Metroid Prime recompilation is the proposal of a new independent project to run the GameCube classic as a native program on the computer. The repository prime-recomp, published on October 8, 2026, documents menus, introduction, and the beginning of first-person gameplay running on a Mac with Apple Silicon. Furthermore, the developer has started technical tests for the Meta Quest 3 headset.
The project of ethannicholas on GitHub uses static recompilation of the PowerPC executable to C. However, it is not a final version nor a new update of Metroid Prime Port 0.7.1 already reported by Allves Games: these are distinct initiatives, with their own technologies and schedules.
Metroid Prime recompilation reaches gameplay on Mac
According to author's technical report, the Mac version starts the game, displays the Retro Studios logo, plays the opening, and reaches the Frigate Orpheon. The scenery, Samus's ship, the weapon, and the combat interface appear during the initial segment. Therefore, there is already documented demonstration beyond the menu.
Capture of the original GameCube Metroid Prime, used as a reference for the initial area. Does not represent prime-recomp. Source: Metroid Wiki.
The game code undergoes ahead-of-time translation, while the runtime replaces the console's video, audio, disk, and controller services. Thus, the program does not execute PowerPC logic through a conventional CPU emulator. Even so, reproducing hardware behavior remains an important part of the project.
The author also reports fixing issues that hid the ship and Samus during the introduction. Furthermore, an audio processing glitch was fixed on October 8th. However, the menu still displays duplicate text, and orange lines may appear in some scenarios.
Metroid Prime recompilation on Quest 3: VR has not yet been validated
The same repository describes compiling and installing an application on Meta Quest 3. A benchmark run on the device measured processing capacity above the 60 frames per second target in menus, according to the developer. However, this result does not prove a playable experience in virtual reality.
Historical image of the original game, not the experimental Quest 3 application. Source: Metroid Wiki.
In the current documentation, the author themselves states that the application has not yet been played inside the headset. The future goal is to toggle between a flat screen in cinematic scenes and stereoscopic vision during exploration. Therefore, there is no confirmation of full VR controls, functional stereo rendering in-game, or a finished campaign in the visor.
Windows also entered the port tests
On October 8, the developer ran the program on a virtual machine with Windows 11 ARM64. The test reproduced menus and the introduction via the Mesa llvmpipe software renderer, at about 22 FPS. However, this measurement corresponds to the virtual machine without proper graphics acceleration; it should not be presented as the expected performance of a real Windows PC.
GameCube game capture used only as a visual reference; it is not a prime-recomp test. Source: LaunchBox Games Database.
The confirmed target on Mac uses the American edition Rev 2, version 1.02 of Metroid Prime. The build system checks the disc executable and requires an image extracted from a legally acquired personal copy. Furthermore, the repository does not include game files, and there is no public binary release ready for installation.
What are the next steps?
Work remains focused on fixing graphical artifacts, testing the first stage until arrival at Tallon IV, and validating audio and saves. Afterward, the developer intends to run the virtual reality application on the Quest 3 to verify rendering and controls during actual gameplay.
The initiative joins other projects for GameCube, but follows a different path from the conventional emulation addressed in news about Dolphin. For now, the milestone is technical: Metroid Prime recompilation already demonstrates initial gameplay on Mac, without proof of a full campaign or VR ready.
Sources: prime-recomp — official repository; progress report; LaunchBox; Metroid Wiki.
