPS, and allowing the system to cache the visual effects already prepared to avoid freezes, remembering always that the game itself is not included and that each person must legally extract the files from their own console.
The Tears of the Kingdom port, legal doubts and Nintendo’s possible reaction
The creator of the project announced that source code will be published on GitHub during the week of October 26, although he clarified that there is still no exact date set and there is not yet a finished version that can be easily installed.
The method used, known as static recompilation, translates the game’s original code so that the processor of a modern computer can execute it directly, although the graphics are not native yet, since the Switch’s GPU instructions are translated to Vulkan while playing, which explains the stuttering when preparing visual effects for the first time, all based on MacNativeGames, a port that runs the game on Mac and which in tests with M4 chips reached around 90 FPS during gameplay and up to 120 FPS in menus.
On the other hand, it is indicated that real performance will vary from PC to PC and that work is still underway to eliminate the stutters that occur when the game prepares visual effects for the first time, so during this weekend the project will be tested on different video cards and processors.
It is very important to take into account that the full game will neither be given away nor downloaded, since for intellectual property reasons users will always need the files extracted from their own purchased copy to be able to play.
In addition, this is not the only attempt underway, as another programmer known as NotRexed showed in mid-October their own PC port running between 32 and 59 FPS on an RTX 4060 Ti, although they admitted that it still runs slowly and estimated two to four weeks to have it ready.
Even, another project called totk-recomp has its code published on GitHub, although it only works on Linux and is aimed at the Steam Deck, where according to its author it reaches about 60 FPS outdoors, that said, with a complex process that requires compiling the game on the device itself, something that can take between one hour and an hour and a half on Valve’s handheld.
As these projects gain popularity on the Internet, concerns grow about Nintendo’s potential reaction, a company widely known for being strict about protecting its copyrights and that in the past has taken legal action against console emulators, as happened with Yuzu in 2024.
This situation becomes particularly delicate because Tears of the Kingdom is a recent game that still generates huge sales, but for now the plan to publish the code next week remains in place, so the community awaits the first public trials on different types of computers.
The precedent and the version that can already be tested of Zelda Breath of the Wild
This initiative doesn’t arise from scratch, but follows in the steps of its direct predecessor, Zelda Breath of the Wild, which has its own PC port called Savage Wind Recomp, developed by a user known online as Revivedx, and which builds on the same foundation as the Tears of the Kingdom project, a recompiler named LAS Recomp.
This work also converts the console’s code into a genuine PC program, allowing the adventure to be enjoyed in 4K and up to 120 FPS, with a free testing version published on October 22 on GitHub that lets you explore the game’s beginning.
The graphical and technical improvement on PCs far surpasses the original console experience, offering the freedom to choose the FPS without altering the game’s internal speed, as we explained in our piece about the Breath of the Wild PC port, where we provided links and installation instructions.
In addition, and to finish, it includes full support for keyboard and mouse play, a panel to configure video or audio without entering the game, and the possibility of combining voices in one language with texts in another, a highly requested feature that was not available originally.