Does console need to be hacked to be emulated?

[Reploid]

Switch emulation came in leaps and bounds incredibly fast, maybe like no other console before it. Was it because it hacked of just the architecture was easy enough to replicate in software?

For example, let's say switch 2 will be never be hacked somehow. Would it mean it will never be emulated? Or yuzu2 (theoretical) could be as fast-developed as yuzu1 was?

 

[tech3475]

The Switch was easily hacked thanks to some early firmware flaws and more importantly an exploit in the SoC (RCM), the latter of which was bassically a slightly modified pre-existing chip.

For the Switch 2, I believe the SoC is more custom, to the point that Switch 1 games need an emulator and without keys, firmware, etc. there likely wont be any emulation even if the hardware can be RE'd/emulated.

That said, never say never such as if the keys get leaked somehow or someone manages to use a relatively complicated hack to extract the keys and these get released/leaked such as the tweezer hack on the Wii or some other trick such as exploiting dev kits like with the PS3 (although I doubt this would work).

As of now, I'd say Nintendo's legal department will be the biggest hurdle to any emulation, especially during it's lifecycle.

 

[thesjaakspoiler]

Most software parts like gamecards and the firmware/OS are encrypted and the keys for decoding that are on the Switch2 itself.
The hardware, software architecture and libraries are pretty standard but with all the encryption, you can't do much.
The processor is known, so once you have the keys, you can decompile the OS to understand how everything works.
So that is why the hacking/homebrew scene goes for unprivileged access on the device first.
You can't just guess all those keys because that would take ages before you would find the correct key.
With every new generation, the security improves.
So I guess Nintendo also learned some new things with the Switch 1.
It will only be a matter of time before someone comes up with a hack.
The Switch modchips (hwfly, sxos, picofly) are pretty advanced but some processors already have security measures against such hacks. Not sure if nVidia added something like that.

 

[Ondrashek06]

The keys won't get leaked. The Wii encryption keys didn't get leaked, neither did any other Nintendo console keys get leaked.

It's simply not happening. Nintendo is guarding these keys much, much more than they do guard their game images.

And after so many leaks of Switch games, I imagine that Nintendo tightened the security on Switch 2 games somehow.