Switch 2 Emulation Plans.

[Axido]

Xbox One took 13 years, Xbox360 took 20

What's your ETA for Switch 2, the most secure console we have at hands at the moment?

My take on OPs question: As soon as or not long after the next mainline Pokémon games have been released.

You see, Xbox never got any Pokémon games.

Seriously, though, it probably won't take 13 or 20 years for a Switch 2 emulator to surface. But it still highly depends on how long it takes to crack the Switch 2 in the first place. There's probably a lot of tinkering going on already, most certainly more than on Xbox consoles. We'll have to wait and see what comes out of that.

Also, if we're talking hacking, the X360 was hacked pretty much day 1. You could flash its disk drive to play backups. And as has been stated already, JTAG and RGH were a thing. Or are you implying that I have been imagining owning a hacked X360 Slim for almost fifteen years now?

 

[Givemesteak]

Why are you even talking about Switch 2 emulation?
I find it highly unlikely to be available in a playable state within the next 6-10 years.

1) Because we not much documentation about the chip and no hacked Switch 2 to experiment with

2) Nintendo has no doubt tightened security

3) the system is a fair bit more advanced than the Switch 1.

Keep in mind that the Switch 2 is more advanced and modern than the PS4 and devs has had access to hacked PS4's for a long time but we still don't have a PS4 emulator that is usable as a replacement for the console.

It's just way too early to be talking about Switch 2 emulation as a replacement for the console.

 

[Marc_LFD]

So, as you've already heard, the Xbox One, a console that was considered unhackable at the time, has been unlocked after 13 years

That gives me a little hope, after all, it’s a Microsoft console, and they don’t mess around when it comes to security, and even so they did it

the question now remains: It was the Xbox One's turn, when will it be the Switch 2's turn?

Post automatically merged: Mar 20, 2026

what do you think?

On Xbox you can already do so much that most of the hackers didn't care to hack the damn thing rather than it being "unhackable." Don't confuse the two.

Xbox One took 13 years, Xbox360 took 20

What's your ETA for Switch 2, the most secure console we have at hands at the moment?

That's the softmod, the hardmod RGH/JTAG or whatever it was was available for years.

 

[Lucas_Zxc]

Xbox One took 13 years, Xbox360 took 20

What's your ETA for Switch 2, the most secure console we have at hands at the moment?

actually a mistake, the first Xbox 360 unlock took 3 to 4 months after its launch

and I don't have an ETA, I just hope that with the technology we currently have and the help of AI, it won't take too long

Post automatically merged: Mar 20, 2026

Why are you even talking about Switch 2 emulation?
I find it highly unlikely to be available in a playable state within the next 6-10 years.

1) Because we not much documentation about the chip and no hacked Switch 2 to experiment with

2) Nintendo has no doubt tightened security

3) the system is a fair bit more advanced than the Switch 1.

Keep in mind that the Switch 2 is more advanced and modern than the PS4 and devs has had access to hacked PS4's for a long time but we still don't have a PS4 emulator that is usable as a replacement for the console.

It's just way too early to be talking about Switch 2 emulation as a replacement for the console.

1) Because we not much documentation about the chip and no hacked Switch 2 to experiment with

but still, when we get the unlock, we'll have that

Keep in mind that the Switch 2 is more advanced and modern than the PS4 and devs has had access to hacked PS4's for a long time but we still don't have a PS4 emulator that is usable as a replacement for the console.

what are you talking about? the PS4 emulator we have, ShadPS4 can already run Bloodborn from start to finish and is progressing at a rapid pace

Post automatically merged: Mar 20, 2026

Why are you even talking about Switch 2 emulation?

because I want to play his games like Pokopia on my PC because I'm a assumed PC Gamer and I don't want to buy a console that 1. I won't use much, 2. I'll technically play just because of the exclusives and nothing else (see, that's why I hate console exclusives)

 

[Mayo1990]

On Xbox you can already do so much that most of the hackers didn't care to hack the damn thing rather than it being "unhackable." Don't confuse the two.




That's the softmod, the hardmod RGH/JTAG or whatever it was was available for years.

Yeah fair, although the Switch 2 hardware is a lot more secure than Xbox One's (first model, to specify), and the current HOS is fairly secure and exploit free as of now, so only time will tell. I kinda forgot about the fact that Xbox360s could be RGH'd/JTag'd (mine is RGH'd funnily enough, lol)

because I want to play his games like Pokopia on my PC because I'm a assumed PC Gamer and I don't want to buy a console that 1. I won't use much, 2. I'll technically play just because of the exclusives and nothing else

As others already told you though, if they actually hack the Switch 2 that doesn't mean we'll get a Switch 2 emulator anytime soon. PS4 has been hackable for years and only recently we got an emulator that could boot a game at a playable speed.

So not only you'd have an ETA For a Switch 2 exploit, but also an ETA for a Switch 2 emulator.

 

[Lucas_Zxc]

So not only you'd have an ETA For a Switch 2 exploit, but also an ETA for a Switch 2 emulator.

I just think and want to believe that it won't take long

PS4 has been hackable for years and only recently we got an emulator that could boot a game at a playable speed.

but even so, it can already run Bloodborn from start to finish and is progressing at a considered pace


anyway, I just wanted you guys to have more faith, after all the Xbox One was also considered unhackable at the time

 

[Mayo1990]

I just think and want to believe that it won't take long

Well, you can start working on it then

 

[Lucas_Zxc]

Well, you can start working on it then

Okay, that's not funny.

 

[RyanTheArchivist]

This comes off more as someone who's upset they can't pirate the console exclusives than anything.

 

[Lucas_Zxc]

This comes off more as someone who's upset they can't pirate the console exclusives than anything.

"because I want to play his games like Pokopia on my PC because I'm a assumed PC Gamer and I don't want to buy a console that 1. I won't use much, 2. I'll technically play just because of the exclusives and nothing else (see, that's why I hate console exclusives)"

 

[emmauss]

"because I want to play his games like Pokopia on my PC because I'm a assumed PC Gamer and I don't want to buy a console that 1. I won't use much, 2. I'll technically play just because of the exclusives and nothing else (see, that's why I hate console exclusives)"

That doesn't disprove what they said. You aren't here looking for homebrew or modding the switch 2 to enhance it. You are here looking for ways to play switch 2 exclusives on PC since you don't want to buy the console and buy the games. Thus, you are upset because you can't pirate a game.

 

[Tattorack]

but they still succeeded with the Xbox One, If they managed to do it with the Xbox One, why couldn't they do it with the Switch 2

at least this gives me a little hope that we'll see a Switch 2 unlock soon

You're right. The Switch 2 can absolutely get hacked. Eventually.
What you're missing is the time-frame:
The xbox One was released way back in 2013. It has taken from then until now to discover a vulnerability to exploit. That is 13 years, over a decade of time, for that console to get hacked.
In that time security and encryption technology hasn't been sitting around idle.

But let's say the Switch 2 is like the xbox One. How "soon" will we see a viable exploit discovered?
Well, if we're using the same time-frame as the xbox One, it'll take 13 years for the Switch 2 to get hacked. Meaning you'll be running a CFW and playing decrypted roms in the year 2039.

So... what exactly is giving you hope in this context?

 

[Lucas_Zxc]

You are here looking for ways to play switch 2 exclusives on PC since you don't want to buy the console and buy the games. Thus, you are upset because you can't pirate a game.

and I don't want to buy a console that 1. I won't use much, 2. I'll technically play just because of the exclusives and nothing else

Does it look like I don't want to buy it because I'm a pirate now?

Come on, man, not everyone can or wants to buy a console just for the exclusives when they already play on PC, but they still want to play games like Pokémon
And by the way, if Nintendo ported their games to PC, I'd buy them

Post automatically merged: Mar 20, 2026

You're right. The Switch 2 can absolutely get hacked. Eventually.
What you're missing is the time-frame:
The xbox One was released way back in 2013. It has taken from then until now to discover a vulnerability to exploit. That is 13 years, over a decade of time, for that console to get hacked.
In that time security and encryption technology hasn't been sitting around idle.

But let's say the Switch 2 is like the xbox One. How "soon" will we see a viable exploit discovered?
Well, if we're using the same time-frame as the xbox One, it'll take 13 years for the Switch 2 to get hacked. Meaning you'll be running a CFW and playing decrypted roms in the year 2039.

So... what exactly is giving you hope in this context?

A console that was considered unhackable has been hacked

proving that nothing is foolproof

 

[Tattorack]

... they still want to play games like Pokémon

Have you considered giving TemTem a shot?

 

[Lucas_Zxc]

Have you considered giving TemTem a shot?

bro, TemTem is still not Pokemon, it may be similar, but TemTem is TemTem and Pokemon is Pokemon

 

[Tattorack]

"and I don't want to buy a console that 1. I won't use much, 2. I'll technically play just because of the exclusives and nothing else"
Does it look like I don't want to buy it because I'm a pirate now?

Come on, man, not everyone can or wants to buy a console just for the exclusives when they already play on PC, but they still want to play games like Pokémon

Post automatically merged: Mar 20, 2026

A console that was considered unhackable has been hacked

proving that nothing is foolproof

I think people on here are tired to death repeating the same thing:
Nothing is unhackable.
"Unhackable" doesn't exist in a true sense.
However, this doesn't mean it'll be hacked within a reasonable time-frame.
Each new big console has completely brand new security features. Security features you need to start all the way at square-one with in order to try and find vulnerabilities to exploit. One console being hacked does not mean the next console will be easier.

The xbox One means nothing in the context of the Switch 2. It won't make hacking the Switch 2 any faster. And on the contrary, it proves that a console will sometimes only get hacked long after it's relevant anymore.

 

[tglaria]

I just think and want to believe that it won't take long
[...]
but even so, it can already run Bloodborn from start to finish and is progressing at a considered pace

I think you have unrealistic expectations, particularly if you consider PS4 emulation as a reference.

PS4 was released on 2014.
First (not usable, but first) release for shadPS4 was on 2023.
So, Switch 2 released on 2025, you shouldn't expect an emulator before 2034.

 

[Tattorack]

bro, TemTem is still not Pokemon, it may be similar, but TemTem is TemTem and Pokemon is Pokemon

TemTem is a near one-to-one identical Pokemon clone. It's closer to Pokemon than Palworld is.
In every way TemTem plays exactly like a Pokemon game. If that still isn't good enough for you, then that's a you problem.

 

[Lucas_Zxc]

TemTem is a near one-to-one identical Pokemon clone. It's closer to Pokemon than Palworld is.
In every way TemTem plays exactly like a Pokemon game. If that still isn't good enough for you, then that's a you problem.

Does TemTem have Charizard?

 

[emmauss]

Or any of the multiple creature collectors on PC? Pokemon is not everything, and I'm saying that with a Pokemon pfp.
Do not say your hopes and then end up getting disappointed when they don't come through. The switch will be hacked when it is. Until then, you either buy the games or hold your silence.
If you can't play a game, then look for alternatives. I can't play PS exclusives, doesn't mean I will get excited when a ps4 emulator can play that game or a ps5 exploits. Because it's just a game, when you play it, what are you going to do after? Go find another game to pirate?
If you aren't contributing to the hacking scene by actually doing the attempts yourself, then whatever you or anyone else says concerning it that it's possible and that it will happen is just a waste of time and holds no actual weight.