Every fact on this page applies to update 1.2.0, the one version tested. Other versions may behave differently.
No emulator needed: Bayonetta 3 runs natively on the Apple chip. How nxnative compares with emulators
Running through nxnative
How Bayonetta 3 runs
Bayonetta 3 plays on the iPhone, with gameplay at 60 fps. The title and loading screens run at 30 fps because the game asks for that. It is a large Game: when the project developers last published sizes, its Packed app came to about 14.2 GB.
How it runs
Unlike the first two games, Bayonetta 3 uses PlatinumGames' newer engine. On the Mac, the title, the menus, the opening movie, the first real-time scene and gameplay with the HUD all looked correct as far as the project developers compared them. Frame times held near 16.7 ms in play, and memory stayed level after the first scene. With a warm shader cache, the title appears about 15 seconds after launch.
Controls
The Packed app starts in the 3D touch layout, with the camera on an undrawn right stick: touch the right third of the screen away from the buttons.
Good to know
- Some surfaces show a fine dotted grid. This may simply be the engine's dithered dissolve effect; the project developers have not yet compared it with the Switch.
- At about 14.2 GB the Packed app may be too big for some sideloading setups. nxnative's packing script can keep the game files out of the app with
--romfs separate; see the install guide. - Tested with update 1.2.0.
Known issues
- Some surfaces show a dotted grid pattern, for example the platforms breaking up in the prologue. It may be the game's own dissolve effect, but it has not been compared with the Switch yet.
Packing command
Run this in your nxnative folder on the Build Mac. Replace the game folder and the keys path with your own. Add --platform mac-app to get a Mac app instead of an iPhone and iPad app.
python3 scripts/build_ipa_from_nsp.py ~/Games/bayonetta-3 -k ~/keys/prod.keysFAQ
Does Bayonetta 3 work with nxnative?
Yes. Bayonetta 3 is tested with nxnative on update 1.2.0.
Which iPhone, iPad or Mac do I need to play Bayonetta 3?
An iPhone 15 Pro or newer (A17 Pro chip or later) or an iPad with an M1 chip or later, on iOS or iPadOS 26 or later, or a Mac with Apple silicon. iPads with the A17 Pro chip (iPad mini) have the iPhone 15 Pro's chip but are untested by nxnative. Packing needs a Mac with macOS 26.6 or later and Xcode 27.1.
Is Bayonetta 3 included?
No. Neither this site nor nxnative includes any game. You Pack Bayonetta 3 from your own copy of the game, with keys dumped from your own Switch.
Does online play work in Bayonetta 3?
Online play in Bayonetta 3 is not confirmed to work, so do not count on it.
