This is an early release. It works well enough for daily use on my own Switch, but expect rough edges, missing polish, and the occasional bug. Feedback and issue reports are welcome.
Website: https://nxstation.com
What it does
- Scans ROMs from an ES-DE-style
sdmc:/roms/{system}/layout - Shows box art, thumbnails, descriptions, and optional video previews
- Launches games via RetroArch cores (core-direct handoff)
- ScreenScraper.fr scraping (single title or batch), cached locally for offline browsing
- Favorites, last played, search, jump-to-letter, random pick, screensaver
- Built-in dark/light themes
- Optional Home Menu forwarder (install from Settings in Title Override mode)
Supported systems (default config)
20 folder IDs: nes, snes, n64, gb, gbc, gba, nds, 3ds, megadrive, mastersystem, gamegear, dreamcast, psx, psp, pce, atari2600, cps1, cps2, neogeo
More systems can be added by editing roms_config.json when you have a matching RetroArch core.
Requirements
- Modded Switch (e.g. Atmosphere) with homebrew enabled
- Title Override is required — hold R while launching any game, open the Homebrew Menu, then start NXStation. Applet Mode does not have enough RAM for previews, scraping, and stable launching.
- RetroArch for Switch at
sdmc:/switch/retroarch_switch.nro - RetroArch cores under
sdmc:/retroarch/cores/(paths inroms_config.json) - ROMs under
sdmc:/roms/ - Optional: ScreenScraper.fr account for scraping;
prod.keysatsdmc:/switch/prod.keysif you want to install the Home Menu forwarder
Installation
- Download
NXStation.nrofrom this release. - Copy to
sdmc:/switch/NXStation/NXStation.nro - (Optional) Copy
roms_config.jsonfrom the repo to the same folder if you want to customize systems or cores before first run. - Launch via Title Override (hold R in main menu → Open any game → HB Menu Appear → NXStation).
- Place ROMs in
sdmc:/roms/{system}/. Existing ES-DE media andgamelist.xmlfiles are picked up automatically.
Returning after a game
For the smoothest return to NXStation after closing a game, install the optional forwarder from Settings → Install Forwarder (Title Override only). Launch NXStation from the Home Menu icon it creates.
What is not included
- No ROMs, BIOS files, or Nintendo proprietary code
- No RetroArch or emulator cores in this download — install those separately
- GameCube / Wii via Tico-style Dolphin cores are not supported (RetroArch cores only)
Known limitations
- Early release — some UI and edge cases still need work
- Applet Mode is blocked by design
- Background music / expanded sound options not in this build yet
- Forwarder install needs
prod.keyson SD card - Collection with huge library with delay a bit when opening.
Credits
Built with Borealis, libnx, RetroArch, and ScreenScraper. Inspired by ES-DE-style library management on other handhelds.
Not affiliated with Nintendo.
Changelog
v0.1.0 — Initial public release
- Native Switch frontend (C++ / Borealis)
- ES-DE-style ROM and media layout support
- ScreenScraper batch and per-game scraping with local cache
- RetroArch core-direct launching with browse-position restore
- System carousel and per-system game lists with metadata panel
- Video preview on hover (Title Override / full RAM)
- Search, alphabet jump, random game, favorites, last played
- Screensaver with random rotation and launch-from-screensaver
- 20 default systems in
roms_config.json - Theme set (dark/light color themes)
- Settings: cores, scraper credentials, video/audio, screensaver timer, forwarder install
- Home Menu forwarder (on-device NCA install)
- Title Override gate for applet mode
Thank you to everyone who tests, reports issues, and keeps the homebrew scene going.