B2recomp: Run Bayonetta 2 Natively on Windows 10 and 11 With Your Own Switch Dump

What it is, and what it isn't​

B2recomp translates the Switch version's AArch64 program code to C on your own PC. It runs the result natively on Windows through a re-implemented system layer covering threads, file system, audio, input, and the NVN graphics API on Vulkan. The README says it is not an emulator, with no CPU interpreter and no JIT.

The legal and practical boundary matters here. The repository says it contains no game code, game assets, Nintendo SDK code, firmware, system fonts or encryption keys, and it doesn't say where to get them. Everything derived from the game is generated on your PC from your dump and must stay there. The README's phrase "legally dumped copy" is the project's wording. It is not a legal ruling on any particular user's copy or on how it was obtained.

The project describes itself as non-commercial. It says it has no donations, paid builds or advertising, and it is not affiliated with Nintendo, PlatinumGames or SEGA.

What you need​

• Game data: Your own extracted copy of Bayonetta 2 with version 1.2 (update v131072) applied. The README says to supply the ExeFS and RomFS as plain files. Encrypted packages (.nsp, .xci, .nca) are refused, because the project decrypts nothing and reads no keys.
• OS and GPU: Windows 10 or 11 on x64, and a GPU with a Vulkan 1.3 driver. The README says a Linux version is in testing.
• Disk space: About 1.5 GB free for the builder package, according to the README. An early release note estimated about 15 GB in total once your dump is counted.
• Tools: The builder package needs nothing else installed. Building from source needs Python 3.10 or later and the tools listed in BUILDING.md.

A caveat for older Radeon cards​

The README documents a limitation on AMD Radeon RX 400 and 500 (Polaris) cards on Windows. AMD's Windows driver lacks Vulkan features the renderer normally uses, and it offers no mailbox vsync. The project works around this. The game runs, confirmed on an RX 560, but expect shader-compilation hitches early on, and vsync waits for the screen (FIFO). The README blames the driver, not the card. It says the Mesa RADV driver on Linux has the missing features.

How well does it work?​

All figures below are the developer's own measurements. They are not independent testing.

• Test machine: Windows 11, 16 threads, a Vulkan 1.3 GPU.
• Prologue: The README says it was played through for 900 seconds with no crash.
• Chapter 1: Played by hand with a controller, past the first part.
• Later chapters: The README says they are still being played and tested.
• Scripted benchmark: The tutorial and first fight ran at 59.5 fps at the 60 setting and 119 fps at the 120 setting, with zero faults.
• Other hardware: The README says players have run it on AMD Radeon cards from the RX 560 to the RX 9070 XT, and on Windows 10. Fixes for their reports are in v0.2.1 to v0.2.6.

The project's own advice is to expect bugs. This is an early, actively developed project, not a finished port. The release history supports that. v0.2.7 fixed a blurry picture on screens with display scaling and a crash in Tag Climax's online mode. v0.2.5 fixed cinematic lip sync at frame rates above 60.

Setup, step by step​

1. Prepare one folder containing exefs\ and romfs\, extracted from your own copy with update 1.2 applied. Keep it in place, because the README says the game reads romfs\ from there every time it runs.
2. Download the builder ZIP from the repository's Releases page and unzip it into its own folder.
3. Start B2recomp.exe. Click Browse, or drag the dump folder onto the window. It tells you immediately whether the folder looks right.
4. Press Build. The README says this takes about five minutes on a fast PC. If the version is wrong, the window says so, and a Logs folder holds the details.
5. When the build finishes, the window becomes the launcher. Choose your settings, then press Play. Play also saves.

An early release note warned that Windows SmartScreen may flag B2recomp.exe because it is unsigned. The note says to choose "More info", then "Run anyway". That is the project's guidance. Whether to override a SmartScreen warning is your call. Only download the builder from the repository's official Releases page.

Recommended launcher settings​

The 120 fps mode is beta. The README says combos, hit-stop, Witch Time and slow motion keep their 60 fps timing. It also warns that some effects and menus may run faster. Ultrawide support is a choice between black bars and stretching. It is not a redesign of the game for ultrawide displays.

Controls​

• Controllers: DualSense, DualShock, Xbox, Switch Pro and most other SDL3 pads are supported. Connect the controller before pressing Play.
• Controller tools: The launcher includes a test option and a remap option for pads with mixed-up buttons. A "Face buttons" setting decides whether A is the right-hand button, as on a Switch, or the button printed A.
• Keyboard and mouse: They work at the same time as a controller. Defaults include WASD to move, mouse to aim the camera, left and right click for punch and kick, Space to jump, left Shift to dodge, and Esc to pause. Every binding can be changed.
• Button icons: The game shows Switch prompts. PlayStation or Xbox pictures need a separate community mod, Controller Prompts Replacement by Timo654. You put its folder in mods\ beside B2recomp.exe. DSOGaming made this sound like a built-in option. It is not.

Mods​

Put mods made for the Switch version into a mods\ folder beside B2recomp.exe, and toggle them with Mods... in the launcher. Texture, model and sound mods take effect at the next start. Code mods (.pchtxt, .ips) are built into the game, and Apply (rebuild) takes about a minute with the game closed. The README doesn't promise that every Switch mod works, so test mods one at a time.

Saves, shader cache and updates​

• First run: The README says the first start takes about 10 seconds longer. A new area can hitch briefly while graphics are prepared. The result is cached, so it happens once per location.
• Saves: They live in build\play\userdata.
• Updating: The README says to close B2recomp, unzip the new builder over the old folder and replace the files when Windows asks. Saves, settings and mods stay. Start B2recomp.exe, press Build (a minute or two, because only changes are rebuilt), then Play.
• Updating from v0.2.x: The release notes say to copy build\play\userdata, config and optionally cache from the old folder into the new one after the build. Follow the notes for your version.

Troubleshooting​

• Black window or Vulkan error at start: Update your graphics driver.
• Keys or controller do nothing: Click the game window first. Input is read only while the window is in front.
• Wrong-version message: Extract your dump again with update 1.2 (v131072) applied.
• "File in use" during a rebuild: Close the game and press the button again.
• Asking for help: Use the launcher's Report... button. It creates b2recomp-report.zip with logs and PC details (Windows version, CPU, graphics card and driver), and the README says it contains nothing of the game. Issues must be in English and include that report.

Why it matters​

Static recompilation turns console code into native PC code ahead of time. That avoids the runtime overhead of emulation. It also makes a Switch title behave like a Windows app, so it benefits from Vulkan drivers, high refresh rates and PC input. The same approach is behind many recent unofficial ports, and DSOGaming's long list of them shows how fast the trend is growing. This project's runtime follows that pattern. Portkoi's listing says it uses an NVN-to-Vulkan runtime derived from Denkishi's ssbu-recomp. The README credits the same upstream code and says AI helped with reverse engineering.

The tradeoffs are real. You need a console you own, a correct dump at the right version, and some patience. Support is limited, and you are relying on a young project from one developer. Rights holders could also act against it, and the README points them to GitHub's takedown process.

Bottom line: B2recomp is an interesting, well-documented early project. It has meaningful PC options, but it is not a plug-and-play release. If you can legitimately supply the game data and your GPU has a Vulkan 1.3 driver, it is worth watching. Expect rough edges, especially on older Radeon cards and in the beta 120 fps mode.