This guide assumes you have access to RCM, if you do not, use a compatible method. Some of those compatible methods can be found here.
This guide will transform your stock switch to play "backups" of switch games
1.) Installing ReiNX

• Download the latest stable ReiNX Release (Found here) (Extract this on to the root of your SD)
• Make a new folder in the /ReiNX/ directory on your SD named 'titles'
• Download hbmenu.nro (place this on the root of your SD)
• Download this .zip file and extract it to /ReiNX/titles/
• Download the latest stable release of Tinfoil(Found here)
• Create a new folder on the SD's root named 'switch'
• Place tinfoil.nro (found in the tinfoil zip) in the /switch/ directory
• Make a new folder on the root of the SD named 'tinfoil' and inside this folder create another folder named 'nsp'

*From now on any NSP warez or homebrew you download should be placed in /tinfoil/nsp on the SD card.

2.) Booting into ReiNX
*Skip this step if you are familiar with booting into CFW

• Use your method of choice to enter RCM
• Push ReiNX.bin from the ReiNX.zip we downloaded earlier to your switch. (If you do not know what app to use to do this i reccomend TegraRCMGUI for Windows users.)

3.) Installing Games

• Open the homebrew launcher by opening the Nintendo Switch Album
• Open tinfoil
• Choose Title Management>Install NSP>(Choose the NSP you would like to install)

Profit! Enjoy your "legally obtained backups"

FAQ:

- Can I delete .NSP files from my SD after they have been installed via tinfoil?
Yes you can.

- Will I get banned for going online?
Yes, you will most likely be banned from playing online with your switch. This in fact does not block updates though, and you can still access the eShop. (I strongly suggest you keep your switch in Airplane mode and de-link your NNID if you plan on using CFW to install a bunch of NSPs.)

- Can I install updates or DLC with this tool?
Not with tinfoil currently, you have to install devmenu to install DLCs and game updates. See here: https://gbatemp.net/threads/quick-g...ates-dlc-with-devmenu-no-sx-os-needed.512337/

- Can I convert .XCI to .NSP?
Yes. Use this.

- Do i have to use the album to launch into the homebrew launcher?
No. You can install this via tinfoil and launch the homebrew launcher as if it is an app if that pleases you.

- I wish i could backup my saves so that i don't lose them...
Download checkpoint.nro and use it to backup your saves/import saves from another switch.

- Can i install any homebrew to my main menu with this?
Pretty much. Check this out.

- How do i update ReiNX?
You can update it manually by downloading the latest release and extracting it to the root of your SD card, or use this updater homebrew application. (Recommended you use that homebrew to decrease hassle every time you want to update.)

 

[arfeyza]

can you give tutorial with video?

 

[Tailsun]

Registered just to say that this is the real deal. Launched ReiNX with Tegra and was able to install a pristine NSP without any problems (Lumines Remastered, will be trying others after this). Worked on the first try, home screen entry and all. It even prompted to download the game update. I'm trying to keep my console offline at the moment so I'm not sure if that would work.

Thanks for the succinct write up. Things are moving quickly and it can be a bit overwhelming to try and keep up with multiple threads (say nothing about multiple forums). I feel a bit spoiled because I only started looking into the scene a couple of days ago and have been blown away by the community's progress - my expectations have been surpassed and then some. Looking forward to the months ahead and am excited to start contributing!

 

[Maoh]

I don't know what I'm doing wrong but it gets stuck when loading the ReiNX.bin through Tegra, the screen gets blue until I turn it off by holding power.
Switch's in 4.1.0

 

[Tailsun]

I don't know what I'm doing wrong but it gets stuck when loading the ReiNX.bin through Tegra, the screen gets blue until I turn it off by holding power.
Switch's in 4.1.0

This is a shot in the dark but try booting it without your SD card in and see if you at least get a "failed to init SD card" message, that might help determine if it's on the SD side or firmware side. The fact that you're running 4.1.0 might have something to do with it, I'm on the most recent (5.x, can't remember the exact number) and it works fine.

Edit: See post by Draxzelex below!

 

[Draxzelex]

This is a shot in the dark but try booting it without your SD card in and see if you at least get a "failed to init SD card" message, that might help determine if it's on the SD side or firmware side. The fact that you're running 4.1.0 might have something to do with it, I'm on the most recent (5.x, can't remember the exact number) and it worked fine.

This method has been confirmed to work on firmwares as low as 3.0 so it is most likely SD card related (e.g. fake, bad .NSP, flags being set)

 

[Maoh]

This is a shot in the dark but try booting it without your SD card in and see if you at least get a "failed to init SD card" message, that might help determine if it's on the SD side or firmware side. The fact that you're running 4.1.0 might have something to do with it, I'm on the most recent (5.x, can't remember the exact number) and it works fine.

Booted without SD and the "failed to inin sd card" popped up, there was an "SD" folder on the "ReiNX_sigpatches_1" which I added to the root of my SD, figured that was the problem and deleted everything from my SD added by that folder (which was only a ReiNX folder), the problem persists.
By the way what do I do with Tinfoil? I just put it on the root of my sd hoping I'd find some way to use it inside homebrew (I haven't really used homebrew on the switch before), could that be the problem?

 

[Tailsun]

Booted without SD and the "failed to inin sd card" popped up, there was an "SD" folder on the "ReiNX_sigpatches_1" which I added to the root of my SD, figured that was the problem and deleted everything from my SD added by that folder (which was only a ReiNX folder), the problem persists.
By the way what do I do with Tinfoil? I just put it on the root of my sd hoping I'd find some way to use it inside homebrew (I haven't really used homebrew on the switch before), could that be the problem?

Ah gotcha. The contents of the "SD" folder (rather than the folder itself) are meant to go in the root of your SD card. Apologies if you already did that, your post was a bit ambiguous.

Tinfoil is used to actually install the NSPs. You'll need to set up the homebrew launcher which is should be pretty straightforward, check out the stickied guide. Once that's done you can add the Tinfoil binary (.nro) to the <sdroot>/switch folder and the launcher should see it.

Finally, add a "tinfoil" folder to the root of your SD, an "nsp" folder inside of it, and stick any NSPs you want to install there. Someone mentioned that special characters in the NSP name may screw things up, so I gave them simple filenames just to be safe (not sure if that's necessary or not).

 

[Lemkeey]

This works on 4.1.0 wit Fat32 SD?

bluescreen for me

 

[Maoh]

Ah gotcha. The contents of the "SD" folder (rather than the folder itself) are meant to go in the root of your SD card. Apologies if you already did that, your post was a bit ambiguous.

Tinfoil is used to actually install the NSPs. You'll need to set up the homebrew launcher which is should be pretty straightforward, check out the stickied guide. Once that's done you can add the Tinfoil binary (.nro) to the <sdroot>/switch folder and the launcher should see it.

Finally, add a "tinfoil" folder to the root of your SD, an "nsp" folder inside of it, and stick any NSPs you want to install there. Someone mentioned that special characters in the NSP name may screw things up, so I gave them simple filenames just to be safe (not sure if that's necessary or not).

Thanks for the info bro, I'm currently making a backup with hetake before screwing something up, I'm completely in the dark about the current hacking scene and I guess is about time I experimented a little bit.
Damn man, I feel just like the first time I hacked my 3ds xd

 

[Tailsun]

Thanks for the info bro, I'm currently making a backup with hetake before screwing something up, I'm completely in the dark about the current hacking scene and I guess is about time I experimented a little bit.
Damn man, I feel just like the first time I hacked my 3ds xd

No problem, good luck! Shoot me a PM if you have more questions about that initial setup, I just went through that process a couple of days ago.

 

[Draxzelex]

For people using FAT32, keep in mind that the way this method works is it copies the .NSP file on the SD card onto wherever it is being installed onto. And so far, Tinfoil defaults to the SD card so unless the SD card has double the remaining space available, the installation won't work. Also, please check that your SD cards are not fake if they are big and bought for cheap as this has happened to numerous users before when SX OS was first released and still occurs to this day.

 

[Tailsun]

For people using FAT32, keep in mind that the way this method works is it copies the .NSP file on the SD card onto wherever it is being installed onto. And so far, Tinfoil defaults to the SD card so unless the SD card has double the remaining space available, the installation won't work. Also, please check that your SD cards are not fake if they are big and bought for cheap as this has happened to numerous users before when SX OS was first released and still occurs to this day.

Good call, I didn't even think to mention that I'm using an exFAT card.

 

[bluedart]

Quick question: how do I actually get the Tinfoil app? I've googled it and found a thread and a github link. That's it. Unfortunately the github link has no releases and I'm staring at the master files with no clue how to compile them. Any leads?

 

[Henceforth]

- Great thanks for this tutorial

Can install uptades with this?
- Install the last firmware (before was 4.1.0).
- SD is exFat
- Install NSP Super Mario Oddisey
- Install Uptade from internet

Works Great!

Now going to sleep, it's later here.
- See you later (with the voice of Spike from Cowboybebop)

 

[naddel81]

Is there an easier way to install exfat driver now or can we split nsp files?


Gesendet von iPhone mit Tapatalk

 

[SaffronXL]

Is this confirmed working on 4.1? When booting ReiNX I get the message "INI1 encrypted" and then my Switch shuts off. I tried this both before and after applying the exFAT mod (which was succesful) and still got the same error both times.

EDIT: Corrected the console message

 

[IHOP]

Question: Why no link for Tinfoil? I know i know, i can google it and i did but you linked the other two necessary files so...Same for ReiNX. If you're going to link one thing, might as well link them all no? Still good tutorial, much appreciated

Quick question: how do I actually get the Tinfoil app? I've googled it and found a thread and a github link. That's it. Unfortunately the github link has no releases and I'm staring at the master files with no clue how to compile them. Any leads?

A link to a prebuilt tinfoil .nro file has been added to the opening post. Moderators feel free to take that down or remove link if that violates the rules, I don't believe it does though.

 

[BryanNigson]

Does this work/worth the time? Do we run into 100 problems on the way like in the lfs tutorial thread?

 

[IHOP]

Does this work/worth the time? Do we run into 100 problems on the way like in the lfs tutorial thread?

I went from having hekate on my switch to having this working in about 15-20 minutes. Will not take long at all if you are familiar with launching RCM payloads and common switch homebrew scene knowledge.

 

[SaffronXL]

I went from having hekate on my switch to having this working in about 15-20 minutes. Will not take long at all if you are familiar with launching RCM payloads and common switch homebrew scene knowledge.

It's not quite working for everyone. Any idea what could be causing my issue?

 

[IHOP]

It's not quite working for everyone. Any idea what could be causing my issue?

It might have something to do with the fact that your console is not on 5.1? I started at 5.1 and what is listed here works fine for me.