Tico Switch

tico
General
Author	dantiicu
Type	Other Emulators
Version	0.6.0-alpha
License	tiicu
Last Updated	2026/04/06
Links
Download
Website
Source

Tico is the first custom emulation frontend for Nintendo Switch — a controller-first, native C++ interface designed for performance, simplicity, and long-term portability.

User guide

tico is a multi-platform emulation frontend focused on delivering a console-quality user experience.

Instead of file browsers, configuration menus, and fragmented tools, tico provides a unified interface that automatically organizes games, manages assets, and launches embedded emulator cores with zero user configuration.

It is designed to feel like a real console UI — not a development tool.

What tico does not include

tico does not include:

• ROMs
• BIOS files
• System firmware
• DRM circumvention tools

Users are responsible for legal ownership of games and compliance with local laws.

Features

Interface

• Redesigned UI with full dark mode
• Home screen with customizable game shortcuts and a dedicated favorites page
• Dynamic customizable cards — use custom images as console covers with swappable symbols and backgrounds
• Unified multi-console launcher
• Controller-first navigation
• Instant library loading with intelligent caching
• One-button rescan system
• Nintendo Switch account integration (avatar and nickname displayed in the interface)
• SteamGridDB integration — download cover art directly from the tico interface (API key required from steamgriddb.com)

Settings

• Comprehensive Settings screen with General, Display, Audio, Gamelist, and Emulator sections
• General settings: clock format (12-hour or 24-hour), ROM root directory picker with in-app folder navigation
• Per-core aspect ratio settings with unified display modes: 4:3, 16:9, Stretch, Integer 1×, and Integer 2×
• Per-core display configuration

Game Management

• Automatic No-Intro and Redump naming support
• Auto-organization by system and region
• Direct pinning from library to home screen
• Structured save and asset directories

Embedded and External Emulator Cores

• Built-in, statically linked cores
• External core support for flexible management, easier updates, and licensing compliance
• Resume app state support for external cores
• No manual installation
• No configuration required
• Optimized builds for Nintendo Switch

System

• Auto directory initialization — tico creates the complete folder structure for all supported consoles on first launch
• BIOS validation — tico checks for required BIOS files before launching a game and displays a clear error if any are missing

Architecture

• Written in modern C++
• Native performance
• No scripting languages
• No heavy frameworks
• Designed for long-term portability

Supported Systems

• Game Boy (GB)
• Game Boy Color (GBC)
• Game Boy Advance (GBA)
• Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)
• Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES)
• Nintendo 64 (N64)
• PlayStation 1 (PS1)
• PlayStation Portable (PSP)
• Sega Dreamcast (DC)
• Sega Saturn
• Sega Game Gear
• Sega Master System
• Sega Mega Drive (Genesis)
• Sega CD

Installation

1. Copy the tico folder to the root of your SD card
2. Place tico.nro inside the switch folder
3. Launch any game while holding R to open the Homebrew Menu
4. Open tico
5. Install required cores via the in-app settings updater or manually from https://github.com/ticohq
6. Enjoy

Note: On first launch, tico auto-generates its full directory structure. After opening tico once, reconnect your Switch to a PC or phone to copy ROMs, saves, and BIOS files into the correct locations.

Important: tico does not work in applet mode.

Important (0.6.0): Cores are no longer bundled with tico. Systems will not run until the required cores are installed. Cores can be installed from the in-app settings updater or manually via https://github.com/ticohq.

Migrating from earlier versions

The project directory has been renamed from tiicu to tico. Existing users must:

1. Navigate to the root of the SD card
2. Rename the tiicu folder to tico
3. Move custom assets: sdmc:/tiicu/covers → sdmc:/tico/assets/covers and sdmc:/tiicu/backgrounds → sdmc:/tico/assets/backgrounds

All ROMs, saves, states, and configuration will remain intact.

Note: If you have a custom ROM path set via the old custom_roms_path field in roms.json, migrate your path through the new Settings interface — that field is deprecated and will be ignored.

Directory Structure

ROMs should be organized in the following structure:

sdmc:/tico/roms/{console}/
sdmc:/tico/assets/covers/{console}/
sdmc:/tico/assets/backgrounds/{console}/
sdmc:/tico/saves/{console}/
sdmc:/tico/states/{console}/

Where {console} can be: gb, gbc, gba, nes, snes, n64, psx, psp, dc, saturn, game-gear, master-system, genesis, sega-cd

ROMs can be organized into subfolders one level deep (e.g. psx/Resident Evil 2 (Disc 1)/).

Artwork must match ROM names (without extension) and must be in JPG format.

Custom ROM Path

You can set a custom ROM root directory through the built-in Settings screen under General Settings. Use the in-app folder navigation to select your preferred ROM root directory.

Note: Changing the ROM root path invalidates existing caches; a one-time rescan will be required.

Inside your custom path, keep consoles separated in their respective folders.

BIOS Requirements

PlayStation (PS1)

Place one of the following BIOS files in: sdmc:/tico/system/psx/

• scph5501.bin
• scph5502.bin
• scph5500.bin
• scph1001.bin

Sega Saturn

Place one of the following BIOS files in: sdmc:/tico/system/saturn/

• saturn_bios.bin
• sega_101.bin
• mpr-17933.bin

Dreamcast

Place the following BIOS file in:

sdmc:/tico/system/dc/

• dc_boot.bin — Dreamcast Boot ROM

Sega Systems

All Sega BIOS files should be placed in:

sdmc:/tico/system/sega-cd/

Sega CD / Mega CD:

• bios_CD_U.bin — Sega CD (NTSC-U)
• bios_CD_E.bin — Mega CD (PAL)
• bios_CD_J.bin — Mega CD (NTSC-J)

Super Nintendo (Satellaview)

For Satellaview games on SNES:

• Copy BS-X.bin to: sdmc:/tico/system/snes/

Controls

Navigation

• Type 1 — Dock: L/R, Pages: D-Pad ←/→
• Type 2 — Dock: ZL/ZR, Pages: L/R

In-Game

• Press + and - together to suspend gameplay and access game options
• Configure aspect ratio settings per-core for optimal display

Sega Saturn

• Press ZL and − to switch between Standard Pad and 3D Pad

Configuration

Settings Screen

The built-in Settings screen provides access to:

• General Settings — Clock format, ROM root directory
• Display Settings — Visual preferences
• Audio Settings — Sound output and volume controls
• Gamelist Settings — Library organization and display options
• Emulator Settings — Per-core configuration, core downloads and updates

Core Settings

PSP core settings can be customized at:

sdmc:/tico/config/cores/ppsspp.jsonc

Core improvements include:

• PPSSPP (PSP): 2x resolution rendering, 60fps support
• SwanStation (PS1): 2x resolution rendering, TrueColor mode enabled
• SNES9x (SNES): Overclock mode (Compatible), Flicker Reduction, Sinc Audio Resampling
• mGBA (GBA): Smart Color Blending, No Frameskip
• Gambatte (GB/GBC): Ghosting Reduction, Sinc Audio Resampling
• Flycast (Dreamcast): Seamless handheld-to-docked transitions, 1080p docked mode
• Beetle Saturn (Saturn): 720p/1080p output, FXAA, Scanlines, Bilinear filters, Standard Pad and 3D Pad support
• Mupen64Plus (N64): Initial support

Screenshots

Changelog

0.6.0-alpha 2026/04/06

• Breaking: Cores are no longer bundled with tico — cores must be installed manually after updating
• Breaking: Systems will not run until required cores are installed
• New: External core distribution model — cores are now distributed and updated independently from the main application
• New: Core downloads and updates available directly from the settings screen
• New: Nintendo 64 support via Mupen64Plus (note: app must be restarted after exiting an N64 game)
• New: FinalBurn Neo support via FBNeo
• New: ROM subfolder support — ROMs can be organized into subfolders one level deep
• New: Multi-disc handling — multi-disc titles grouped into a single entry with Disc 1 as primary; optional setting to list each disc individually
• New: Localization — English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Japanese, and Chinese
• New: RetroAchievements screen with online summary and progress (supported platforms: Dreamcast, FinalBurn Neo, GB, GBC, GBA, Game Gear, Master System, Mega Drive, N64, NES, PlayStation, PSP, Sega CD, Sega Saturn, SNES)
• New: Navigation type option — Type 1 (Dock: L/R, Pages: D-Pad ←/→) or Type 2 (Dock: ZL/ZR, Pages: L/R)
• New (Saturn): CHD support (.chd), 1MB and 4MB RAM cartridge support, optional async rendering, optional compute shader output, fixed SRAM save persistence
• New (PlayStation): Rumble support, corrected button mapping, memory card support (.mcd, .mcr), automatic multi-disc switching
• New: Mesa 23.3 driver — shader cache support and NIR compiler for improved GPU utilization
• Fixed: Cover art loading for .cue, .m3u, and .bin formats
• Fixed: Core startup/exit when Music and SFX is enabled
• Core updates: All cores updated for improved compatibility and stability

0.5.0-alpha 2026/02/18

• New: Sega Saturn support (720p/1080p, 60fps 2D / 30fps 3D, Standard Pad and 3D Pad, FXAA/Scanlines/Bilinear filters)
• New: SteamGridDB integration — download cover art directly from the interface (API key required)
• New: General Settings section (clock format, ROM root directory picker with in-app folder navigation)
• New: Unified aspect ratio display modes across all cores (4:3, 16:9, Stretch, Integer 1×, Integer 2×)
• New: Auto directory initialization on first launch for all supported consoles
• New: BIOS validation — checks for required BIOS files before launching and displays clear error messages
• Improvement: Flycast seamless handheld-to-docked transitions, fixed 1080p docked resolution
• Improvement: Expanded PS1 BIOS compatibility (scph5501.bin, scph5502.bin, scph5500.bin, scph1001.bin)
• Improvement: Simplified Dreamcast BIOS requirement (dc_boot.bin only)
• Changed: Custom ROM path configuration via roms.json is deprecated — use the Settings interface instead
• Various minor fixes and stability improvements

0.4.0-alpha 2026/02/10

• Redesigned: Complete visual overhaul with new UI, refined colors, and sleek iconography
• Redesigned: Full dark mode across the entire application
• New: Dynamic customizable cards — custom images as console covers, swappable symbols and backgrounds
• New: Nintendo Switch account integration (avatar and nickname)
• New: Comprehensive Settings screen (Display, Audio, Gamelist, Emulator)
• New: Sega Dreamcast support
• New: Favorites page opens automatically on launch
• New: Per-core aspect ratio settings (stretch or integer scaling)
• New: External core support for flexible management and licensing compliance
• New: Resume app state support for external cores
• Changed: Project directory renamed from tiicu to tico
• Changed: Asset directories moved under sdmc:/tico/assets/
• Changed: Navigation — D-PAD Left/Right swaps home screen pages, L/R navigates docked screens

0.3.0-alpha 2026/01/23

• Fixed: Custom ROM paths now work correctly
• Fixed: Moving shortcuts no longer creates duplicates
• Fixed: PlayStation analog stick/axis controls now function properly
• Improvement: "Add to homescreen" automatically navigates to first available page
• New: Alert notification when all home screen pages are full
• New: Sega Game Gear support
• New: Sega Master System support
• New: Sega Mega Drive (Genesis) support
• New: Sega CD support
• New: PSP CHD format support
• New: Advanced PPSSPP settings customization via config file

0.0.2 2026/01/20

• Major: ROM scanning no longer strictly enforces No-Intro or Redump naming
• New: Custom ROM path configuration support
• New: NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) support
• Improvement: Desktop items now animate gracefully on startup
• Improvement: Consoles organized alphabetically in launcher
• Improvement: Better animation when entering games
• Bugfix: Shortcuts no longer disappear when deleting or moving other shortcuts
• Core: PPSSPP 2x resolution rendering, 60fps support
• Core: SwanStation 2x resolution rendering, TrueColor mode
• Core: SNES9x Overclock mode, Flicker Reduction, Sinc Audio Resampling
• Core: mGBA Smart Color Blending, No Frameskip
• Core: Gambatte Ghosting Reduction, Sinc Audio Resampling

External links

• Reddit - https://www.reddit.com/r/SwitchHacks/comments/1qh2kxc/tiicu_001_is_here_the_first_custom_emulator/
• Github - https://github.com/ticohq/tico
• Discord - https://discord.gg/DPgXGqJMkJ