Just bought a v1 Switch, what do I need to know for hacking ?

[Andorin]

Hi there ,

Just bought a hackable V1 switch (checked serial number) with a 400gb micro sd card.
I gonna receive it soon and, in order to hack it, i'm preparing but wow, there are a LOT of information.

Here are the main things I want / am going to do with my Switch:

Play Switch Back-up games
Play retro Emulators

I've been a crack of the hacking scene of PSP and PSVITA , and I love the fact that you can install permanent CFW on those systems. Is it the case with the Switch or do I have to hack it each time I reboot ? I've seen a lot of contradictions about it.

So my question is: What do I need to hack my Switch ?
Can I do it with only my Switch, computer and a micro Sd Card ?
Do i need to buy something else ?

OR

Maybe it exists, somewhere, a guide that can teach me how to crack it in a good way, regarding uses I gonna have with my Switch.

Thank you so much.

 

[LiborNX]

Check out rentry.org SwitchHackingIsEasy tutorials. When you are at step 5 "How to set up emuNAND with Atmosphere on Erista (Unpatched)", go for the "partition-based Emunand" option for stability.

 

[LiborNX]

Is it the case with the Switch or do I have to hack it each time I reboot ? I've seen a lot of contradictions about it.

Non permanent. Sleep mode reduces the need of rebooting.

 

[Andorin]

Thanks.
Do you know if I have to buy anything else ? I saw some people buying chipsets or little plugins hardwares ?

Thank you again

 

[grubgrub]

This is a good guide on hacking the switch.
https://switch.homebrew.guide/

The modchips are only necessary for the V2 or the OLED switch
Also, make sure that your delete the wifi settings and place the switch in fligth mode before creating the emunand.
That way the emunand will not try to connect to the internet to nintendo's servers and get you banned,
Keep sysnand clean and you can play online

 

[LiborNX]

Can I do it with only my Switch, computer and a micro Sd Card ?
Do i need to buy something else ?

You need an extra item to enable the RCM mode that allows to inject a payload (in case of reboot)
Free but risk of damaging joycon rail over time: use a jig (plenty of tutorials out there) + a compuer or and Android phone to inject the payload
Cheap, safe, convenient: RCM Loader, comes with the 3d printed tool to boot in RCM mode but also has a small memory to host and inject the CFW payload (no computer needed, very practical when on the go)

 

[Blauhasenpopo]

You don't have to, but you can .....RCMLoader is the thing you could buy at Aliexpress. So there's no need of a PC or some other Unit to inject payload after turnig Swich totally off.

AFAIK

 

[grubgrub]

You don't have to, but you can .....RCMLoader is the thing you could buy at Aliexpress. So there's no need of a PC or some other Unit to inject payload after turnig Swich totally off.

AFAIK

Yea the RCM loader is great, i though i did not need one as i have a pc and phone, but its just so convenient

 

[LiborNX]

Try RCM Loader, there's no coming back

 

[RednaxelaNnamtra]

There is no real persistent solution, you need to either inject the payload everytime you fully turn off the switch via injector, smartphone or pc, or use a modchip that does it for you.
You don't need to use a jig and hold the buttons everytime though, by enabling autorcm, if you are OK with not booting into a 100% stock setup, and being able to boot without injecting a payload.

Another important thing is to never go online with backups, even if they are self dumped, so best use an emunand that stayes offline for them. Also be careful when modding online games, and generally don't try anything weird with nintendos online service(e.g. Changing the profile picture to a custom image or similar things).

Besides that, most things are relatively safe to do even when going online, so using the sysnand with cfw can be done. This can be used e.g. to stream games you play from the cardridge/eshop in discord, backup savegames, or to improve the fps a bit by increasing the cpu/gpu clock.

 

[CloudStrife1901]

If you're running an android device you can install Rekado to push the payloads. Using a otg USB-C adapter with a USB cable

Get a big enough sdcard aswel because if your using emunand that'll take space on the sdcard leaving you less room

512gb should be good enough. If not 256gb at a push if you can't afford the 512gb price tag

 

[Andorin]

You don't have to, but you can .....RCMLoader is the thing you could buy at Aliexpress. So there's no need of a PC or some other Unit to inject payload after turnig Swich totally off.

AFAIK

Thank you.

Can you explain to me what is the RCM Loader ?
What is the difference between the Rcm Loader and the little plastic thing some guys on some video put on the side of the Switch ?

There is no real persistent solution, you need to either inject the payload everytime you fully turn off the switch via injector, smartphone or pc, or use a modchip that does it for you.
You don't need to use a jig and hold the buttons everytime though, by enabling autorcm, if you are OK with not booting into a 100% stock setup, and being able to boot without injecting a payload.

Another important thing is to never go online with backups, even if they are self dumped, so best use an emunand that stayes offline for them. Also be careful when modding online games, and generally don't try anything weird with nintendos online service(e.g. Changing the profile picture to a custom image or similar things).

Besides that, most things are relatively safe to do even when going online, so using the sysnand with cfw can be done. This can be used e.g. to stream games you play from the cardridge/eshop in discord, backup savegames, or to improve the fps a bit by increasing the cpu/gpu clock.

Hey mate,

Thanks for the answer.
I'm not sure to understand the sentence "You don't need to use a jig and hold the buttons everytime though, by enabling autorcm, if you are OK with not booting into a 100% stock setup, and being able to boot without injecting a payload."

What is a 100%stock setup ?

Sorry guys, I'm very new to that matter.

If you're running an android device you can install Rekado to push the payloads. Using a otg USB-C adapter with a USB cable

Get a big enough sdcard aswel because if your using emunand that'll take space on the sdcard leaving you less room

512gb should be good enough. If not 256gb at a push if you can't afford the 512gb price tag

Bought a 400gb micro sd card !

 

[CloudStrife1901]

Thank you.

Can you explain to me what is the RCM Loader ?
What is the difference between the Rcm Loader and the little plastic thing some guys on some video put on the side of the Switch ?



Hey mate,

Thanks for the answer.
I'm not sure to understand the sentence "You don't need to use a jig and hold the buttons everytime though, by enabling autorcm, if you are OK with not booting into a 100% stock setup, and being able to boot without injecting a payload."

What is a 100%stock setup ?

Sorry guys, I'm very new to that matter.


Bought a 400gb micro sd card !

I started with a 128gb but because my system was banned for online services i didn't need to worry about not using the emunand option. Now got multiple 128gb cards with roms etc on and a 512gb card for the main switch games

 

[Blauhasenpopo]

Google RCM Loader, it's a Unit which you can attach at the USB-C Port of the Switch, and which load the payload you need to boot to CFW.

The little plastic Thingy callaed "Jig" is a tool to bootb the Switch into Recovery Mode.

You can get it on Amazon or in bundle with RCM LOader at Aliexpress

 

[RednaxelaNnamtra]

Thank you.

Can you explain to me what is the RCM Loader ?
What is the difference between the Rcm Loader and the little plastic thing some guys on some video put on the side of the Switch ?



Hey mate,

Thanks for the answer.
I'm not sure to understand the sentence "You don't need to use a jig and hold the buttons everytime though, by enabling autorcm, if you are OK with not booting into a 100% stock setup, and being able to boot without injecting a payload."

What is a 100%stock setup ?

Sorry guys, I'm very new to that matter.


Bought a 400gb micro sd card !

100% stock would be, when you boot the normal os, without any custom components from CFW.
When installing Autorcm ist does a small targeted file corruption, that can be easelly reversed. This results in the switch always booting into the RCM mode. this can be a nice quality of life feature, since you won't need to use the jig and vol button every time you want to boot into cfw, but it also means, you wont be able to use nintendos normal bootloader and boot process, without uninstalling autorcm, so you can't boot without injecting a payload with any device.
You can also boot in an effectivelly the same as stock looking firmware with hekate, but it runs a small part of atmosphere (that Nintendo currently can't try to detect, since their code would crash if they tried it on Original firmware, and changes to that would be identified instandly).
So depending on how much risk you want to accept, you need to either not use Autorcm, boot sysnand with hekates stock option, or just boot atmosphere on sysnand, but effectivelly this in itself is only a difference in ban safety of something like 100% to 99.9% to 99.8% (just guessed values, since all 3 are currently safe as far as we know).

Using full CFW on sysnand would also have the advantage that you could just reboot to emunand and back to sysnand using an overlay like fastCFWswitch. This allows changing the nand/enviroment without needing to reinject any payload, and without any manuall actions during the boot process.

 

[Andorin]

Thank you again for all your answers.

May I recap everything if I understood well ?

To hack a Switch, I need a Switch (yay), a micro SD Card and a computer.
I have to buy a RCM Loader because it is way easier (still non really understood why).

I can install a permanent CFW in the Switch with the only condition to never shut it down thanks to a softmod, right ? But if it runs out of battery or I turn it off I will have to hack it again or plug my RCM Loader to load a CFW, right ?

Thank you again.

 

[CloudStrife1901]

Thank you again for all your answers.

May I recap everything if I understood well ?

To hack a Switch, I need a Switch (yay), a micro SD Card and a computer.
I have to buy a RCM Loader because it is way easier (still non really understood why).

I can install a permanent CFW in the Switch with the only condition to never shut it down thanks to a softmod, right ? But if it runs out of battery or I turn it off I will have to hack it again or plug my RCM Loader to load a CFW, right ?

Thank you again.

Rcm loader is more of a convenience thing so purely optional. A pc with a program called TegraRcmGUI application would do if you don't mind sending the payload again

You can just keep the switch in sleep mode once the hack is activated. I haven't turned mine off since Christmas last year and kept it docked while charging. But if you do turn it off at any point you'll need to use TegraRcmGUI on the pc side or the optional rcm loader method

You'll also need a jig tool that gets slid down the right joycon rail on the switch itself if you want to enter rcm while injecting the payloads

 

[Sm3bul0ck]

This is a good guide on hacking the switch.
(I'm not allowed to post links)

The modchips are only necessary for the V2 or the OLED switch
Also, make sure that your delete the wifi settings and place the switch in fligth mode before creating the emunand.
That way the emunand will not try to connect to the internet to nintendo's servers and get you banned,
Keep sysnand clean and you can play online

Where might I be able to buy a chip if I want to hack an OLED or Switch Lite?

 

[grubgrub]

Where might I be able to buy a chip if I want to hack an OLED or Switch Lite?

I got mine from aliexpress

You can search for SX lite or hwfly
Although you should note the hwfly is a copy of the sx mod chips, and "Spacecraft NX" software on the chips has not been updated for the OLED on the hwfly, but can be updated on sx mod chips.
The SX modschip can be updated manuallyby yourself, so it will be better to get that one if you can find it.

I mananged to order the SX core, as i could not find the SX lite.
The SX core should be able to install fine in the OLED and can be updated to the latest spacecraft NX
Cost me around $200 USD just for the mod chip :'(

 

[Sm3bul0ck]

I got mine from aliexpress

You can search for SX lite or hwfly
Although you should note the hwfly is a copy of the sx mod chips, and "Spacecraft NX" software on the chips has not been updated for the OLED on the hwfly, but can be updated on sx mod chips.
The SX modschip can be updated manuallyby yourself, so it will be better to get that one if you can find it.

I mananged to order the SX core, as i could not find the SX lite.
The SX core should be able to install fine in the OLED and can be updated to the latest spacecraft NX
Cost me around $200 USD just for the mod chip :'(

Are there any guides on how to set up, install, and use SX or hwfly?
Do I have to use SXOS or can I install atmosphere?