Hacking Torn Between 4.1 and 5.1

[InsaneNutter]

My main point of concern is having the best set-up in the future. By that, I mean having just 1 console to do everything.
1) I would like to have sysnand completely clean so I can play my legit copies online, without the risk of getting banned (not sure how possible the latter may be).
2) Also have emunand with cfw to run backups and homebrew.
3) Then Lakka that could be run as an entirely separate OS.

The only reason for not updating now is the possibility of getting in to RCM mode from your sysnand. If you want a completely clean sysnand for online play then you'd have to update regardless.

I'm in a similar situation to you, on 4.1 and i'd like to do everything on one Switch without risking getting banned from online play.

At some point I will probably update from 4.1 and enjoy using my Switch as normal. If I want hacks I can boot in to an Emunand with no network settings and keep that totally offline, having the best of both worlds.

As you say no reason to update yet as no games require greater than 4.1, so i'm holding out for now. Eventually I will most likely update, however for now i'm keeping my options open just to see what happens.

 

[Zumoly]

If you do not update now you will miss on the newer game titles to come. See how games that require 4.1 don't run on 3.x? How those that require 3.x won't run on 1.0.0? Even if you're only interested in TX backup loader, at some point some game carts will start require update to the most recent FWs.
Get on board while there is still time before Nintendo releases another software update and update your games, get your DLC and some free demos!

 

[baretbh]

It was hard for me to upgrade as well. I've noticed though lately, most people are making the jump just due to the fact that most of the recent homebrew is working better on later firmwares. Not to mention, you can still use the e-shop etc Ultimately, your call. I would advice doing it. Especially now that hekate sleep mode is working flawlessly

 

[annson24]

If you do not update now you will miss on the newer game titles to come. See how games that require 4.1 don't run on 3.x? How those that require 3.x won't run on 1.0.0? Even if you're only interested in TX backup loader, at some point some game carts will start require update to the most recent FWs.
Get on board while there is still time before Nintendo releases another software update and update your games, get your DLC and some free demos!

This is exactly my dilemma 2 months ago when I first bought my Switch. It was on v2.3.0 back then and it came bundled with BotW. Unfortunately the cart is revision 002 so I'd have to update to 4.1.0 just to play it. In the end, I updated my switch since it was confirmed that atmosphere will work on all firmwares. Now I'm on the latest firmware since I also ended up buying the DLCs for the game. I'm on autoRCM and my phone supports USB OTG so all is well.

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

 

[Draxzelex]

The only reason you would remain on 4.1 at this point is you don't want to use a jig and USB cable to boot hacks onto your Switch or you don't want to keep it in sleep mode 24/7. 4.1 may see a web-based softmod warmboot in the future.

 

[Zumoly]

I'm on autoRCM and my phone supports USB OTG so all is well.

I'd avoid autoRCM for now until the battery issue gets fixedd (apparently the battery not charging in RCM is caused by it as per @CTCaer's experiment).
I just hacked my right joycon and use my phone to boot Hekate for now.

 

[horokeusama]

Most of us are going thru this. Do we wait on the unknown, or enjoy our Switch to it's fullest now? For now, I'm holding off on updating, waiting to see what else gets released and how things are working with SX getting released here shortly.

This is basically me, to the point I thought this post was mine lol

 

[annson24]

I'd avoid autoRCM for now until the battery issue gets fixedd (apparently the battery not charging in RCM is caused by it as per @CTCaer's experiment).
I just hacked my right joycon and use my phone to boot Hekate for now.

Uhhh...I think you have your informations wrong. Battery not charging is only in recovery mode (RCM) but once you're in the horizon, even during sleep mode, you can charge normally.

Unless you usually leave your switch powered off, then yeah, avoid autoRCM as you might accidentally enter RCM when you charge.

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

 

[Zumoly]

Uhhh...I think you have your informations wrong. Battery not charging is only in recovery mode (RCM) but once you're in the horizon, even during sleep mode, you can charge normally.

Unless you usually leave your switch powered off, then yeah, avoid autoRCM as you might accidentally enter RCM when you charge.

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

Battery does charge in normal RCM. It doesn't with AutoRCM has this payload corrupts some system files.
I'm talking about the risk of completely depleting your battery in AutoRCM if trickle (fail-safe to prevent battery from dying) charging fails.

 

[Fuk]

Well warmboot requires much more time than just using a dongle, so I wouldn't mind too much losing it. What bugs me is the lack of emunand for tx os.
Personally, I will update before usign tx os ( I'm on 3.0.1 and I want to play newer games) to 5.1 , make a nandbackup and when tx will add emunand support I'll just transfer my saves from sysnand to emunand and restore the first to that 5.1 clean backup.

 

[cracker]

I bit the bullet and went to 5.1.0 last night, as I had pre-ordered SX OS the day before. I decided to do it since there will really be no downside — just in case the Big N releases an update that will take a while for TX to update the CFW offsets/obfuscation/etc.

 

[Red1Reaper]

I'm on 4.1. Currently I don't have any reason to update because all the games run on that firmware.
But E3 with their free demos and shadow drops could change this.

My main point of concern is having the best set-up in the future. By that, I mean having just 1 console to do everything.
1) I would like to have sysnand completely clean so I can play my legit copies online, without the risk of getting banned (not sure how possible the latter may be).
2) Also have emunand with cfw to run backups and homebrew.
3) Then Lakka that could be run as an entirely separate OS.

So, with this kind of setup, booting into different OSes is a necessity. The only advantage of staying on 4.1 I see for this kind of setup, is having the ability to swith to a different OS while being on sysnand. Emunand would be able to do that anyways, but I assume Lakka won't be able to swith to another OS (please correct me if I'm wrong).

So I'm kind of struggling to see a reason to stay on 4.1, since its only advantage is being able to switch to emunand or lakka.
Also, in the end, updating sysnand to latest firmware will be the cleanest and safest way of using online with the lowest chances of getting banned.

I know I will end up moding my joycons, with a propper dpad for the left one, and the magnetic pin bridge mod for the right one. So plugging a USB dongle and choosing which OS I want to run at boot seems like a clean way of doing things.

Come to think of it, I even use my PC that way... I have 2 separate Windows drives (one for daily use, and another one for audio production) and I choose everytime I turn on my PC.

You can also put a modchip that is basically a internal dongle to autinject payloads and mix it whit autoRCM, rebug team is creating a modchip.

 

[frankGT]

Just updated my 4.0.1 to 5.1.0... how i rationalized it:

-SX OS and Atmosphere work on 5.1
-Next update might target SX OS and Atmosphere
-exFAT driver without risks
-Ready to all the present and some future games while emunand isnt a thing
-Latest and greatest software for my hardware (joycons included)

Sleep mode ftw.

 

[annson24]

Battery does charge in normal RCM. It doesn't with AutoRCM has this payload corrupts some system files.
I'm talking about the risk of completely depleting your battery in AutoRCM if trickle (fail-safe to prevent battery from dying) charging fails.

I've been using AutoRCM since the day sleep mode was fixed in hekate. Haven't had any issues with it. And I definitely haven't heard of this issue you're talking about which involves AutoRCM but not normal RCM.

It doesn't charge in RCM (period). It doesn't matter if it's normal or it's auto. It just doesn't charge when you're in it. It, however, will still charge normally if you're on horizon or your swich is completely turned off.

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

 

[Draxzelex]

I've been using AutoRCM since the day sleep mode was fixed in hekate. Haven't had any issues with it. And I definitely haven't heard of this issue you're talking about which involves AutoRCM but not normal RCM.

It doesn't charge in RCM (period). It doesn't matter if it's normal or it's auto. It just doesn't charge when you're in it. It, however, will still charge normally if you're on horizon or your swich is completely turned off.

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

It can charge in RCM but only if the BCT is intact aka if you don't have AutoRCM.

Proof:

So, Switch charges and does not charges in RCM. xD

The results (battery was 89%):


The switch can charge normally the battery, if the BCT is intact!
In RCM AND in hekate menu.
*BCT is the boot configuration table that autoRCM corrupts.

Tests showed that it was charging with the same current, as in Horison OS.
The current it was drawing with 89% battery, was 800mA - 1000mA, using Switch wall adapter. On PC, it was the max the hub could give.


------------------------------------


The switch cannot charge normally with a corrupt BCT (AutoRCM).
In hekate, it shows similar behavior (read below).
Extra emphasis on the "normally".

With autoRCM, basically a corrupt BCT, the switch behaves differently.
There are 2 behaviors that I saw when connecting to the switch wall charger:

• Common - It was draining 140-250mA.
• Common (in hekate) - 200mA - 400mA
  
• Rare (normally if you connect charger after powering off from HOS) - Drain of alternating 250mA and 1000mA, with surges of 2.5A.

------------------------------------

Summary - facts:

1. Switch can charge completely normally in RCM or Hekate with a BCT intact
   • The percent % in Horizon OS, after a RCM charge, is not fake.
2. Switch does not charge normally with AutoRCM, a.k.a corrupt BCT.
   1. Either it charges very slowly or sometimes with a broken slow/fast/slow/fast charge pattern:
   2. Or this behavior is current taken from the USB controller or the BPMP (Nvidia's Boot and Power management processor)
   • In AutoRCM, the Charge IC probably can't update the battery calibration file and could make the percent fake.

I don't know for behavior .3 what really happens and what Switch does. This can be easily examined, by connecting a current multimeter between battery and switch and check the readings.

 

[CaptainLoozer]

Ah so they ARE going to email us the license code before the dongle and jig arrives by mail. I keep hearing conflicting information so I just skimmed over what people are saying when it comes to that. Looks like I'll have to make a paper clip, then keep my switch in sleep mode until I get my trusty jig and dongle.

Negative. If you ordered SX Pro, you will NOT get a code by email. The license is already active on the dongle and you will have to wait until you physically get it in the mail. Only customers who ordered SX OS will get license codes.

 

[MattKimura]

Negative. If you ordered SX Pro, you will NOT get a code by email. The license is already active on the dongle and you will have to wait until you physically get it in the mail. Only customers who ordered SX OS will get license codes.

I see a problem with that. What if the dongle becomes lost. Does that mean SX-OS is gone with it?

 

[CaptainLoozer]

I see a problem with that. What if the dongle becomes lost. Does that mean SX-OS is gone with it?

Yes, that would be the case, unfortunately.

The only way I could see being able to recover is if somehow you were able to extract the license code from the dongle. The OS, I assume, would be easily downloaded on their site. If you could extract the code, you could just use the OS stand alone with your own hardware I'd imagine, since you would be using it with the same switch.

 

[MattKimura]

Yes, that would be the case, unfortunately.

The only way I could see being able to recover is if somehow you were able to extract the license code from the dongle. The OS, I assume, would be easily downloaded on their site. If you could extract the code, you could just use the OS stand alone with your own hardware I'd imagine, since you would be using it with the same switch.

That's a deal breaker for me. Why would they market it in a way that the SX-OS license is actually better. I wouldn't want SX-OS to disappear forever just because I lose the dongle. I wanted their jig more than anything tbh. I'm really disappointed, glad I didnt get to place an order yet. I'll save myself some money and get it sooner.

 

[CaptainLoozer]

That's a deal breaker for me. Why would they market it in a way that the SX-OS license is actually better. I wouldn't want SX-OS to disappear forever just because I lose the dongle. I wanted their jig more than anything tbh. I'm really disappointed, glad I didnt get to place an order yet. I'll save myself some money and get it sooner.

Honestly I think the general consensus is that most people will switch to atmosphere as soon as it's ready with a good homebrew XCI loader. To that end, having the dongle would still prove to be useful since you can use any payload you want.