TotK Recomp vs UltraTears vs SkyboundTOTK
In late October 2026 three separate projects released native PC builds of Tears of the Kingdom. All use static recompilation, none include game files, and all are experimental.
| TotK Recomp | UltraTears | SkyboundTOTK | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Developer | valentderah | kuraeow | NotRexed |
| First on GitHub | Oct 29, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | Oct 27, 2026 |
| GitHub stars (Oct 31) | about 2,250 | about 480 | about 450 |
| Game version | 1.2.1 or 1.4.3 | 1.4.3 | 1.0.0 base game |
| Input you provide | NSP/XCI + update + prod.keys | extracted exefs/romfs folders (reads no keys) | extracted ExeFS/RomFS |
| Platforms | Windows; Linux/Steam Deck (0.2.1) | Windows (Linux/Deck planned) | Windows x64, Linux x86_64 |
| Renderer | Vulkan 1.3 | Vulkan 1.3 (VK_EXT_shader_object) | wgpu-native |
| Frame rate | 60 default, up to 144 (experimental) | 30 (game’s own) in first beta | not stated |
| Ultrawide / 16:10 | yes, with HUD layouts | not yet | not stated |
| Settings menu | yes (F1) | not yet | no |
| Setup | graphical installer from Releases | builder package from Releases | build yourself (MSVC tools + Clang) |
| Disk | 36 GB during setup | 32 GB output + 16 GB dump | 45 GB + dump |
Facts from each project’s README and release notes on October 31, 2026. Links: TotK Recomp, UltraTears, SkyboundTOTK.
Which one should you try?
- Most players: TotK Recomp. It has a real installer, the most fixes for AMD and Intel GPUs, and the most active development.
- You already have extracted 1.4.3 folders and do not want to hand keys to a tool: UltraTears, which decrypts nothing.
- You only have the 1.0.0 base game and like building from source: SkyboundTOTK.
On a Mac?
None of the three run on macOS. MacNativeGames builds Tears of the Kingdom natively for Apple Silicon; TotK Recomp itself reuses its shader list.
Why so many at once?
They share building blocks. TotK Recomp credits LAS Recomp, MacNativeGames, nxnative, SavageWindRecomp (a native port of Breath of the Wild), Ryujinx and others. Once those existed, a TotK port became much easier.
FAQ
Which TotK PC port is best?
As of October 31, 2026, TotK Recomp has the most features (installer from game packages, 1.2.1 and 1.4.3, up to 144 fps, ultrawide, settings menu, Linux) and the most GitHub stars (about 2,250). UltraTears and SkyboundTOTK are earlier-stage. All three are experimental.
What is the difference between TotK Recomp and UltraTears?
Both statically recompile the game for Windows. TotK Recomp takes the NSP/XCI and keys and supports 1.2.1 and 1.4.3; UltraTears takes already-extracted exefs/romfs folders of 1.4.3, reads no keys, and as of its first beta runs at the game’s own 30 fps with no settings menu.
What is SkyboundTOTK?
An experimental static recompilation by NotRexed that targets the 1.0.0 base game on Windows x64 and Linux. You build it yourself with Visual Studio Build Tools and Clang from an extracted ExeFS and RomFS.
Is a native port better than Ryujinx?
Native ports avoid emulating the CPU and prepare shaders ahead of time, which is why they can run at high frame rates. Emulators support many games and are more mature; these ports support one game and are early.