Every fact on this page applies to update 1.0.3, the one version tested. Other versions may behave differently.
No emulator needed: Portal 2 runs natively on the Apple chip. How nxnative compares with emulators
Running through nxnative
How Portal 2 runs
Portal 2 plays on the Mac at 60 fps with sound. Tested through the title menu, a new game and the opening of Chapter 1: waking in the relaxation vault, Wheatley's arrival, the whole container ride and the way out of it, which earns the "Wake Up Call" achievement. It has not yet been built for or tested on an iPhone.
How it runs
Portal 2 uses the same Switch version of Valve's Source engine as Portal, and nxnative runs it the same way. On an Apple M6 Mac the GPU needed only about 2.4 ms per frame, and the game used about 2.25 GB of memory during the container ride, flat to the end of it.
The game normally skips drawing objects hidden behind walls. nxnative draws them all instead, which gives the right picture at some cost on the GPU.
Bring update 1.0.3
Only update 1.0.3 has been tested, and nxnative's profile has no entry for the base game alone. Put the update in the same folder as the base game before you Pack.
Controls
Portal 2 is a first-person game, so the Packed app starts in the 3D touch layout: move with the left stick and look around with the right. The right stick is not drawn; touch the right third of the screen where there is no control. In the game, X uses and A jumps.
Good to know
- The test chambers, with portals, the portal gun and lasers, have not been tested yet.
- On a fresh save, chapters 2 and later show as locked.
Known issues
- It has not yet been built for or tested on an iPhone.
- Only the opening of Chapter 1 has been played; the test chambers are untested.
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/portal-2 -k ~/keys/prod.keysFAQ
Does Portal 2 work with nxnative?
Yes. Portal 2 is tested with nxnative on update 1.0.3.
Which iPhone, iPad or Mac do I need to play Portal 2?
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 Portal 2 included?
No. Neither this site nor nxnative includes any game. You Pack Portal 2 from your own copy of the game, with keys dumped from your own Switch.
Does online play work in Portal 2?
Online play in Portal 2 is not confirmed to work, so do not count on it.
