Hacking Question Should I update firmware before 6.x?

[dis33]

I'm currently on 4.1.0 having never upgraded and am using sx os but am getting a message that a system update is needed when trying to run a couple of things.

Should I update the firmware now before 6.x is released? I dont really want to have to use the ChoiDujour method as it doesnt really seem that straight forward with sx os, so it would be official online update - is this just a case of disabling autorcm, update firmware, enable autorcm and everythings back as it was, or will nsp installs be gone etc?

Also, do I need a specific type of usb wall charger to charge the switch? I got a cheapy usb>usb c cable but when using it with a variety of phone chargers, the switch doesnt even recognise that its being charged. Does it need to be a quick charge or certain amp? I guess it could be a non-working cable, but I dont have anything that uses usb-c to test - it needs to be a usb charger rather than a fixed plug as is provided with the switch but I cant find much info as to what should work.

 

[Erol]

Yes

 

[OblivionReign]

Don't. At 4.10you can have a cold boot cfw when it's done. 5.0.0 fixed that .you are on the LAST firmware that will ever offer that. Please do not update. And you can remove the nag by doing something in the recovery mode or something. Just look online for that

 

[0x64]

You have choi. You can update to whatever firmware anytime you want.

 

[Canna]

I'm currently on 4.1.0 having never upgraded and am using sx os but am getting a message that a system update is needed when trying to run a couple of things.

Should I update the firmware now before 6.x is released? I dont really want to have to use the ChoiDujour method as it doesnt really seem that straight forward with sx os, so it would be official online update - is this just a case of disabling autorcm, update firmware, enable autorcm and everythings back as it was, or will nsp installs be gone etc?

Also, do I need a specific type of usb wall charger to charge the switch? I got a cheapy usb>usb c cable but when using it with a variety of phone chargers, the switch doesnt even recognise that its being charged. Does it need to be a quick charge or certain amp? I guess it could be a non-working cable, but I dont have anything that uses usb-c to test - it needs to be a usb charger rather than a fixed plug as is provided with the switch but I cant find much info as to what should work.

Firstly make sure you have a full backup of your switch >Clickhere

Secondly
If you go online and ninty sniffs your console and finds traces of home brew/nsp's etc there prob flag you for a ban... Either Use a updated game cart with the latest system version , or use choirdujour nx ...
Or create your own updated nand with nx 5.1.0 system files and you hacdisk mount method to update...

Recommend the choirdujourNx home brew app method myself..

You go online you may flag yourself,,, but its entirely upto you

 

[The Real Jdbye]

I'm currently on 4.1.0 having never upgraded and am using sx os but am getting a message that a system update is needed when trying to run a couple of things.

Should I update the firmware now before 6.x is released? I dont really want to have to use the ChoiDujour method as it doesnt really seem that straight forward with sx os, so it would be official online update - is this just a case of disabling autorcm, update firmware, enable autorcm and everythings back as it was, or will nsp installs be gone etc?

Also, do I need a specific type of usb wall charger to charge the switch? I got a cheapy usb>usb c cable but when using it with a variety of phone chargers, the switch doesnt even recognise that its being charged. Does it need to be a quick charge or certain amp? I guess it could be a non-working cable, but I dont have anything that uses usb-c to test - it needs to be a usb charger rather than a fixed plug as is provided with the switch but I cant find much info as to what should work.

Switch uses USB-PD, but it will charge with a regular 2A 5V charger like what you would use with Android devices, just very slowly.
I suggest using an official charger, 3rd party USB-PD chargers don't save you that much money and there are reports of bricks with them.

 

[Deleted User]

I have a third party charger. It is from BigBen and works perfectly.

I suggest using an official charger, 3rd party USB-PD chargers don't save you that much money and there are reports of bricks with them.

Actually they do save you around 10€. And you can't use the official one's with a USB Powerbank or an USB 12 Volt adapter

 

[Ashura66]

I have a third party charger. It is from BigBen and works perfectly.

You're either lucky or very brave. Most, if not ALL third party chargers/docks have the potential to eventually fry your system. But that is an issue with the Switch itself. I W
was watching a video on the subject the other day and the reason why this happens is because the Switch asks for a certain voltage from the dock/charger but actually takes a much higher voltage than it needs. It's like the Switch is talking it's own language and only the official gear can understand it

 

[Meriadoc]

You're either lucky or very brave. Most, if not ALL third party chargers/docks have the potential to eventually fry your system. But that is an issue with the Switch itself. I W
was watching a video on the subject the other day and the reason why this happens is because the Switch asks for a certain voltage from the dock/charger but actually takes a much higher voltage than it needs. It's like the Switch is talking it's own language and only the official gear can understand it

So are you telling me that I can't use a powerbank when I'm on the go to charge the switch ?

 

[Ashura66]

So are you telling me that I can't use a powerbank when I'm on the go to charge the switch ?

I believe there is one official Powerbank that you can use safely. Any third party accessory is a crapshoot

 

[Ian095]

No point updating but if you did there will surely be an exploit someday in the very far future... Just no guarantees on that and could take years.

 

[The Real Jdbye]

I have a third party charger. It is from BigBen and works perfectly.



Actually they do save you around 10€. And you can't use the official one's with a USB Powerbank or an USB 12 Volt adapter

Nah, I mean the wall wart itself, not the cable. Any 56k ohm A to C cable is fine, any C to C cable is fine. It's what you charge it with that matters.
USB powerbanks and usb car adapters should be safe to use as well, it sems to be USB-PD chargers that have the problem.

So are you telling me that I can't use a powerbank when I'm on the go to charge the switch ?

A non USB-PD powerbank should be safe, the Anker powerbanks with USB-PD should be safe as well, since they have an officially licensed one and I'm guessing their non-licensed one is the exact same thing. Not a lot of USB-PD powerbanks exist anyway. RAVPower makes one, it's very cheap for the capacity you get, but I know very little about that brand, it could be dodgy. Anker and RAVPower are the only 2 I know of that have USB-PD powerbanks.

In other words, pretty much every powerbank on the market does not use USB-PD and simply use 5V at around 2-2.5A which the Switch will work fine with, it will just charge very slowly when in a game. You have to go out of your way to find a USB-PD powerbank.

Also, it should go without saying, but do not use 5V adapters and powerbanks while docked. This may be a large part of why people are getting bricks from 3rd party docks/adapters. My SFANS adapter came with a generic 5V wall adapter, which is not meant to be used docked, so I'm not sure what they were thinking there. Haven't used the wall adapter nor the dock and probably never will, not risking my Switch.
The Switch draws more docked than what a 5V adapter or powerbank will provide it, as it will never draw more than 2A (10W at 5V), and in game and docked it needs 11W just to power the Switch itself, nevermind charging the battery and JoyCons. So, the behavior with 5V docked is unpredictable at best, and could explain why we have all those cases of people bricking (people buying 3rd party docks that come with a cheap power adapter that's not rated for dock use, or buying another power adapter to use with their dock not knowing that they need a USB-PD one)
But we don't seem to have any reports of bricking when using an official dock and a 3rd party power adapter. Maybe the official dock has some protection against this.

If you're worried, use a 56k ohm resistor USB-A to C cable like what comes with the Pro Controller and JoyCon charge grip, the 56k ohm resistor disables USB-PD (USB-PD should only be used with type C anyway not A to C, why I'm not sure, but non-56k ohm A to C cables are known to brick various devices)

 

[Deleted User]

But we don't seem to have any reports of bricking when using an official dock and a 3rd party power adapter. Maybe the official dock has some protection against this.

Yeah it has. If you want to use a third party charger with the official dock the switch tells you to use an original charger.

 

[leon8179]

Looks like nsp and xci will be broken in 6.0

 

[Ashura66]

Looks like nsp and xci will be broken in 6.0

We don't know that, not yet

 

[leon8179]

We don't know that, not yet

 

[guitarheroknight]

Why do you need to remove auto RCM before updating?

 

[Ashura66]

You do now that's not an official features list right? It's most likely all speculation

 

[8BitWonder]

Don't. At 4.10you can have a cold boot cfw when it's done. 5.0.0 fixed that .you are on the LAST firmware that will ever offer that. Please do not update. And you can remove the nag by doing something in the recovery mode or something. Just look online for that

Coldboot possibility is for folks on 3.0.1 or under.
Deja Vu (warmboot) doesn't work after 5.0.0.

Spoiler: Sources

 

[dis33]

Switch uses USB-PD, but it will charge with a regular 2A 5V charger like what you would use with Android devices, just very slowly.
I suggest using an official charger, 3rd party USB-PD chargers don't save you that much money and there are reports of bricks with them.

So a normal android charger (from samsung s4/s5 rather than s8/s9 timeframe) should charge the switch, as in it should make it show the charging indicator next to the battery meter? Trying to work out if its the cable rather than the wall charger.

Currently I get no indication its charging from a powerbank or 2 usb chargers.