Nintendo Switch 2: The World’s Slowest iPhone? A User Managed to Run iOS on the Handheld Console, But the Experience Was a Nightmare

The Nintendo Switch 2 has achieved remarkable success, quickly becoming a hot commodity across various markets. Projections suggest that this versatile portable console could ship between 15 million and 16 million units by the closing of the company’s fiscal year in March 2026. As the device garners this impressive traction, it has become a playground for enthusiastic users eager to push its boundaries. One of the most captivating developments involves the switch’s experimentation with iOS, resulting in some unexpected insights into its performance.

Booting iOS on the Nintendo Switch 2: A Staggering 20-Minute Experience

While the Switch 2 stands out as a powerful gaming handheld with its native operating system, a daring user named PatRyk embarked on a two-day journey to install iOS on the device. This endeavor, however, was not without its challenges. The tinkerer reported frequent kernel panics and an inability to launch applications, leading to a dismal user experience. The installation was made feasible through a QEMU version developed specifically for the iPhone 11 and shared on GitHub by ChefKissInc, as detailed in a report by Tom’s Hardware.

The most astounding aspect of this experiment? It takes a staggering 20 minutes for the Switch 2 to boot up running iOS. Much to PatRyk’s dismay, the console has gained the title of the “world’s slowest iPhone, ”even with NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang’s assertion that the Tegra X1 System on Chip (SoC) within the device is amongst the most advanced silicon available in handheld consoles.

I’ve lost my mind (and 2 days of my life to install this)Behold: the world’s slowest “iPhone” 🎉🎉

Takes over 20 minutes to boot, kernel panics every 2nd thing you do, can’t open any apps (they all time out and crash) 🚀🚀 pic.twitter.com/r3B3JPDUDV

— PatRyk (@Patrosi73) June 17, 2025

As of now, PatRyk has not commented on whether additional time will be spent further exploring the capabilities of the Switch 2. It is evident that a significant amount of optimization is necessary to enhance this experience. While there is no confirmation about forthcoming updates to QEMU that might allow for a smoother operation on the Switch 2, adventurous owners may consider attempting this hack at their own risk to explore the limits of their device’s capabilities.

Source: PatRyk

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