Hacking Best practice for preserving Switch 2 exploitability?

[ErrorOliver]

you know how the original switch joycons have metadata? like colour, etc? (and that you can edit it with Joy-Con Toolkit)

what is different with the switch 2 joycon metadata?

 

[Yoplat]

I saw a post. It could be you don't need an actual express sd card. If you have an sd card from you switch one and going into data management and starting a transfer of photos/videos on your switch 2, It should trigger the sd card update. (If you did the day one patch)

I am going to try this and validate it

Post automatically merged: Jun 5, 2025

I can confirm this is the case.

What i did with just an old sd card:

1. Update switch 2 to day one patch
2. Put some screenshots on sd card with my switch 1
3.On my switch 2. Go to storage -> transfer picture and videos -> migrate from switch 1
4. Enter the sd card in the switch 2
5. Remove the sd card from the switch2
6. Update the system for the sd card to work

I am still on the day one patch. I have video proof if neccesary.

Edit: now I think of it maybe someone can try it that did not do the update and stayed on the shipping firmware and maybe this way can manage to activate the sd card

Good to know! Will try doing it when I get home tomorrow.

 

[susi91]

I saw a post. It could be you don't need an actual express sd card. If you have an sd card from you switch one and going into data management and starting a transfer of photos/videos on your switch 2, It should trigger the sd card update. (If you did the day one patch)

I am going to try this and validate it

Post automatically merged: Jun 5, 2025

I can confirm this is the case.

What i did with just an old sd card:

1. Update switch 2 to day one patch
2. Put some screenshots on sd card with my switch 1
3.On my switch 2. Go to storage -> transfer picture and videos -> migrate from switch 1
4. Enter the sd card in the switch 2
5. Remove the sd card from the switch2
6. Update the system for the sd card to work

Thank you.
Works 100%, just tried it and my switch 2 also got the sdcard update

 

[blaze5]

To clarify, does the update enabling regular microSD cards also enable microSD Express cards without needing an additional microSD Express specific update? There's a pretty important distinction there.

I'm assuming the on-cart updates on launch games like Mario Kart World or Cyberpunk 2077 don't enable the SD slot and the SD specific update still needs to be done online or is that not the case?

 

[Lunatics]

Does anyone know if physical switch 1 games will work without the day 1 update? Obviously I know they would not be the enhanced version, but just curious if maybe I could play old physical games while keeping it on the original firmware.

 

[Hotmayo]

To clarify, does the update enabling regular microSD cards also enable microSD Express cards without needing an additional microSD Express specific update? There's a pretty important distinction there.

I'm assuming the on-cart updates on launch games like Mario Kart World or Cyberpunk 2077 don't enable the SD slot and the SD specific update still needs to be done online or is that not the case?

On-cart updates doesnt acitvate the sd card update.

As if this update is enough for the express sd card too, well.. I dont know. I cant test it since i dont have one yet. It would be nice if someone does this with a regular sd card first and see if he plugs in the express sd card another update is being asked.

 

[stephrk398]

Just fully updated my first Switch 2 including the SD card update and linking an account. SD card update popped up immediately after inserting. On 20.1.1 after everything. Now in airplane mode.

Post automatically merged: Jun 5, 2025

Just fully updated my first Switch 2 including the SD card update and linking an account. SD card update popped up immediately after inserting. On 20.1.1 after everything. Now in airplane mode.

iirc update order was:

-Got to home screen without linking an account where it immediately prompted an update which I assume was the day-1 patch. So I updated.

-Put in BOTW cart and it immediately tried to do another update. I said screw it I'll do this tomorrow and cancelled. However when I woke up BOTW launched so it seems like it stealth-applied the Switch 1 cart update while I was sleeping since I stayed on wifi overnight?

-Linked a Nintendo account, installed MKW and BOTW upgrade pack.

-Inserted sd card, immediately prompted to update, so I did.

-Went into airplane mode

 

[arandora]

Would it possible to download mario kart from the code that comes with the bundle, and leave it in airplane indefinitely or will the console after a week or something ask me to go online to verify the mario kart license, since it's the digital version?

 

[linuxares]

Would it possible to download mario kart from the code that comes with the bundle, and leave it in airplane indefinitely or will the console after a week or something ask me to go online to verify the mario kart license, since it's the digital version?

Try? No one knows the answer on a less than 24 hour old console.

 

[frnovoa]

Would it possible to download mario kart from the code that comes with the bundle, and leave it in airplane indefinitely or will the console after a week or something ask me to go online to verify the mario kart license, since it's the digital version?

yes, i do it that way...

- Open console
- Power On
- day 1 update
- Download Mario Kart
- Aiplane mode

 

[elunesgrace]

Didn't ask me to update for the express SD card, although it might have done it automatically since I put it in since the very start. Reads it as an express.

 

[Xalusc]

To clarify, does the update enabling regular microSD cards also enable microSD Express cards without needing an additional microSD Express specific update? There's a pretty important distinction there.

I'm assuming the on-cart updates on launch games like Mario Kart World or Cyberpunk 2077 don't enable the SD slot and the SD specific update still needs to be done online or is that not the case?

I'd like to know this as well

 

[juanvlc]

if sd is formatted in fat32 you don´t need to update
update only trigers if sd is in exfat, it needs to download the driver

 

[SaggyBeans]

Are you guys linking your Nintendo accounts to your switch 2 before putting it in airplane mode or no?

 

[Newhouse-Estates]

Are you guys linking your Nintendo accounts to your switch 2 before putting it in airplane mode or no?

I updated one and yeah i'll keep it offline but the other one i turned it on to check firmware.
It's in the closet now.

 

[SylverReZ]

A userland ROP chain exploit was discovered on the Switch 2. And just to be clear, this is not a native code exec exploit, this is just the beginning until there will be something big. I wouldn't really get your hopes up high, this is only a proof of concept.

https://bsky.app/profile/retr0.id/post/3lqtwrndzf22w

 

[RHOPKINS13]

Guess we have our answer. Probably best to go ahead and download Day 1 update, before any further updates are released, and then leave offline.

 

[ertaboy356b]

I guess it's a start. Userland ROP could lead to something like GoldHen .

 

[stephrk398]

A userland ROP chain exploit was discovered on the Switch 2. And just to be clear, this is not a native code exec exploit, this is just the beginning until there will be something big. I wouldn't really get your hopes up high, this is only a proof of concept.

https://bsky.app/profile/retr0.id/post/3lqtwrndzf22w

View attachment 509453

Photo analysis of the post via AI if anyone cares

 

[grcd]

I am DLing day one update and will keep it unused from this point forth. I might play Mario Kart World offline for a while. Do we know if digital games need occasional online hand-check with Nintendo's servers or can I keep playing downloaded games without internet from here on?