Hacking Are dongles necessary???

[Christian Rosado]

Cant I just buy the SXOS license?? Any downside to this? I just wanna play offline backups on emunand. Don't really care about any other fancy stuff. Will I be able to make a nand backup this way??? thnks

 

[Hayato213]

You would need the dongle to push the payload unless you want to use a phone, or a computer or have a modchip installed.

 

[Lacius]

Cant I just buy the SXOS license?? Any downside to this? I just wanna play offline backups on emunand. Don't really care about any other fancy stuff. Will I be able to make a nand backup this way??? thnks

1. You do not need a dongle if you're okay with using your computer (or Android device) to push the payload over USB.
2. If you keep your Switch in sleep mode whenever you're not using it, you're not going to need to push a payload very often.
3. If you decide later you want a dongle, you can buy a cheap dongle from another source and use it with SX OS or any other CFW.
4. SX OS is not needed. Atmosphere does just about everything SX OS does, for free.

 

[Christian Rosado]

1. You do not need a dongle if you're okay with using your computer (or Android device) to push the payload over USB.
2. If you keep your Switch in sleep mode whenever you're not using it, you're not going to need to push a payload very often.
3. If you decide later you want a dongle, you can buy a cheap dongle from another source and use it with SX OS or any other CFW.
4. SX OS is not needed. Atmosphere does just about everything SX OS does, for free.

Ive only been reading for a couple of hours so I have some doubts. Basically I need to push a payload everytime I boot up the switch (if it was off)? To go into say atmosphere? Does atmosphere support emunand? (main reason why I wanted SXOS).

 

[Lacius]

Ive only been reading for a couple of hours so I have some doubts. Basically I need to push a payload everytime I boot up the switch (if it was off)? To go into say atmosphere? Does atmosphere support emunand? (main reason why I wanted SXOS).

Atmosphere supports emuNAND, yes.

Each time you want to coldboot into CFW, you have to push a payload over USB while your Switch is in RCM. This means you need a USB-C cable and a jig to enter RCM the first time.

After entering RCM the first time, you can install AutoRCM, which will cause your Switch to coldboot into RCM, so you don't need a jig anymore.

If you keep your Switch in sleep mode when you're not using it, you will very rarely have to push an RCM payload.

 

[Dust2dust]

Emunand can also be done with Atmosphere. Really, the only thing SXOS has now that's not available on Atmosphere is launching (xci format) games directly from a hard disk connected to dock via USB. That's the "just about" Lacius refers too.

 

[Lacius]

Emunand can also be done with Atmosphere. Really, the only thing SXOS has now that's not available on Atmosphere is launching (xci format) games directly from a hard disk connected to dock via USB. That's the "just about" Lacius refers too.

That's just about the just about I'm referring to.

 

[Christian Rosado]

Atmosphere supports emuNAND, yes.

Each time you want to coldboot into CFW, you have to push a payload over USB while your Switch is in RCM. This means you need a USB-C cable and a jig to enter RCM the first time.

After entering RCM the first time, you can install AutoRCM, which will cause your Switch to coldboot into RCM, so you don't need a jig anymore.

If you keep your Switch in sleep mode when you're not using it, you will very rarely have to push an RCM payload.

Okay, thank you! Im so overwhelmed with the scene. IS there some guide you recommend for the nand backup ? I assume once this is done then I proceed to install atmosphere?

 

[Dust2dust]

That's just about the just about I'm referring to.

Agreed! You're doing a fine job, Lacius! I like how you're always trying to help tempers with all their Switch related problems. Keep it up! I'm sure the staff here noticed all your efforts too.

 

[Lacius]

Okay, thank you! Im so overwhelmed with the scene. IS there some guide you recommend for the nand backup ? I assume once this is done then I proceed to install atmosphere?

1. Put your Switch into RCM
2. Push the latest Hekate payload
3. Backup your eMMC RAW and BOOT (alternatively, you can backup eMMC SYS and BOOT if you don't care about your user data).

After you've made your backup, you can use Atmosphere. I recommend this guide if you don't plan on using online play:
https://switch.homebrew.guide/index

 

[Christian Rosado]

1. Put your Switch into RCM
2. Push the latest Hekate payload
3. Backup your eMMC RAW and BOOT (alternatively, you can backup eMMC SYS and BOOT if you don't care about your user data).

After you've made your backup, you can use Atmosphere. I recommend this guide if you don't plan on using online play:
https://switch.homebrew.guide/index

Oh I meant a guide for the whole nand backup process part. Im not sure what to do besides going into RCM or from where to get this henkate payload. What I planned doing was get the nand backup, have a clean sysnand for legit online games (cartridges etc) and emunand for offline backups gameplay. I apologize for the thousand questions. Ive never done one of these backups before.

 

[Lacius]

Oh I meant a guide for the whole nand backup process part. Im not sure what to do besides going into RCM or from where to get this henkate payload. What I planned doing was get the nand backup, have a clean sysnand for legit online games (cartridges etc) and emunand for offline backups gameplay. I apologize for the thousand questions. Ive never done one of these backups before.

The guide above includes everything you need (not counting emuNAND, which you don't need unless you want to play online). It explains how to make a NAND backup.

 

[Naxster]

The guide above includes everything you need (not counting emuNAND, which you don't need unless you want to play online). It explains how to make a NAND backup.

Do you know a good guide for installing emuNAND? I'm going to follow that guide you linked, but i also want to install emuNAND and use AutoRCM on that

 

[Lacius]

Do you know a good guide for installing emuNAND? I'm going to follow that guide you linked, but i also want to install emuNAND and use AutoRCM on that

AutoRCM is something you install to the sysNAND, not emuNAND.

Follow this guide if you want to install emuNAND: https://nh-server.github.io/switch-guide/user_guide/emummc/partitioning_sd/

 

[Naxster]

AutoRCM is something you install to the sysNAND, not emuNAND.

Follow this guide if you want to install emuNAND: https://nh-server.github.io/switch-guide/user_guide/emummc/partitioning_sd/

Uggh so much to learn in order not to mess the console up

Ahh my bad, then i mean that i want to install it on sysNAND to coldboot it into RCM so that i can boot to emuNAND without any jig.

Thank you for the link!

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

AutoRCM is something you install to the sysNAND, not emuNAND.

Follow this guide if you want to install emuNAND: https://nh-server.github.io/switch-guide/user_guide/emummc/partitioning_sd/

Wait, sorry for double post... When do we use this website: https://www.sdsetup.com/console?switch

I've read that the website is useful, is it true? :/

 

[Lacius]

Uggh so much to learn in order not to mess the console up

Ahh my bad, then i mean that i want to install it on sysNAND to coldboot it into RCM so that i can boot to emuNAND without any jig.

Thank you for the link!

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------



Wait, sorry for double post... When do we use this website: https://www.sdsetup.com/console?switch

I've read that the website is useful, is it true? :/

I recommend following the guide.

 

[upfromtheskies]

Cant I just buy the SXOS license?? Any downside to this? I just wanna play offline backups on emunand. Don't really care about any other fancy stuff. Will I be able to make a nand backup this way??? thnks

The dongle just makes things easier, without it - every time you restart your Switch you'll need to plug it into your PC and inject the payload again. There is a cheap alternative to the SX OS dongle, I believe it's called RCM Loader, you can usually find it on aliexpress being sold as a bluetooth adapter

 

[Cyan]

I always used RXloader (android app) to send the payload to the switch. it's easier than carrying my computer with me
it autopush user chosen payloads when it detects Recovery Mode, even with shutdown phone/tablet screen, so boot the console and just plug USB for 2 second, done.

If you want to know if your android phone/tablet is compatible, there's an "USB OTG checker" app on the store.
there are also iphone tools, but I'm not helpful here.

contrary to SXOS user's belief (at least people I know, because that's what they read and think it's the only way to do it), you don't need to plug everything and keep button pressed until you see anything. just press the volume when you boot to put the console in RCM, then you have all the time you want to send the payload.
and if you enable AutoRCM (be sure your console is not ipatched before doing it) you don't even need to press the volume or use a jig anymore.

 

[metaljay]

I always used RXloader (android app) to send the payload to the switch. it's easier than carrying my computer with me
it autopush user chosen payloads when it detects Recovery Mode, even with shutdown phone/tablet screen, so boot the console and just plug USB for 2 second, done.

Or you could fit a trinket internally and not have to worry about anything ever again:
(Me showing a full dual boot with no dongle or autoRCM)