Hacking Question Will there be a CFW other than SXOS that allows usb 2tb HDD?

[Mythical]

I would love to be able to use usb on other cfws (i.e. my switch sd got corrupted and all my files are backed up on external hdds, coulda saved time) , but in the end it really is only $25 dollars. Bite the bullet people or wait for a possible alternative solution.

 

[DaBlackDeath]

Important to note that SXOS does not support playing any games from HDD with the exception of .XCI files, so if you're planning on installing nsp files to your HDD then you're out of luck.

You could use NSP to XCI converter. I use some custom made XCI from NSP+Update+DLC and they works like a charm.

 

[eMikey]

The crappy part about HDD support with SXOS is that in sleep mode, the HDD is constantly active, it never sleeps. It just spins and spins and spins...... It sucks that I need to unplug it after every session.

 

[DocKlokMan]

Assuming the same support level as SXOS, it could be used to install NSPs from a pendrive. With the help of a third-party homebrew it can also be used to transfer files. It's simpler than the current USB installs and doesn't require the Switch to be tethered to the computer, while being far faster than FTP-based file transfers.

If support can be extended, it would be a nifty way to handle LayredFS with larger payloads, such as when modding games with monolithic file packages. This would likely cause a crash if the USB device was removed without closing the game, though.

I could see this, especially games like Smash where you need to contain everything into a giant pack file. Plus installing NSP would be decent except that none of the current open source firmware's really advocate NSP game installing, only some are okay with homebrew NSP installing and you're not gonna get a homebrew NSP that requires HDD space. But I like the LayeredFS idea.

 

[Proto-Propski]

Why? We can't run digital content from HDD, no homebrew with the exception of maybe RetroArch would need vast amounts of external storage and the only real purpose the HDD has for SXOS is running XCI's directly from it and SXOS is the only CFW that can use XCI files. So unless what you're really asking is whether there will be another CFW that supports XCIs, I don't see why any would implement HDD support.

Well, It's vastly less expensive to get a 2tb HDD, as a pose to a 400GB Micro SD, and you can store much more in 2tb then 400gb, I don't mean to be rude, but it's not exactly rocket science, really the practicality of it speaks loud enough it should be obvious why someone would want HDD support even if it defeats the purpose of portability.

 

[DocKlokMan]

Well, It's vastly less expensive to get a 2tb HDD, as a pose to a 400GB Micro SD, and you can store much more in 2tb then 400gb, I don't mean to be rude, but it's not exactly rocket science, really the practicality of it speaks loud enough it should be obvious why someone would want HDD support even if it defeats the purpose of portability.

You missed my point, without XCI loading, what exactly would you store on the HDD?

 

[aos10]

you can't install games on HDD, only install from HDD or mount xci games.

 

[FabioCapela]

you're not gonna get a homebrew NSP that requires HDD space.

For the NSP, no. But a bunch could really use some HDD space for extra data, such as emulators, re-implemented game engines, media players, etc; part of the allure of SXOS's HDD support is that it allows homebrew an easy way to access external storage, and I would dearly love to see that replicated in Atmosphere or some other non-SXOS system.

Being able to use a pendrive to transfer files between the PC (or phone/tablet) and the Switch is also a worthwhile application.

 

[EmulateLife]

you can't install games on HDD, only install from HDD or mount xci games.

Ultimately you can still play the xcis from the hdd right? Who cares about anything else.

Everyone keeps acting like it's a downer you can only use xcis and not nsps. Every game I've downloaded on the internet has been an xci and I've had to convert it to nsp for sd card use, so that'll just save me time.

 

[aos10]

Ultimately you can still play the xcis from the hdd right? Who cares about anything else.

Everyone keeps acting like it's a downer you can only use xcis and not nsps. Every game I've downloaded on the internet has been an xci and I've had to convert it to nsp for sd card use, so that'll just save me time.

the problem with xci plugin, i think it contain copyright material, that's why no one is releasing it(maybe?)

 

[DocKlokMan]

Ultimately you can still play the xcis from the hdd right? Who cares about anything else.

Everyone keeps acting like it's a downer you can only use xcis and not nsps. Every game I've downloaded on the internet has been an xci and I've had to convert it to nsp for sd card use, so that'll just save me time.

But this thread isn't about an XCI loader, it's about HDD support on other CFW's (which currently don't support XCIs) so the gist is that HDD support has very few edge case uses until someone either makes an XCI loader compatible with other CFWs or finds a way to allow the Switch to run installed games off the HDD. Until one of those two things happens, HDD support on other CFW is a low, mostly useless priority outside of a few specific applications.

 

[eMikey]

Just to add to my last post, the HDD spins the same way even when the switch is removed from the dock. I assume this means its not an issue with SXOS but with the way the Switch dock handles power to the USB ports.