Hacking Game cartridge: "A new update is available. It will be downloaded now."

[jerrokun]

I get this message when I try to load Zelda. Options are "Start software", "Download" and "Cancel".

Switch on 3.0.0, all wifi connections have been removed. A game update must have been downloaded before I removed the wifi.

Does this message have any relation to a system update? I want to make it's safe to "Start software" without it triggering a cached system update.

 

[Sonic Angel Knight]

The game has updates available, latest is 1.3.4

 

[Jayro]

The game has updates available, latest is 1.3.4

But how would the cartridge know that, if it's never been online?

 

[smileyhead]

But how would the cartridge know that, if it's never been online?

Maybe the cart has preloaded knowledge of the day one patch?

 

[Deleted User]

But how would the cartridge know that, if it's never been online?

Perhaps the firmware keeps a list of games known to have updates online?

 

[Sonic Angel Knight]

Well let me ask this, does the system auto update or only when you tell it to?

Just put the game in the system, press start or "+" on the menu and select update software to get the patches for the game. You won't be updating the system firmware unless you press yess when it ask to.

 

[Jayro]

Perhaps the firmware keeps a list of games known to have updates online?

I'm willing to bet the "game" on the cartridge is incomplete, and needs to download an "update" which is really the other half. Smash Bros on the 3DS pulled this same bullshit. Bought the game day 1, and it had the nerve to ask me to update when I had no wi-fi in the car. I was pretty pissed.

 

[satan89]

I get this message when I try to load Zelda. Options are "Start software", "Download" and "Cancel".

Switch on 3.0.0, all wifi connections have been removed. A game update must have been downloaded before I removed the wifi.

Does this message have any relation to a system update? I want to make it's safe to "Start software" without it triggering a cached system update.

It this the Zelda botw explorer's edition?

 

[Jayro]

Maybe the cart has preloaded knowledge of the day one patch?

Or the ROM chip is 8MB just to prompt for an update, and downloads the entire game digitally. Like a download token. Doesn't seen unfeesable, does it? Bethesda and other companies are starting to pull this bullshit, so it wouldn't surprise me.

 

[BvanBart]

Or the ROM chip is 8MB just to prompt for an update, and downloads the entire game digitally. Like a download token. Doesn't seen unfeesable, does it? Bethesda and other companies are starting to pull this bullshit, so it wouldn't surprise me.

Not really. The games (Doom and Skyrim) can be played if there is no Internet available. Only the multiplayer options are disabled.

 

[Jayro]

Not really. The games (Doom and Skyrim) can be played if there is no Internet available. Only the multiplayer options are disabled.

Good to hear, but I meant to specify DOOM 2016 on PC. A blank DVD with a steam download is shitty.

 

[BvanBart]

Good to hear, but I meant to specify DOOM 2016 on PC. A blank DVD with a steam download is shitty.

For real?? That is indeed very shitty!

 

[cloudfe]

Just put the game in the system, press start or "+" on the menu and select update software to get the patches for the game. You won't be updating the system firmware unless you press yess when it ask to.

Does this mean it is safe to update a game if prompted, without risking to update the console's firmware?

 

[Sonic Angel Knight]

Does this mean it is safe to update a game if prompted, without risking to update the console's firmware?

If the system doesn't ask you to update the "System" then it is only updating the specified game. There is no risk of updating the firmware unless you intentionally say YES when it ask you if you want to.

To op, if you inserted a new game and it says anything about updating system then it will most likely update the firmware, and it is required to play the game. If you do not want to update the firmware then do not say yes. To update the game, go to the game on the menu, press start or"+" and then select software update to download it. It should download the game patch.

 

[The Real Jdbye]

I get this message when I try to load Zelda. Options are "Start software", "Download" and "Cancel".

Switch on 3.0.0, all wifi connections have been removed. A game update must have been downloaded before I removed the wifi.

Does this message have any relation to a system update? I want to make it's safe to "Start software" without it triggering a cached system update.

Pressing "start software" will never update your system. The Switch does not auto update the firmware (likely due to warranty concerns with bricks due to the battery running out of power) so you have to explicitly agree to firmware updates. Games do auto-update though if you have that enabled.

Perhaps the firmware keeps a list of games known to have updates online?

This is how it works AFAIK. The 3DS and Wii U are the same.

I'm willing to bet the "game" on the cartridge is incomplete, and needs to download an "update" which is really the other half. Smash Bros on the 3DS pulled this same bullshit. Bought the game day 1, and it had the nerve to ask me to update when I had no wi-fi in the car. I was pretty pissed.

It was like that on the Wii U version (although the update was bundled on-disc) but that's not the case on Switch.

 

[Lacius]

Breath of the Wild requires 3GB of free space on the Wii U in order to install companion files to increase loading speeds, etc. The Switch requires the same thing, but smaller. If you don't connect to the internet, it installs the companion files from the disc or cartridge itself as an update.

 

[themperror]

Good to hear, but I meant to specify DOOM 2016 on PC. A blank DVD with a steam download is shitty.

though implying downloading isn't faster than reading it off the disc?

I mean a full x16 DVD drive will read with about 18Mbit's which is about 2.2 MB/s, the average download speed in my country is over 60mbit's (where most people I know have 100-200mbit connections save for the elderly at 80mbit).

And then there's the OTHER problem..

DOOM 2016 is about 40-50 GB's big.. a DVD will only hold 4.7 GB, so you'd need to swap around 10 DVD's to install that game.. and about 2.2MB per second that would be about 1 DVD swap every 5 minutes, installing the game would take 50 minutes off DVD.. not counting the moment's you arent waiting infront of the PC in order to swap the DVD..

Blurays (expensive to produce = bad thing for the company selling the game) will hold a max of 50 GB's, however (also ignoring the reading speeds) few people have a bluray drive in their computer.. I don't even have a CD/DVD drive for example...

Putting the downloader on the DVD is a good way to ensure lots of people can actually install the game at reasonable speeds..

 

[Jayro]

though implying downloading isn't faster than reading it off the disc?

I mean a full x16 DVD drive will read with about 18Mbit's which is about 2.2 MB/s, the average download speed in my country is over 60mbit's (where most people I know have 100-200mbit connections save for the elderly at 80mbit).

And then there's the OTHER problem..

DOOM 2016 is about 40-50 GB's big.. a DVD will only hold 4.7 GB, so you'd need to swap around 10 DVD's to install that game.. and about 2.2MB per second that would be about 1 DVD swap every 5 minutes, installing the game would take 50 minutes off DVD.. not counting the moment's you arent waiting infront of the PC in order to swap the DVD..

Blurays (expensive to produce = bad thing for the company selling the game) will hold a max of 50 GB's, however (also ignoring the reading speeds) few people have a bluray drive in their computer.. I don't even have a CD/DVD drive for example...

Putting the downloader on the DVD is a good way to ensure lots of people can actually install the game at reasonable speeds..

My computer has a Blu-ray drive, and the full game can fit on a quad layer BD-ROM. ONE BD-ROM disc is all it needed to install and play without going online.

 

[themperror]

My computer has a Blu-ray drive, and the full game can fit on a quad layer BD-ROM. ONE BD-ROM disc is all it needed to install and play without going online.

Yes. But like I said, Blu-ray drives in computers are a rare occurence, the amount of people without any disk drive at all is higher even.
The only source where disks are still a thing are consoles, PS3, Xbox One and PS4 are the only ones with Bluray drives.

And it doesn't take away that downloading is often faster than reading and decompressing it from disk, it's especially painful with a HDD too as it can't write it off as a single chunk and will suffer from fragmentation.

 

[Xzi]

I'm willing to bet the "game" on the cartridge is incomplete, and needs to download an "update" which is really the other half. Smash Bros on the 3DS pulled this same bullshit. Bought the game day 1, and it had the nerve to ask me to update when I had no wi-fi in the car. I was pretty pissed.

Nah, definitely not on Switch. The early patches take like ten seconds to download, no way it's half the game. Except EA and their NBA game, but we don't speak of them here.