Nintendo wanted to partner with Cyanogen for Switch’s OS, CEO wasn’t interested
While Switch was in early development, Nintendo reached out to Cyanogen about a partnership. According to former Cyanogen CEO Kirt McMaster, the two sides would have worked together on a custom-made OS, which would have been based around Android. Nothing ever materialized as McMaster told Nintendo to “stick it.”
McMaster wrote on Twitter:
@romainguy @dnaltews @rebelleader In the early days of cyanogen Nintendo wanted us to create an os for a certain portable. I told them to stick it.
— Kirt McMaster (@kynprime) March 21, 2017
McMaster added that Switch mostly uses a custom kernel. However, it does contain “bits of Android” as well.
@romainguy @dnaltews @rebelleader Was under consideration. Switch is mostly custom kernel. They used bits of android.
— Kirt McMaster (@kynprime) March 21, 2017
Despite coming off as somewhat hostile in that first tweet, McMaster is a Switch owner himself and is quite the fan of Zelda:
@dnaltews @rebelleader Working late at the office tonight! pic.twitter.com/dUBmNVokV3
— Kirt McMaster (@kynprime) March 21, 2017
@dnaltews @romainguy @rebelleader I wish Nintendo would open this love to build a v2 with telephony. Love it. GF started playing Zelda… 5 days later not left her side.
— Kirt McMaster (@kynprime) March 21, 2017
Ultimately what happened here worked out best for Nintendo. Cynanogen itself is pretty much dead at this point after all services were closed at the end of last year, and the CyanogenMod OS no longer has official support. Meanwhile, though it’s missing some functionality, Switch’s OS has been praised for its snappy and quick nature.
