As people begin porting games to PC, Nintendo wants to hire someone to preserve its games

Published Nov 10, 2026, 7:23 PM EST Simon is a Computer Science BSc graduate who has been writing about technology since 2014, and using Windows machines since 3.1. After working for an indie game studio and acting as the family's go-to technician for all computer issues, he found his passion for writing and decided to use his skill set to write about all things tech. Since beginning his writing career, he has written for many different publications such as WorldStart, Listverse, and MakeTechEasier. However, after finding his home at MakeUseOf in February 2019, he would eventually move on to its sister site, XDA, to bring the latest and greatest in Windows, Linux, and DIY electronics. Summary Nintendo hires a "Digital Archivist" to preserve and organize legacy hardware and software. AI decompilations are porting remakes to PC, raising legal and preservation questions. I suspect Nintendo may re-release native Switch 2 ports to outcompete unofficial PC ports. It has been a really weird year for Nintendo. It seemed like the company was going to have a big hit with the Switch 2, but we're already seeing reports that people are using AI to decompile games like The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time's remake and port them over to PC. We've yet to see how game developers will respond to this new trend. Microsoft has already taken its stance, as it announced a studio entirely dedicated to decompilations and ports. And while Nintendo hasn't made an official claim on its stance, I suspect that its recent job advert for a digital archivist may play into it, too. Nintendo is looking for a digital archivist to preserve its games There are a lot of games worth keeping So, let's start with what Nintendo has confirmed before we jump into speculation. IGN spotted a job advert on the Nintendo of America website, which has a spot ready for a "Digital Archivist, Historical Systems." It's a 12-month position in the Redmond, WA area, and the lucky candidate will get to do the following: "We are seeking a Digital Archivist, Historical Systems to support the preservation, organization, and accessibility of historical hardware and software information. This role will design and implement a structured framework for organizing technical records, engineering documentation, source materials, and institutional knowledge related to legacy systems and platforms." As you might expect, you need a lot of qualifications to be considered for the spot, and it pays $33-55. Nintendo may be moving to outperform the AI ports If it doesn't, someone will Now that we have the facts out of the way, let's explore why Nintendo is looking for someone for this role. On the surface, there are some very valid answers: Nintendo does have a digital library of titles that people can play with their Nintendo Online subscription, for instance. Plus, the excitement around The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake may have inspired the company to take better care of its older titles. However, I suspect this sudden interest in organizing older titles is part of a larger push to stem the flow of AI decompilations and ports. Emulators have always been a thorn in Nintendo's side, but this poses an even bigger threat, as people are figuring out ways to port the code over to PCs and consoles without the need for an emulator. So, how do you beat that kind of power? Simple: you outdo them. This job offering could be the start of Nintendo bringing its whole past library onto its consoles. And this time, it doesn't need to use an emulator; it could, in theory, use the same techniques people use to get Nintendo games running natively on the PC to get them on the Switch 2. Bundle them all in with a Nintendo Online subscription, and people suddenly don't have much incentive to download hundreds of decomp games on their PC. Again, this is just me speculating, and Nintendo has neither confirmed nor denied any plans to outdo the decomp community. But I wouldn't be surprised if the company announces plans to capitalize on this new frontier.