Free Nintendo Switch emulators are making rounds online right now, promising to run the console's games on PCs. With the Nintendo Switch still rare in stores despite being released for weeks now, cyber criminals have found a way to take advantage of fans of the console. The supposed emulator software and tutorials can be found on different websites and YouTube videos. However, they are all likely scams.
The Nintendo Switch was released on March 3. Since then, fake emulators have started appearing online. Unfortunately, these fraudsters are attracting a lot of gamers, with one video getting more than 70,000 views on YouTube, Symantec reported. Nevertheless, most of these supposed Nintendo Switch emulator "tutorials" ask people to go to an external website to get their emulator software.
The sad thing about these emulators is that they are likely to be software designed to snatch vital details from users. Once a person downloads the said software, they are more likely to get a survey form than an actual Nintendo Switch emulator. Filling out the form will allegedly give people their emulator "unlock code." Nevertheless, this is not true, Neowin reported. In reality, these forms are mere products of affiliate marketing where scammers earn money from.
The worst case scenario in this is that gamers will get their computers infected with malware and they would be an easy target for scammers. These suspicious Nintendo Switch emulators are advertised for both Mac and Windows operating systems. However, gamers are advised that both of these are likely scams and it is better to stay away from any of them. Having a trusted anti-virus on your PCs is also recommended to block malicious content before further damage is done.