UPDATE: This thread is completely pointless. ExFAT is a ticking timebomb. It might work with Horizon OS and Switch games but as soon as you use any homebrew related stuff it can (and will) happen, that it corrupts over time and might lead to a complete loss of data.
Also there's absolutely no reason to stay on exFAT at all. Installed games are splitted into <4GB chunks. The only problem would be too big XCI or NSP files and both can be splitted.
Also (instead of splitting) too big NSP files can be installed with Goldleaf 0.5+ or tinfoil either over network or USB from a PC.
So don't use exFAT! Use FAT32 with 32 k cluster size (using GUIformat) and don't cry if you're not.
Also there's absolutely no reason to stay on exFAT at all. Installed games are splitted into <4GB chunks. The only problem would be too big XCI or NSP files and both can be splitted.
Also (instead of splitting) too big NSP files can be installed with Goldleaf 0.5+ or tinfoil either over network or USB from a PC.
So don't use exFAT! Use FAT32 with 32 k cluster size (using GUIformat) and don't cry if you're not.
The community is currently divided into two camps when it comes to how to format the micro SD card for the switch.
While exFAT allows bigger files than 4 GB which comes in handy for "backup" users dealing with large XCI or NSP files, some people are saying it has issues with some homebrews and leads to corruption. It's an often read thing especially in the RetroArch thread.
However there are also people which were using exFAT since day one and never had any issues so far, even with RetroArch.
Also many of you said here that one should join the exFAT master race train.
I'd like to have people posting here their issues they had while using FAT32 and/or exFAT to get a better picture what's causing those issues and which would be the preferable one to stay with.
Two notes:
While exFAT allows bigger files than 4 GB which comes in handy for "backup" users dealing with large XCI or NSP files, some people are saying it has issues with some homebrews and leads to corruption. It's an often read thing especially in the RetroArch thread.
However there are also people which were using exFAT since day one and never had any issues so far, even with RetroArch.
Also many of you said here that one should join the exFAT master race train.
I'd like to have people posting here their issues they had while using FAT32 and/or exFAT to get a better picture what's causing those issues and which would be the preferable one to stay with.
Two notes:
- Formatting a mSD card to exFAT using a Mac has been reported multiple times to lead to issues like data corruption or folders like the switch folder being invisible for the hbmenu.
- Tinfoil is about to receive a network installation update so installing NSP files bigger than 4 GB might be doable on FAT32 cards in the future. XCI files can be splitted since ages.
Last edited by lordelan,