The MIG Switch Thread

unicornman

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I agree it seems like a very silly step to stop at. Especially since they can’t even meet production demand anyway so what was the big rush

That being said they are already getting hella lazy with scratching off the SoCs so hopefully we get a better Chinese version sometime soon. I can’t imagine it would take long
Most modern chips nowadays such as the esp32 variants have their own flash encryption on the chip so it's not just as easy as knowing what kind of chip it is and trying to dump the code from it. If these devs are smart (which I would think that are) probably utilized this to prevent cloning. You can read here if you don't know about this.

Mod added proper link:
https://docs.espressif.com/projects/esp-idf/en/stable/esp32/security/flash-encryption.html

Lot's of companies that use these chips use this feature to prevent people just cloning their devices and selling as their own.
 

Statesman

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who figures!!

I still do not get how they didn't take use of the power of the integrated esp32 processor and put a near touch sensor at top of cartridge, and/or use a remote button.

After all the effort that put on the development of the device that last tinny step was the less to do.

Gotta leave something for the Xi Switch to improve ^_^
 
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DPyro

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Most modern chips nowadays such as the esp32 variants have their own flash encryption on the chip so it's not just as easy as knowing what kind of chip it is and trying to dump the code from it. If these devs are smart (which I would think that are) probably utilized this to prevent cloning. You can read here if you don't know about this.

Mod added proper link:
https://docs.espressif.com/projects/esp-idf/en/stable/esp32/security/flash-encryption.html

Lot's of companies that use these chips use this feature to prevent people just cloning their devices and selling as their own.
Too bad this can already be hacked.

https://hackaday.com/2024/01/15/bre...ption-feature-of-espressifs-microcontrollers/
 
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Skv0ra

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So, where are we all on the likely inevitable crash of the used game market thanks to MIG? People can go to used game stores, buy used carts in bulk, make themselves legit copies, then go dump that entire stock back off, and when the cart's next owner and the pirate both go online - they both get N-ban hammer hard.

The classic piracy keeps people offline and preserves the physical carts for that online play, but this MIG business is gonna shake up the used market like nothing else.
 
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impeeza

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So, where are we all on the likely inevitable crash of the used game market thanks to MIG? People can go to used game stores, buy used carts in bulk, make themselves legit copies, then go dump that entire stock back off, and when the cart's next owner and the pirate both go online - they both get N-ban hammer hard.

The classic piracy keeps people offline and preserves the physical carts for that online play, but this MIG business is gonna shake up the used market like nothing else.
you are repeating the same words what every person with 2 inches of brain has been telling since the first web page shows.
 

pharrowking

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i ordered a mig switch but it hasnt arrived yet. hopefully it will arrive soon. i had chatgpt write a python script to modify the xci file, to allow you to use pretty much any initial data bin file with any xci. maybe someone can test it for me. if not i will be trying once i get my mig switch, i just got my shipping notification so heres to that.

chatgpt wrote 2 other scripts that tried to generate an intial data file, but that was futile because i think the initial data bin is signed. so instead my thought is to update the xci only. if this works it could open up modding on original switches using only the mig switch.

but this script is based off the following information i found in a youtube comment:
the initial data contains 2 parts the first 8 bytes are the header, which is found in the xci. and the second part is the challenge response which allows the cart to enter secure mode in the cartslot. the sha256 hash of the whole initial data file can found in the xci as well. my thought was to reuse the challenge response, since dev carts can use a common response. the script is supposed to update the xci with the new sha256 hash and the 8 byte header from the initial data bin.

the modified xci still plays in an emulator just fine. but i cant test it on mig switch till mine arrives.



Python:
import hashlib
import zlib
import argparse

def update_game_xci_with_initial_data(game_bin_path, initial_data_path):
    with open(initial_data_path, 'rb') as initial_data_bin:
        initial_data_content = initial_data_bin.read()

    # Extract the relevant data from initial_data.bin that needs to be matched in game.xci
    data_to_match = initial_data_content[0x0:0x8]  # For example, the first 8 bytes

    # Update game.xci with the extracted data
    with open(game_bin_path, 'r+b') as game_bin:
        game_bin.seek(0x110)  # Assuming the data needs to be updated at offset 0x110
        game_bin.write(data_to_match)
    with open(initial_data_path, 'rb') as initial_data_bin:
        initial_data_bin_content = initial_data_bin.read()
        new_sha256 = hashlib.sha256(initial_data_bin_content).digest()
    with open(game_bin_path, 'r+b') as game_bin:

    # Update game.xci with new SHA256
        game_bin.seek(0x160)
        game_bin.write(new_sha256)


def main():
    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description="Update game.xci to match data from initial_data.bin")
    parser.add_argument("game_bin_path", help="Path to the game.xci file")
    parser.add_argument("initial_data_path", help="Path to the initial_data.bin file")
    args = parser.parse_args()

    update_game_xci_with_initial_data(args.game_bin_path, args.initial_data_path)
    print('game.xci has been updated.')

if __name__ == "__main__":
    main()
 
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Shadow_The_Hedgehog82

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So, where are we all on the likely inevitable crash of the used game market thanks to MIG? People can go to used game stores, buy used carts in bulk, make themselves legit copies, then go dump that entire stock back off, and when the cart's next owner and the pirate both go online - they both get N-ban hammer hard.

The classic piracy keeps people offline and preserves the physical carts for that online play, but this MIG business is gonna shake up the used market like nothing else.
All this was possible on the 3ds and it never happened people are just fearmongering
 
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impeeza

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All this was possible on the 3ds and it never happened people are just fearmongering
The only difference was the cartridges of 3DS could not be identified so different copies of the same cartridges playing on different countries at the same time can not be detected by big N . They had serials but was no part of the authentication process of the game.

Now each cartridge of Switch can be plenty identified and two copies running at the same time can be spotted by the N servers.
 

Shadow_The_Hedgehog82

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The only difference was the cartridges of 3DS could not be identified so different copies of the same cartridges playing on different countries at the same time can not be detected by big N . They had serials but was no part of the authentication process of the game.

Now each cartridge of Switch can be plenty identified and two copies running at the same time can be spotted by the N servers.
they could be identified they used certs the same way it was possible to get banned by having two certs online at the same time or atleast people warned about it. on gateway and sky3ds you had to use certs like you do here.
 
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xtrem3x

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They are likely to ban certs which are being used by many people at once. The ones which people will have found online so could be used by 10+ or even 100+ people at the same time. But I doubt they'll ban any where it's only 2 people at the same time because one of those 2 people have legitimately bought the game, so banning both would punish a legitimate customer
 

Draxzelex

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They are likely to ban certs which are being used by many people at once. The ones which people will have found online so could be used by 10+ or even 100+ people at the same time. But I doubt they'll ban any where it's only 2 people at the same time because one of those 2 people have legitimately bought the game, so banning both would punish a legitimate customer
Being a "legitimate" customer has never been a defense, at least in Nintendo's eyes. One of those customers bought a Mig Switch which Nintendo would definitely not appreciate and have no qualms for swinging the ban hammer. Also you realize they banned people who have made purchases on the eShop right? And have you not seen the recent tirade on emulators and fan games that Nintendo has been on? I highly doubt they start showing mercy now because they bought one game.
 
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xtrem3x

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Being a "legitimate" customer has never been a defense, at least in Nintendo's eyes. One of those customers bought a Mig Switch which Nintendo would definitely not appreciate and have no qualms for swinging the ban hammer. Also you realize they banned people who have made purchases on the eShop right? And have you not seen the recent tirade on emulators and fan games that Nintendo has been on? I highly doubt they start showing mercy now because they bought one game.

I'm talking about the person who didn't partake in piracy at all.

If 2 people are online with 1 cert, one of those people is likely just a random kid somewhere so Nintendo is unlikely to ban for that. I agree that Nintendo will not think twice before banning somebody, but I don't think they'll risk banning an innocent person just to also ban 1 pirate. If certs cause bans it'll be popular certs with multiple users
 

Skv0ra

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But I doubt they'll ban any where it's only 2 people at the same time because one of those 2 people have legitimately bought the game, so banning both would punish a legitimate customer
You realize big N has banned far more people, for far less before, right? As a huge company, they are perhaps the biggest anti-consumer entity there ever was after Apple.
 

xtrem3x

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You realize big N has banned far more people, for far less before, right? As a huge company, they are perhaps the biggest anti-consumer entity there ever was after Apple.

For far less..? They've banned for less than buying a game and playing it?
 

TheStonedModder

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Draxzelex

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I'm talking about the person who didn't partake in piracy at all.

If 2 people are online with 1 cert, one of those people is likely just a random kid somewhere so Nintendo is unlikely to ban for that. I agree that Nintendo will not think twice before banning somebody, but I don't think they'll risk banning an innocent person just to also ban 1 pirate. If certs cause bans it'll be popular certs with multiple users
But this person is buying a used game which contributes zero sales to Nintendo. They aren't doing harm but they aren't providing any benefit either. After all, Nintendo's seal of approval can be attached to the secondhand market where you're at the whim of the seller. In fact, there is already precedent for this when SX OS was first released in case you forgot. However, unsurprisingly, the secondhand market survived because only idiots would go online with a pirated or secondhand game. Little Timmy just has to tell his parents to buy instead of pre-owned.
 

laz305

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So, where are we all on the likely inevitable crash of the used game market thanks to MIG? People can go to used game stores, buy used carts in bulk, make themselves legit copies, then go dump that entire stock back off, and when the cart's next owner and the pirate both go online - they both get N-ban hammer hard.

The classic piracy keeps people offline and preserves the physical carts for that online play, but this MIG business is gonna shake up the used market like nothing else.
I really don’t think it’ll be that bad. Think about it. Only about 10% of Mig owners would even think about going online imo so….. I don’t see it being an issue for anyone.
 

choconado

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Also, while it's still early to say anything with certainty, it still looks a heck of a lot like the switch doesn't care if the cert data matches the game it's on, just the titles, and things run fine. Like, Big N might be waiting to draw in maximum hits with one swoop, but if not, the smart mig switch scene will involve a whole "get your own cert, we don't supply them" policy on sites, and the safe path will be just dumping one from your own physical collection and using it on all of the games that only you are playing on your own switch, so the cert codes never appear more than once at a time.
 
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