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Just over a week ago, team Xecuter announced that they are working on a soon-to-be-revealed modchip for the Nintendo Switch. This was big news because modchip devices are usually used to circumvent anti-piracy measures on many digital platforms, but mainly gaming systems, and to see one already in the works for a machine that is only 10 months old is very rare.

Since then the team have been quiet, no one knows what the device will look like, how it will work, or when they can get their hands on one - but GBAtemp can exclusively reveal today that there will be BOTH a solder AND solderless option of team Xecuter's Nintendo Switch modchip.

Here is a direct quote from team Xecuter:

For now, I can tell you there is a solder and solderless version. We have quite a lot in the works, you will have more info soon.

The difference in pricing should be interesting in the two versions of the device, but at least you can now rest safely, knowing that the team will be providing options for whatever the Xecuter Switch modchip turns out to be.

Stay tuned to GBAtemp for more info in the upcoming weeks.

 

[cagycee]

Wait time out. I'm so clueless with this Solder and solderless thing. Like what is it??????????

 

[yardie]

Wait time out. I'm so clueless with this Solder and solderless thing. Like what is it??????????

one you have the solder and the other one doesnt require soldering

 

[Deleted User]

If i choose solderless i still need to open the console?

 

[yardie]

If i choose solderless i still need to open the console?

nobody knows yet

 

[Purple_Heart]

solderless for me then.

 

[ATofix]

Not hype about the piracy side of things here but as far as homebrew is concerned things are looking up!

 

[the_randomizer]

I got a solderless ps2 chip a long time ago, I pressed it on carefully and evenly and it bent the s*it out of the chip legs, making the console useless. I had to send the chip back for a partial refund and hand repair the chip legs... not a big fan of solderless since then.

It's good for those who can't solder worth crap, i.e myself included.

 

[ReDEyeDz]

People need to understand one and very important thing:
Solderless solution clearly has some big downsides to it (docked only for example or something similar) because soldering wouldn't exist in the first place, even as an option.

 

[Don Jon]

i think people are looking too much into it
the solderless version will be great
team xecutor is following us and is giving us what we want
kudos to them!

 

[the_randomizer]

i think people are looking too much into it
the solderless version will be great
team xecutor is following us and is giving us what we want
kudos to them!

Yeah, unlike other hacking groups we know of *cough* f0f *cough*

 

[operador7]

My question is what Nintendo will do about it? Cause I’m pretty sure they know about these..

 

[the_randomizer]

My question is what Nintendo will do about it? Cause I’m pretty sure they know about the exploit..

Nothing they can do other than patching it.

 

[operador7]

Nothing they can do other than patching it.

But im saying making a new console..

 

[the_randomizer]

But im saying making a new console..

I doubt it's worth the cost and effort.

 

[Kioku]

I doubt it's worth the cost and effort.

All they'd have to do is get with Nvidia to fix it, and release a fixed batch of consoles. I honestly doubt they're going to leave it alone.

 

[Deleted User]

It can be patched at the factory level. iPatches are likely to wipe this out once its REed.

Except the ipatches on the Switch are full. If they want to patch something new, they need to *REMOVE* another patch. And guess what, most of what they patched are vulnerabilities. So they have the choice between patching a new vuln and opening up another. Hahaha ..

 

[FAST6191]

I can’t believe no one has put this in a post yet....


Looking forward to this release!

Most people have better taste than to post a censored song

Just stating facts lad, modchip shouldn't be necessary.

What about the Switch's security would make you of that opinion?

Wait time out. I'm so clueless with this Solder and solderless thing. Like what is it??????????

Soldered is much like it sounds and you throw a bunch of wires and solder about the place to have it work. In this case the switch is a vaguely modern device so the points can be quite small and tricky to solder vs the things you might have soldered in the past.

Solderless can mean a few things (see something like the wii cable chips for one version) but here it most likely means something like the wii solderless mod chips. They typically come with covers that go over chips and get the relevant legs, or have pins which sit on debug points to do what they need to do.
Picture (click to enlarge)


This can be easier to install (or at least does not require tricky soldering), typically is more expensive to buy (soldered is the chip and some board for it to go on, solderless of the type just discussed have custom made connectors and/or fancy pins) and can come with reliability issues (soldering is bonded all good and proper if done as you are supposed to, solderless then end up as something more of a held on by friction, to say nothing of corroded pins issues and accuracy problems (all those tiny pins measuring less than 1mm each? What happens if you are the next pin over which is very easy to do).
I expect a bit more from TX than some of the fly by night, even by mod chip circles standards, companies on the wii but it is still physics in the end.

Something just popped in my head

Over the years mod chips traditionally allowed for playing backup disks. Given the fact that this is a cart playing device i wonder how they will do their backup loading. Will it be a packet installer or something like gateway with an exploit tied to a cart

Current speculation is they get in before the boot sequence is over and with that they can load their own patched kernel. Said patched kernel would presumably then allow you to copy things right from USB/SD and run them despite not having the tickets.

My question is what Nintendo will do about it? Cause I’m pretty sure they know about these..

If it is what some think and a hardware exploit early in the boot sequence then no a lot other than a hardware revision to close the exploit.
Beyond that most mod chip vendors don't take paypal (which some seem to think is a nice payment method) because Nintendo had a word in paypal's ear. This reduces the amount of people that will go in for it. They will probably keep an eye on the shops and do a nice little raid on those that also install games for their customers (but downplay that part in the press aspect and focus on mod chips). They might get customs in some countries to intercept shipments. Any software hosting will then get taken down making people have to do installers or do more hidden downloads. They might also take a lesson from satellite TV vendors and release endless updates of the kernel so those looking to keep current have to hack new kernel after new kernel.

 

[tpax]

People need to understand one and very important thing:
Solderless solution clearly has some big downsides to it (docked only for example or something similar) because soldering wouldn't exist in the first place, even as an option.

Yep, that's exactly what is going to happed. As I already mentioned in this thread, the solderless solution will probably be some kind of bulky shit you have to attach to your Switch, while the solder-solution, by it's nature, can probably be hidden inside the Switch.
Another scenario that is possible, the solderless solution will give you backups and backups only, while the solder soltuion will bring you the actual homebrew/cfw.

 

[Kioku]

Yep, that's exactly what is going to happed. As I already mentioned in this thread, the solderless solution will probably be some kind of bulky shit you have to attach to your Switch, while the solder-solution, by it's nature, can probably be hidden inside the Switch.
Another scenario that is possible, the solderless solution will give you backups and backups only, while the solder soltuion will bring you the actual homebrew/cfw.

Or maybe the solderless solution will allow installation of a CFW/Emunand.. There are plenty of possibilities that don't necessarily mean extra bulk. To assume the worst right off the bat isn't a good habit to get in to.

 

[asialsky]

Or maybe the solderless solution will allow installation of a CFW/Emunand.. There are plenty of possibilities that don't necessarily mean extra bulk. To assume the worst right off the bat isn't a good habit to get in to.

This.^
Chances are, just like 3DS, you'll eventually be able to install a different exploit using a hard mod, negating the need for the mod itself. Also, if they manage to bypass the downgrade protection with the hard mod, everyone could just drop to 1.0.0.

Hypothetical, difficult, but still worth considering.