Hacking SWITCH NOOB PARADISE - Ask questions here

[Hayato213]

Hi Everyone!

I am on 18.1.0|AMS 1.7.1|E but want to play a game with a base requirement of 21.0.0.

Do I need to only upgrade Hekate Atmosphere and Sig patches?
Or do I need to update firmware with Daybreak also?

Additionally, should I use the Hekate Atmosphere and sig patches released for 21.0.0 or should I use the latest? I seem to remember drawbacks to upgrading at different firmware levels.

Thank you for any help you can offer!

You need to update atmosphere/ hekate/ syspatches along with firmware update.

 

[redalchemy]

Hi Everyone!

I am on 18.1.0|AMS 1.7.1|E but want to play a game with a base requirement of 21.0.0.

Do I need to only upgrade Hekate Atmosphere and Sig patches?
Or do I need to update firmware with Daybreak also?

Additionally, should I use the Hekate Atmosphere and sig patches released for 21.0.0 or should I use the latest? I seem to remember drawbacks to upgrading at different firmware levels.

Thank you for any help you can offer!

I highly recommend installing sys-patch as well. I tried the latest sigpatches and still had errors when going from 17.0.0 to most recent. Sys-patch has kind of replaced sigpatches.

 

[Blythe93]

Do I need to only upgrade Hekate Atmosphere and Sig patches?
Or do I need to update firmware with Daybreak also?

Additionally, should I use the Hekate Atmosphere and sig patches released for 21.0.0 or should I use the latest? I seem to remember drawbacks to upgrading at different firmware levels.

Check this guide. Additionally, instead of the official Atmosphere, you can try this fork with the built-in patches.

 

[daikon1]

Last questions - should I just do the version I need, or should I do the latest? Not sure if there is a downside to going to latest, or if it is all the same once I hit v21 or v21+

Thank you all!

 

[redalchemy]

Last questions - should I just do the version I need, or should I do the latest? Not sure if there is a downside to going to latest, or if it is all the same once I hit v21 or v21+

Thank you all!

You might as well just be fully updated. One thing you need to know tho, that I did not when I did my update, is that pretty much no older NROs work past v21. You need to individually replace them all with the newer version. You will see an error message on them when viewing the app in HBMenu and they will crash when opening. You can find updated versions for pretty much everything on the HB App Store as well as the forum post that saved me SO much time and effort below:

Thread 'Preliminary list of updated homebrew apps and tools for FW 21.0.0 | AMS 1.10.0 | Please add your findings!!!'

Nov 17, 2025

UPDATING TO NEW FIRMWARE 21.0.0 IS NOT RECOMMENDED. THERE ARE COMPATIBILITY ISSUES WITH A LOT OF HOMEBREW APPS.

UPDATED APPS for new firmware 21.0.0 (download the MODDED files if there is no official release for FW 21.0.0). USE the modded files with CAUTION. Not all modded apps have been tested.

YOU CAN USE THIS TOOL TO AUTOMATICALLY PATCH your NRO and OVL files to support FW 21.0.0

MAIN TOOLS:
Hekate: Here.
Atmosphère: Here.
sys-patch module: Here.

OTHER TOOLS:
Ultrahand Overlay: Here.
nx-ovlloader for...

• alcab
• Replies: 807
• Forum: Nintendo Switch

• 
• 

Be aware some have not been updated, but you can manually update them with the patcher from the list. I had to manually patch my VNDS-Love NRO, and it's working fine now. Other NROs still don't work after patching tho.

 

[errordewindows]

Good post, thanks

 

[LooneyDerangement]

Hey. I am on 20.5.0, latest AMS.
Tried SwitchU for a few days it's pretty neat. Then games stopped launching, just stuck at the "Licenced by" screen. But it ran forwarders and homebrew just fine. Tried to wipe the 0100000000001000 folder to get back to stock theme.

Then I reboot into emummc and it throws me into the Welcome screen, I complete the setup, create a user and have no games or homebrew forwarders on the main screen. It also shows me that screen where it's not your sd card and a Wipe button. What do I do? Thanks.

 

[Hayato213]

Hey. I am on 20.5.0, latest AMS.
Tried SwitchU for a few days it's pretty neat. Then games stopped launching, just stuck at the "Licenced by" screen. But it ran forwarders and homebrew just fine. Tried to wipe the 0100000000001000 folder to get back to stock theme.

Then I reboot into emummc and it throws me into the Welcome screen, I complete the setup, create a user and have no games or homebrew forwarders on the main screen. It also shows me that screen where it's not your sd card and a Wipe button. What do I do? Thanks.

Sound like you messed up emunand.

 

[Licuatronix]

Hey, i have a question about something i waned to do, but idk if it is easy to do, basically i want to have a minimal android/linux that can launch one app/game and nothing else, kinda like totkmm: https://gamebanana.com/tools/17165
but with a app/game of my election

is it easy to do? is it even posible?

 

[daikon1]

Post automatically merged: Aug 11, 2026

You might as well just be fully updated. One thing you need to know tho, that I did not when I did my update, is that pretty much no older NROs work past v21. You need to individually replace them all with the newer version. You will see an error message on them when viewing the app in HBMenu and they will crash when opening. You can find updated versions for pretty much everything on the HB App Store as well as the forum post that saved me SO much time and effort below:

Thread 'Preliminary list of updated homebrew apps and tools for FW 21.0.0 | AMS 1.10.0 | Please add your findings!!!'

Nov 17, 2025

UPDATING TO NEW FIRMWARE 21.0.0 IS NOT RECOMMENDED. THERE ARE COMPATIBILITY ISSUES WITH A LOT OF HOMEBREW APPS.

UPDATED APPS for new firmware 21.0.0 (download the MODDED files if there is no official release for FW 21.0.0). USE the modded files with CAUTION. Not all modded apps have been tested.

YOU CAN USE THIS TOOL TO AUTOMATICALLY PATCH your NRO and OVL files to support FW 21.0.0

MAIN TOOLS:
Hekate: Here.
Atmosphère: Here.
sys-patch module: Here.

OTHER TOOLS:
Ultrahand Overlay: Here.
nx-ovlloader for...

• alcab
• Replies: 807
• Forum: Nintendo Switch

• 
• 

Be aware some have not been updated, but you can manually update them with the patcher from the list. I had to manually patch my VNDS-Love NRO, and it's working fine now. Other NROs still don't work after patching tho.

Thank you so much! I was away from my computer for a bit and wanted to thank you properly! I will take a look at these tonight and hopefully all goes well!

Thank you also for letting me know that once I go for the 20s I mine as well upgrade all the way. For some reason I thought there was some difference in the memory that was available depending on which firmware I was on and I was worried that going all the way would preclude me from doing certain things with my switch or that it would not make my switch run as well. Wish me luck!

 

[KIlly728]

Hello everyone, I have a Hardware question, or rather, looking for information from people more familiar with he Switch OLED platform.

TL;DR - I picked up a Switch OLED from FB marketplace place for a pretty good deal, but it has one problem, there is no display on the tablet. The console works fine otherwise, and I haven't opened the console yet. What are the comon cause I should be expecting?

More Information:
The console seems to function fully. Plays on TV via docked, touch screen works, and the console reads games. Cosmetically, the tablet is in very good shape on the outside with a hair scratch on the bottom corner (the scratch connects to a portion of the frame where the scratch continues leading me to believe it's not a crack).

The Joycons on it have seen better days. The L button is missing a chunk, and it is generally sticky. The locking tabs are also fairly worn out, and they just generally have a hard time connecting to the console via the rails. I am less concerned about the joy-cons at this moment since I can probably figure them out, I am more writing this to show how the previous owner treated the console.

 

[Hayato213]

I picked up a Switch OLED from FB marketplace place for a pretty good deal, but it has one problem, there is no display on the tablet. The console works fine otherwise, and I haven't opened the console yet. What are the comon cause I should be expecting?

Most common problems with either damaged screen or damaged ribbon, if you don't see cracked screen it is most likely damaged lcd ribbon cable.

 

[KIlly728]

Most common problems with either damaged screen or damaged ribbon, if you don't see cracked screen it is most likely damaged lcd ribbon cable.

Well, darn.

Took it apart and swapped in a known-good motherboard. Still no display.

I removed the display for kicks and giggles, and though I see nothing physically wrong, I see a load of components on the display ribbon. I will make the bold assumption that there isn't a schematic, nor do I think I could replace anything without damaging the display with heat.

Looks like replacement displays cost about as much as just getting another used console (that works). Oh well, worth a shot. I have a parts system now. Maybe I can find a failed Kamakazi system to swap MOBOs with.

Any sources on OLED replacement panels?

 

[LooneyDerangement]

When I open any app or close it there's always an envelope notification with crossed squares on the top right. How do I get rid of it?
The only changes I've had are SwitchU (but uninstalled since) and latest horizonOC + saltynx update.

 

[Hayato213]

When I open any app or close it there's always an envelope notification with crossed squares on the top right. How do I get rid of it?
The only changes I've had are SwitchU (but uninstalled since) and latest horizonOC + saltynx update.

Probably have to do with one of these files modification that you did, stock Atmosphere doesn't have it.

 

[RobZilla10001]

Well, darn.

Took it apart and swapped in a known-good motherboard. Still no display.

I removed the display for kicks and giggles, and though I see nothing physically wrong, I see a load of components on the display ribbon. I will make the bold assumption that there isn't a schematic, nor do I think I could replace anything without damaging the display with heat.

Looks like replacement displays cost about as much as just getting another used console (that works). Oh well, worth a shot. I have a parts system now. Maybe I can find a failed Kamakazi system to swap MOBOs with.

Any sources on OLED replacement panels?

You have to replace the digitizer and panel together, as they are fused together, unlike the V1/V2/Lite. That being said, the least expensive I've seen them is $102 on mobilesentrix. If you can't order from MS, try Amazon; they range from $108 up.

EDIT: typo

 

[esisonic]

Any News about switch lite??
I don't want to use hardware modchip ...
What should do??

 

[Hayato213]

Any News about switch lite??
I don't want to use hardware modchip ...
What should do??

Only current method is modchip

 

[LooneyDerangement]

Probably have to do with one of these files modification that you did, stock Atmosphere doesn't have it.

After some investigation, turns out something happened to sys-Notification titleid 0100000000251020.
Possibly caused by SwitchU.
The fix was deleting this folder (after backup ofc).

 

[switchyplayer]

Hello all.

Is there a nintendo switch homebrew project that uses the joycon ir camera as a light gun for arcade light gun games emulation, like time crisis or the house of the dead? Thanks