Every fact on this page applies to update 1.2.0, the one version tested. Other versions may behave differently.
No emulator needed: Fire Emblem: Three Houses runs natively on the Apple chip. How nxnative compares with emulators
Running through nxnative
How Fire Emblem: Three Houses runs
Fire Emblem: Three Houses plays on the iPhone and, with update 1.2.0, runs at 60 fps instead of the 30 fps it has on the Switch. Its Packed app came to about 13 GB when the project developers last published sizes.
How it runs
The game already updates its world 60 times a second on the Switch but shows only every second update. nxnative changes the game's display settings so every update reaches the screen, which gives 60 fps at the game's normal speed. nxnative also reworks how the game waits between frames, which cut its CPU use on the Mac. In the prologue battle the Mac held 59.9 fps.
On the iPhone, lighting that flickered between lit and unlit frames is fixed.
Bring update 1.2.0
The 60 fps result and every other fact on this page apply to update 1.2.0. Put the 1.2.0 update in the same folder as the base game before you Pack.
Controls
The Packed app starts in the 3D touch layout: a left stick, a D-pad and the face buttons, with a right stick that is not drawn. Touch anywhere in the right third of the screen that has no control on it, and that touch works as the right stick, centred where your finger lands.
Good to know
- At about 13 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. - Small square patches have been reported on the ground where decals land. The project developers did not see them on the Mac and still have to recheck the scene where they appeared.
Known issues
- Small square patches have been reported on the ground where decals land; the project developers did not see them on the Mac and have yet to recheck the scene.
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/fire-emblem-three-houses -k ~/keys/prod.keysPut update 1.2.0 in the game folder to get 60 fps.
FAQ
Does Fire Emblem: Three Houses work with nxnative?
Yes. Fire Emblem: Three Houses is tested with nxnative on update 1.2.0. With update 1.2.0 it runs at 60 fps.
Which iPhone, iPad or Mac do I need to play Fire Emblem: Three Houses?
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 Fire Emblem: Three Houses included?
No. Neither this site nor nxnative includes any game. You Pack Fire Emblem: Three Houses from your own copy of the game, with keys dumped from your own Switch.
Does online play work in Fire Emblem: Three Houses?
Online play in Fire Emblem: Three Houses is not confirmed to work, so do not count on it.
