Hacking Best practice for preserving Switch 2 exploitability?

[Ian095]

If it has a day 1 update that is required. You're better getting that update than not getting it. As years from now if it is ESSENTIAL with online functionality you would pretty much rule yourself out of it is for 1.0.0 for example.

That and it's shown to be so much more useful for certain games which require a Nintendo Account connected. If I hadn't had this on my switch there would've been plenty of games for a long time I wouldn't have been able to launch.

Plus as someone else said, may as well enjoy those day 1 titles purchased that don't require an update further in offline mode.

 

[SylverReZ]

How come I can't see the X symbol under the word Member?

Only shows up if you change the theme to Throwback. Likely a bug with Tempstyles.

 

[ShintaiUS]

We agree on that. However, Nintendo could have implemented some new type of consistency check and signatures on the console. This would allow them to determine if the failure is due to a deliberated modification attempt or something else.

You don't know. There is no need to make assumption about what Nintendo will do or is doing.

Post automatically merged: Jun 3, 2025

Nintendo also claimed the 3DS was bulletproof back when it came out, but it's been cracked wide open. No doubt it'll be the most difficult to hack, but someone will figure it out, and I'd bet money the first exploit will require a soldered modchip.

All modern Nintendo consoles had been exploited since the DS. With such track record I would be shocked if an exploit / vulnerability isn't found over time.

 

[seany1990]

I will be lurking here for a few days to see what the consensus is before i open the box

 

[ShintaiUS]

...before i open the box

I keep seeing this, what is the deal with keeping it in a box? you think Nintendo somehow would connect to your console if you turn it on or take it out of the box?

 

[l7777]

You don't know. There is no need to make assumption about what Nintendo will do or is doing.

Post automatically merged: Jun 3, 2025

All modern Nintendo consoles had been exploited since the DS. With such track record I would be shocked if an exploit / vulnerability isn't found over time.

Prepare yourself. As noted many times, the Switch vulnerability currently in use isn't Nintendo's, it's Nvidia's. Better to assume that it won't be happening so you can be pleasantly surprised if it does.

Post automatically merged: Jun 3, 2025

I keep seeing this, what is the deal with keeping it in a box? you think Nintendo somehow would connect to your console if you turn it on or take it out of the box?

If no vulnerability shows up, people can sell as sealed in box and recoup most of the funds.

 

[ShintaiUS]

If no vulnerability shows up, people can sell as sealed in box and recoup most of the funds.

That makes sense.

 

[Prof0nWear]

If it has a day 1 update that is required. You're better getting that update than not getting it. As years from now if it is ESSENTIAL with online functionality you would pretty much rule yourself out of it is for 1.0.0 for example.

That and it's shown to be so much more useful for certain games which require a Nintendo Account connected. If I hadn't had this on my switch there would've been plenty of games for a long time I wouldn't have been able to launch.

Plus as someone else said, may as well enjoy those day 1 titles purchased that don't require an update further in offline mode.

Very wise comment.

 

[metaljay]

Very wise comment.

To be crystal clear, the day 1 patch people refer to is purely for the switch 1 game card support.
You do NOT need an update to play switch 2 cards with release.

 

[odun96]

Some hackers got their hands on Switch2:

1 - MIG Switch tested and it immediately locks out the Switch 2, turning it into a brick, ends up bootlooping.

2 - Testers that prod the flash storage of the rom chip it immediately locks out the Switch 2, turning it into a brick. Switch 2 detects has some weird protection that it can detect voltage changes that tools cause when scaning the chips, even whn it is minor.

Unless an exploit is found and doesn't result into a brick when implemented it wont happen in a long time, I know 3 testers that were working on hardware and software modding and know what they were doing just find that any work immediately bricks it and Nintendo gave a trouble shooting step to reload the firmware from SD card but it stuck in boot looping.

In the end it had to return to Nintendo and they longer allowed to be testers and had to pay for the console otherwise it will go to small claims court as it has some form of internal reporting that unauthorised use was made.

Apparently a another tester had an early access to a game and it crashed and rebooted but no longer worked until a reihnstall of firmware so it may be a sign that an exploit that triggers a reboot to run unsigned code is out of question as the firmware will refuse to run and needs a clean firmware.

Also FYI reinstalling firmware from SD Card is not offline, it is a generic app that only connects to a Nintendo server to get the latest firmware meaning it doesn't allow to install specific firmware version and no longer can be used as a work around.

Best bet is hope for an emulator and a way to dump Switch 2 roms.

Its interessting how many news portals did pick up your comment here and take it for granted. I think you still did not provide a proof right?

 

[lordelan]

Since you're asking for "best practice" is obviously to keep it completely untouched (sealed if you want to name it so).
However I highly doubt there'll be an exploit that would only work if you did not link your Nintendo account and apply the day one patch. It's still the "release date firmware" in a sense and thus as good as it can be to keep it in a save state for a potential exploit.
If there'll be a software exploit that only works on sealed consoles, the "target group" of people who would be able to use it would be so damn small anyways that it doesn't really matter at all that there is an exploit to begin with because what's the benefit of an exploit that almost nobody can use? How should a community arise from that?
I'm pretty sure there won't be a (good/mighty) software exploit anyway, more likely a modchip. Pretty sure Nvidia and Nintendo learned their lessons after what happened to the V1 Switch. Nobody can tell of course, but such a boot level kernel exploit like we had on the V1 that gives us literally access to everything is super unlikely happen again without a hardmod imho.

If your question wouldn't be that for a "best practice" but rather what we're going to do, then my (personal) answer is, that I'll be getting a release Switch, go online with it on day one to download stuff (Zelda, MKW, some Switch 1 games that I own digitally) to fill it up as much as possible, then day two onwards: Keep wifi turned off completely so that it stays on FW1.0 to be ready for whatever happens.

It's not that I "need" the Switch 2 at this point, owning a hacked OLED Switch, Steam Deck and countless Chinese handhelds + a MiSTer FPGA. At some point I wanna jump on that train of course, I'm a Nintendo guy after all and enjoy their franchises but I never use a Nintendo console actively without the ability to backup my saves (Checkpoint), FTP or something like RetroArch so I'm more than happy to keep it on FW1.0 for as many years as I have to and while I do, I can at least enjoy some launch titles on it, so that's fine.

 

[l7777]

The pure amount of churn over firmware updates is amazing. HOS is up to 20.1.1 now. The "Day 1" update is likely going to take people from 19.x.x to there now and that's assuming they don't release another in the next few days.

 

[seany1990]

I keep seeing this, what is the deal with keeping it in a box? you think Nintendo somehow would connect to your console if you turn it on or take it out of the box?

It just means that i am not touching it. If its still in the box then i have never updated it, turned it on, etc
You have to read between the lines

 

[buttslaya617z]

Would be a bummer to leave it untouched and then if exploits come, you turn it on only to find your unit was DOA lol.

 

[Prof0nWear]

This is my personal plan of action:

- Set it up
- Download day one update
- Turn off automatic updates
- Insert Express Card and install update
- Link NSO
- Download SW2 tour guide
- Download All NSO and content.
- Download ALL Switch 1 game update patches - check website for latest patches
- Remove Wi-Fi settings
- Keep completely offline.

Wait to hear from others re: mig switch - if so can run backups/bricks system etc/... which I suspect will probably *NOT* work out of the box

 

[poughstings]

Heads up folks — There appears to be updates to fix specific Nintendo published/developed games under Backwards Compatibility that have released just now, so download those on S2 if you wish before going offline.

 

[RyH2]

I'll be using my first one as normal, the second one it depends on whether there's an actual physical seal on the box.

If not I'll probably update it, if there is then I'll leave it intact so I can resell it as sealed before Nintendo launches an OLED Sw2 if there are no exploits within the next couple of years.

 

[poughstings]

Day 1 Update is LIVE, someone needs to test the MIG switch now

 

[Marc_LFD]

I have 3 on way, Open one with bundle access online for Mario Kart World and keep other 2 sealed.

I haven't open my PS5 and still sealed, it was like 11 months after it released probably on 6.x.x and had the receipt inside the box should have tape it.

If I'd keep two sealed, I'd just rather buy an OLED model later. That's pretty pointless.

I'll probably insert the Express mSD, set it up, get to the dashboard, and put it away.

 

[Prof0nWear]

If I'd keep two sealed, I'd just rather buy an OLED model later. That's pretty pointless.

I'll probably insert the Express mSD, set it up, get to the dashboard, and put it away.

Follow in order my post above...