Hardware Hardware upgrading a Lite or a day-1 switch

[enochlinux]

Hi!
To preface this: I have experience building PCs. Don't tell me something is going to be hard, I already know it's going to be hard.
I own 2 nintendo switch consoles, a day 1 nintendo switch and a switch lite. I'm looking to gut and rebuild one of them.
The switch lite runs on an ARM cpu, it and the hard drive are fastened in some kind of weird way. I'm not quite sure on how to describe it as I'm yet to try and remove them, but I know it's confusing.
I'm not sure how integrated the day-1 switch's hard drive is.
For both of these, I referenced ifixit's teardowns.

Essentially what I'm looking to do is upgrade the CPU to x86 or x64 and replace the SSD, or alternatively, install a new operating system over the switch's. IDEALLY steamOS.
Which console will this be (relatively) easier to do on? CAN this be done, or am I crazy?

 

[Hayato213]

There are some stuffs you can upgrade like the internal EMMC and swapping out the joystick with like gulikit, that is about it.

 

[master801]

upgrade the CPU to x86 or x64

No chance in hell lol

replace the SSD

Yeah, the eMMC chip can be upgraded but you need CFW.

https://gbatemp.net/threads/nintendo-switch-emmc-nand-upgrade-guide.623318/

install a new operating system over the switch's

L4T Ubuntu: https://gbatemp.net/threads/l4t-ubuntu-a-fully-featured-linux-on-your-switch.537301/

Others have also used Android on the Switch.

IDEALLY steamOS

Not unless Steam OS and whatever required drivers (GPU, input, etc) are ported to ARM.

Even then, most -if not all- games wouldn't run because they're designed to run on x86 / x64 CPUs.

Microsoft (Windows 10 ARM) and Apple (M1/M2) do use some hacks to get x86 / x64 programs to run on ARM, but it's not great and compatibility is poor at best.

 

[enochlinux]

Is the CPU embedded into the motherboard on all models?
CFW is no problem for me, but I am looking to fully replace the hard drive instead of run something out of a microSD.

 

[Purple_Heart]

you can change the emmc (internal storage). but not the cpu/gpu. and as far as i know you cant boot CFW from internal storage.

 

[osaka35]

since you're thinking of it like a PC, then I'll say some of what you're asking is akin to "how can i get this AMD CPU to work with this old apple motherboard?". Some will be impossible, as others have said. but the emmc (the switch's "ssd", though it isn't that) can be replaced. You can also boot into linux, but I haven't hear of any attempt to try and replace the Switch's OS with a linux OS. And it'd be an ARM linux distro, not an x86 linux distro.

 

[enochlinux]

since you're thinking of it like a PC, then I'll say some of what you're asking is akin to "how can i get this AMD CPU to work with this old apple motherboard?". Some will be impossible, as others have said. but the emmc (the switch's "ssd", though it isn't that) can be replaced.

Okay, starting to get it now. I'll look into frankenstiening something together for my end result, I don't know why I tried to compare a nintendo console of all things to a PC.

 

[Kazesama]

seeing as the oled steam deck is coming out, you should look for a used OG deck. You might be able to find a used one for cheap.

 

[Morricorne]

Hi!
To preface this: I have experience building PCs. Don't tell me something is going to be hard, I already know it's going to be hard.
I own 2 nintendo switch consoles, a day 1 nintendo switch and a switch lite. I'm looking to gut and rebuild one of them.
The switch lite runs on an ARM cpu, it and the hard drive are fastened in some kind of weird way. I'm not quite sure on how to describe it as I'm yet to try and remove them, but I know it's confusing.
I'm not sure how integrated the day-1 switch's hard drive is.
For both of these, I referenced ifixit's teardowns.

Essentially what I'm looking to do is upgrade the CPU to x86 or x64 and replace the SSD, or alternatively, install a new operating system over the switch's. IDEALLY steamOS.
Which console will this be (relatively) easier to do on? CAN this be done, or am I crazy?

For your requirements. Add in and even buy a used steam deck. Better yet, spend some extra money and buy an OLED steam deck. Linux on a switch is not suitable for gaming.
I used the steam deck for two months. It worked great both as a handheld and on a PC. Apart from the weak battery. Three hours of playing Resident evil village and GOW on Steam OS. The switch has way too little power to run Linux. Steam deck will fully meet your gaming expectations. OLED Switch version. Battery life is decent. Up to 7 hours of gaming. Because I had an OLED and used it for a few months. But from all this. I would wait. He saved up money and bought an OLED steam deck. Apparently it has better battery life. And the OLED screen in Nintendo Switch already looks great. I plan to buy an OLED steam deck in 2024
I used Steam OS and Windows 10 on the Steam deck. Both worked great. Some games that did not work on Steam OS worked without any problems on Windows 10.