Zelda Link Awakening Android received an experimental native version on October 20, 2026. The project LAS Recomp for Android adapts the recompilation of The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (Switch, 2019) for ARM64 mobile phones. According to the developer, there are touch controls, optional Brazilian Portuguese translation, and frame generation to display up to 60 FPS on a tested device.
This is an independent initiative, unaffiliated with Nintendo. Unlike a Switch emulator, the application recompiles the game code for native execution on the phone. The APK does not include the game or its files.
Zelda Link Awakening Android: what changes?
In addition, the fork adds a mobile-adapted interface, Vulkan rendering, and virtual buttons that appear according to available actions. The user can also move, resize, or hide the controls. Furthermore, the project offers stated support for USB and Bluetooth controllers, although the author has not yet tested this function on the device used as a reference.
Home screen of the Android port, published in developer Nycolazs' repository.
In turn, the interface offers a fan translation by Projeto Zelda Brasil — Heroes of Time, applied to the user's own files. Among the features inherited from LAS Recomp are aspect ratio adjustments, a randomizer, save tools, and visual options. Our previous article about LAS Recomp on PC and Mac explains the origin of the project.
60 displayed FPS are not native 60 FPS
For example, on the Galaxy S20 FE with Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, and modified Android 16, the author reports 60 frames displayed per second at the default internal resolution. However, the game continues to output 30 real frames while the system generates intermediate frames. Therefore, the result does not equate to native 60 FPS execution.
In addition, the developer reports about 11 minutes to prepare the code on the initial setup. This time and performance have not been confirmed by independent testing. Compatibility with other devices remains under evaluation, and phones with GPUs other than Adreno may present limitations.
Illustrative image of the original game for Nintendo Switch (2019); it does not represent testing of the Android port. Credit: Nintendo/MobyGames.
How to install Zelda Link Awakening Android
To start, the README requires Android 11 or higher, an ARM64 processor, and approximately 12 GB of free space during preparation. The project was primarily developed for Adreno GPUs and includes the Turnip driver. A legally obtained, personally owned copy of Link's Awakening version 1.0.0 is also required, along with the corresponding files from the user's console. The application does not distribute ROMs, games, or keys.
- Download the official APK LASRecomp-Android-1.0.0.apk from the release published on October 20. The file is approximately 80 MB, according to the GitHub log.
- Install the application on your mobile phone. Android may request authorization to install applications from this source.
- With the files from your own copy of the game already available on the device, select the corresponding folder on the home screen and use Set up game files.
- Wait for the initial preparation and open the game. Adjust the controls and resolution in the application settings.
For now, the button points to the APK of release 1.0.0 confirmed on October 20; it is not an automatic update route. The developer also published the version record and SHA-256 sum. The package was identified in the GitHub metadata, but was not installed or audited by our team.
Limitations and project stage
To date, however, the developer has documented tests on only one mobile phone model. They warn of overheating during preparation and recommend changing the internal resolution preferably on the home screen. The project is open-source, experimental, and, according to the README, was developed largely with the help of artificial intelligence, under human direction and review.
In short, Zelda Link Awakening Android represents a new platform for the recompilation already known on PC. However, broad compatibility, stability, and performance need further testing before any definitive recommendation.
Sources: official README of the Android port; release 1.0.0, from 10/20/2026; project commit.
