Every fact on this page applies to update 1.4.0, the one version tested. Other versions may behave differently.
No emulator needed: Super Mario Galaxy 2 runs natively on the Apple chip. How nxnative compares with emulators
Running through nxnative
How Super Mario Galaxy 2 runs
Super Mario Galaxy 2 plays on the iPhone, with a Packed app of about 3 GB. Like the first Galaxy, the Switch release runs the original Wii game through an emulation layer that draws with Vulkan, and nxnative's profile for it is the first Galaxy's with its own memory layout and shader list. Everything nxnative needed for Galaxy carries over.
How it runs
On the Mac, testing reached the title, file select by touch, the opening and the first storybook stage at about 60 fps. On iPhone, a steady game's frame counter used to wander between 50 and 60 because the game's internal clocks drifted against the screen's refresh. They now follow the display's own timing, which removed the wobble.
Controls
The Packed app starts in handheld mode with the 3D touch layout. In handheld mode the pointer for Star Bits, menus and file select is the touch screen: touches that miss the gamepad controls and the right-stick area move it. On the Mac, use the mouse. Docked mode would put the pointer on a Joy-Con's gyro, which nxnative does not provide for this game.
Good to know
- Effects drawn as points or lines on the Wii appear one pixel wide, because those shaders are not translated yet.
- Tested with update 1.4.0.
Known issues
- Effects the Wii drew as points or lines come out only one pixel wide.
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/super-mario-galaxy-2 -k ~/keys/prod.keysFAQ
Does Super Mario Galaxy 2 work with nxnative?
Yes. Super Mario Galaxy 2 is tested with nxnative on update 1.4.0.
Which iPhone, iPad or Mac do I need to play Super Mario Galaxy 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 Super Mario Galaxy 2 included?
No. Neither this site nor nxnative includes any game. You Pack Super Mario Galaxy 2 from your own copy of the game, with keys dumped from your own Switch.
Does online play work in Super Mario Galaxy 2?
Online play in Super Mario Galaxy 2 is not confirmed to work, so do not count on it.
