Emulation is not illegal, it's the act of pirating software that doesn't belong to you that's illegal, and it's annoying a lot of people keep acting like emulation and pirating are one in the same. Like it's technically emulation that allows us to play NES, SNES, N64, Genesis, Game Boy, and Game Boy Advance games on the Switch, digital PS1, 2, and PSP games on the PS5, and games from older Xbox consoles on the Series X.

When it comes to PIRACY though my personal "chart" is this:

1) Is the publisher and/or developer providing a legitimate means in which to play or purchase the software in the modern era? I would suggest NOT pirating the software as I believe the company which owns the IP should be shown said IP still has relevance. Sometimes it might even lead to a new entry, like when Sin and Punishment got a sequel on the Wii because the original N64 game got a lot of positive attention on the Virtual Console.

2) Is the publisher and or developer NOT offering a modern legitimate means to play or purchase the software? Then piracy is the only real option the consumer has because absolutely no proper legal means of even showing support to the IP in question exists.

Is kind of funny how Emulation is legal because you are supposed to do it when dumping your games when the majority actually pirate for it, but because it's actually impossible to prove it unless you literally ask for the physical copy of the game and proof that it was dumped everyone no one can do anything about it

Is even more notable with Switch emulation as the process to do it legally is more elaborated and higher possibility of ruining your console