What you need to know
- A port of Super Mario 64 appeared online recently.
- The port runs natively on PCs, rather than in emulation, including support for DX12.
- The port can run in 4K or an ultra-wide mode.
A port of Super Mario 64 that runs on PCs appeared recently online. Playing Super Mario 64 on PCs isn't a new concept, but this new port runs natively on Windows 10, meaning it's not running in emulation. It also supports DX12. As a result, it runs smoothly and can run in 4K or ultra-wide modes. YouTuber Unreal shared an eleven-minute clip of the Super Mario 64 port running in 4K with a 16:9 aspect ratio (via VGC).
The port supports peripherals such as the Xbox One controller. In the video's description, Unreal states, "I use the Xbox One controller, turn it on and play." YouTube caps the video at 30FPS, so we can't see the port in all of its glory. Unreal shared a screenshot of the game running at 550FPS in 4K.
Some speculate that this port could be related to the recent leak of the Nintendo 64's source code. That leak only appeared online recently, and this new Super Mario 64 port took time to make, so there's a good chance the two are unrelated.
2020 is the 35th anniversary of Super Mario Bros' and Nintendo is reportedly releasing remakes of several classic Mario games. If you know where to look for this new port of Super Mario 64, you won't have to wait until those alleged remakes come out to enjoy some classic Mario. Because fan ports and games get taken down so quickly, links to games like this are well hidden.
