Nintendo and Cyanogen almost partnered for the Switch

Nintendo and Cyanogen almost partnered for the Switch

Nintendo was flirting with Android again, but it looks like Cyanogen didn't pick up.

You know that massively successful new console Nintendo can't keep in stores? The one that smashed Nintendo's own sales records and caused the company to dramatically ramp up production to meet demand? Apparently the OS for that console was almost based largely on Android, but Cyanogen's Kirt McMaster put a stop to that according to his Twitter feed.

From a fun, nerdy perspective, it would have been kind of cool to know the Switch was based on Android. And, knowing some of the nice performance enhancement things Cyanogen projects had been capable of, it's not impossible to imagine a Switch that was even more capable as a result of that custom OS. But that's what it would have been, a custom closed down version of Android that didn't look anything like the OS you see on tablets and phones. It would have been an entirely unique and locked down thing, which was very much the opposite of what Cyanogen was all about as a company.

Lots of folks in the Android bubble hear the name Cyanogen and immediately think of CEO Kirt McMaster very publicly saying a lot of very silly things about how successful the company was going to be. With the company dismantled and its core features picking up steam as the community-led LineageOS, you may find yourself wondering how he feels about passing up something like opportunity to work on the Nintendo Switch.

Hindsight is always 20/20, but it looks like he'd be a little more "open" to the idea if it were to come back around. Given the complete lack of reputation these days, that second chance is a little more than unlikely.

Check out more of our Nintendo Switch coverage over on iMore!