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Hydra supports multiple Nintendo Switch game formats and loading methods. This guide covers everything you need to know about loading and running games.

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Supported Game Formats

Hydra’s loader system supports the following formats:

NRO Files

Nintendo Relocatable Object files (homebrews)

NCA Files

Nintendo Content Archive (official games)

Loader Plugins

Extended format support via plugins

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NRO (Nintendo Relocatable Object)

Homebrew applications and standalone executables. File extension: .nro Characteristics:
  • Commonly used for homebrew
  • Self-contained executable format
  • Does not require installation
  • Can be launched directly
Loading NRO files:
  1. Add the directory containing your NRO files to game paths
  2. Or use File > Load from file (⌘+L)

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NCA (Nintendo Content Archive)

Official game format used by the Nintendo Switch. File extension: .nca Characteristics:
  • Official game format
  • May contain different content types:
    • Program (executable)
    • Control (metadata/icons)
    • Data (RomFS)
    • Meta
  • Requires proper firmware for some games
Loading NCA files:
  1. Extract firmware files to your firmware directory
  2. Add NCA files to a game path
  3. Hydra will automatically detect and list compatible games
Only Program-type NCAs can be launched. Control and Data NCAs are used for metadata and assets.

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Loading Methods

The recommended way to manage and launch games.

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Setting Up Game Paths

  1. Open Settings (⌘+,)
  2. Go to General tab
  3. Add directories containing your games
  4. Games will automatically appear in the library

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Launching from Library

  • Grid View: Click on a game tile
  • List View: Double-click a game entry
The game library shows:
  • Game icon (if available)
  • Game title
  • Author/Publisher
  • Version number

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Game Information

Hydra extracts metadata from game files:

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NACP (Nintendo Application Control Property)

Contains game metadata:
  • Title - Game name in multiple languages
  • Author - Publisher name
  • Display Version - Version string (e.g., “1.0.0”)
  • Icon - Game icon image

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Title ID

Each game has a unique 64-bit Title ID used for:
  • Save data organization
  • Update/DLC management
  • Content identification
If a game lacks NACP data, Hydra will use the filename as the title and “Unknown” as the author.

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Extracting Game Content

Hydra can extract various components from game files:
Right-click a game and select Extract Icon to save the game icon to a file.Available when: Game contains icon dataFormat: JPEG/PNG (depending on source)
Extracts the executable filesystem containing:
  • Main executable
  • Subsdk libraries
  • RomFS (if bundled)
Available when: Game contains ExeFS data
Extracts the read-only filesystem containing:
  • Game assets
  • Data files
  • Resources
Available when: Game contains RomFS data

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Save Data Management

Save data is stored per-user and per-game:

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Save Location

{save_path}/
  └── {title_id}/
      └── {user_id}/
Default save path:
  • macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Hydra/save/
  • Linux: ~/.config/Hydra/save/
  • Windows: %APPDATA%/Hydra/save/

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Managing Saves

Backing up saves:
  1. Navigate to the save directory
  2. Copy the relevant {title_id} folder
Restoring saves:
  1. Place save folder in {save_path}/{title_id}/
  2. Ensure the user ID matches
Transferring saves: Saves are portable between Hydra installations - just copy the title ID folder.
Always back up save data before major updates or testing.

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Performance Optimization

1

Use Apple Hypervisor

On macOS, ensure CPU backend is set to “Apple Hypervisor” for best performance.Settings > CPU > CPU backend
2

Set Appropriate Resolution

Higher resolutions require more GPU power:
  • Start with “Auto” (recommended)
  • Lower to 720p or 1080p if experiencing slowdown
Settings > Graphics > Display resolution
3

Enable Cubeb Audio

Use Cubeb for best audio performance unless debugging.Settings > Audio > Audio backend
4

Close Other Applications

Emulation is CPU and GPU intensive - close unnecessary applications for best performance.

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Game Compatibility

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Factors Affecting Compatibility

Some games require specific firmware versions or system files:
  • Fonts (Chinese, Japanese, Korean)
  • System archives
  • Time zone data
  • Avatar images
See the Firmware guide for installation instructions.
Games may require system modules (sysmodules) placed in:
{sysmodules_path}/
Game updates and DLC are handled as separate content:
  • Updates: Installed to the game directory
  • DLC: Requires proper content ID matching
Update and DLC support may vary by game.

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Troubleshooting

Check:
  • Game path is correctly added in Settings
  • File has supported extension (.nro, .nca)
  • File is not corrupted
Try:
  • Restart Hydra to refresh library
  • Use “Load from file” to test directly
Check:
  • Firmware is installed (for NCA games)
  • Log files for error messages
  • Game is compatible with Hydra
See Troubleshooting guide for detailed steps.
Try:
  • Switch shader backend to MSL
  • Lower display resolution
  • Check log files for GPU errors

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Keyboard Shortcuts

While playing games:
ShortcutAction
⌘+TTake Screenshot
⌘+OSwitch handheld/docked mode
⌘+PCapture GPU frame (debug)
ESCStop emulation
Screenshots are saved to the Pictures directory (platform-specific).

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