The Switch Flashcart Thread (Mig Switch etc.)

[420iqpotato]

I installed Windows 10 on a separate HDD just to update to firmware 1.1.6 on the dumper. That seemed to work in the sense there is no longer any windows 11 disk collision issue. However, much worse, no game cartridges are being read now. I can only ever see the "System" folder in the root directory no matter which system mig flash is mounted including w11, w10, macos catalina, and chromeos flex. Admittedly, I am a bit panicked by this sudden critical loss in primary functionality. Wondering if I should roll back to 1.1.4 or trying something else altogether.

If yours (mig flash dumper) shipped with 1.1.6 firmware I would think the disk collision would be a non-issue. Since that is not that case for you, perhaps it means an additional windows 11 update broke 1.1.6 too.

Edit: Downgraded to 1.1.4 (last known working firmware) and the dumper will still not read game title folders (xci) after the cartridge is inserted.

I was finally able to revisit this, using an old laptop w Win 10 I was able to see the dumper. It was on 1.1.4 after all, updated FW and it's working fine on my Win 11 PC now. I very much appreciate your help.

As for your issue, as others said, shine a flashlight in the reader and just visually check if the pins look like the ones inside your switch's game reader. Or if you don't have a switch to reference, they should all be at the same "height"

 

[bluesveins]

So what do you think when they start to make mig switch clones with actual game sticker on it pretend to be real game ? This can be crazy…

 

[impeeza]

So what do you think when they start to make mig switch clones with actual game sticker on it pretend to be real game ? This can be crazy…

Only when the MIG prices drop significantly today a MIG cost almost the same than a game.

 

[bluesveins]

Only when the MIG prices drop significantly today a MIG cost almost the same than a game.

Hmm it seems like no one has really manage to clone this thing yet. UnlockSwitch is on the horizon and I think it will be open source.

 

[SSmiles]

I got a mig switch and after switching from the Nintendo branded SD to the ONN brand, it works.
I've ran some scenarios and tests with the mig switch and my hard modded Oled.

1) converted a working xci file to nsp then converted to xci again using the program SAK, resulted in not being able to be read. I don't blame SAK developer but I do blame the discrepancies between nsp and xci formats (as well as nsz). We need a specific tool for converting nsp to a file the mig switch can read, similar to how tinfoil converts xci to nsp. Also using tinfoil's nsp and converting it through SAK doesn't read also.

2) Minimum required files is xci, initial data, certification. However, if you own the cartridge just make a full dump regardless if your switch is modded or not. When your switch boots into sysnand and the migswitch gets connected to Nintendo then the switch automatically writes the game id that is loaded into the telemetry file and once connected to Nintendo servers you'll be flagged if your dump is incomplete. Fully dumped games won't get you banned, The mig is just emulating a game cartridge. . .nothing more.

3) Spoofing bin files. Result was failure. The certificate can be spoofed by using a certificate from another game and renaming it, however the same can't be done with initial data. Initial data contains signatures that is referenced to the xci image BY the switch. Perhaps a patch can be added to bypass this cross referencing completely (similiar to sigpatches)

Final thoughts: The mig is great for it's intended purpose but it's pretty bad at anything else. We just need more tools geared towards this new device to really bring out the real capabilities. I'd love to offload games from tinfoil on an additional SD to make more space for other things. On the basis of dumping "borrowed" games, I hope you're being a considerate pirate and playing on emunand (or yuzu). Piracy empowers the consumers, it should not consume the consumers
Also see this video from Scattered Brain where he puts his switches on the line cause I didn't have the balls to do it

 

[Blythe93]

MIG Switch and alike are pretty great for their intended purpose. If used for anything else, it gets a bit messy.
One of the good use cases of MIG Switch carts for piracy is if the Switch you're using it on is already banned (and you got it for cheap because it was banned?) and you have another modded Switch to match game updates with, and you don't want to bother with finding someone to install modchip into it. It's still a bit annoying to cycle through the games and get around its other issues, like sleep mode and game switching, in order to have a decent gaming experience.

MIG Dumper, on the other hand, is a pretty good tool that allows you to make backups of your game carts if you don't have access to a modded Switch already.

 

[FR0ZN]

1) converted a working xci file to nsp then converted to xci again using the program SAK, resulted in not being able to be read. I don't blame SAK developer but I do blame the discrepancies between nsp and xci formats (as well as nsz). We need a specific tool for converting nsp to a file the mig switch can read, similar to how tinfoil converts xci to nsp. Also using tinfoil's nsp and converting it through SAK doesn't read also.

If I'm not mistaken, this will probably never work, without keeping parts of the original XCI intact.
In the process of convertig it to NSP, information gets lost, which is not recoverable (most likely signatures).
Check the header of the original and converted XCI.
In theory, only a few bytes should be different.
If the NSP -> XCI conversion doesn't mess with file order etc. of course.

 

[croccio]

How Nintendo is able to check if a game is started from original card or from flashcart like mig switch or unlock switch? Is it ban both switch if they start the games together? Because it could be an issue if we buy second hand games

 

[linuxares]

How Nintendo is able to check if a game is started from original card or from flashcart like mig switch or unlock switch? Is it ban both switch if they start the games together? Because it could be an issue if we buy second hand games

They can't see the flashcard as of yet. We don't know if they got hidden checks. Yes they might ban both switches if you boot the same game from the same copied cart on two different switches.

Yes it can be an issue buying second hand games now days, but not everyone knows about cloning cards. I bet very few even.

 

[retnuh730]

They can't see the flashcard as of yet. We don't know if they got hidden checks. Yes they might ban both switches if you boot the same game from the same copied cart on two different switches.

Yes it can be an issue buying second hand games now days, but not everyone knows about cloning cards. I bet very few even.

The rumor is if both are launched/online with the same certs at the same time, then all consoles involved are banned.

 

[TheStonedModder]

The rumor is if both are launched/online with the same certs at the same time, then all consoles involved are banned.

All I’m gonna say is. I’m still not banned

Take it with a grain of salt of course. But me and my friends and been playing Zelda and Pokemon at the same time

 

[SecureBoot]

All I’m gonna say is. I’m still not banned

Take it with a grain of salt of course. But me and my friends and been playing Zelda and Pokemon at the same time

Also with a grain of salt, but think about the business sense of this. 2 consoles could be a an issue with telemetry collection, either the timing of it or just a random bug in collection. I bet this scenario *barely* raises a flag at Nintendo internally. Also, 50% of the people banned in this scenario are innocent which could lead to a bigger support headache than is worth.

With 10 consoles though, it is way less likely to be a false positive and the innocent person makes up a lot smaller percentage of the users. In this scenario, 90% of the switches are guilty, so the 10% false ban is more justifiable

 

[TheStonedModder]

Also with a grain of salt, but think about the business sense of this. 2 consoles could be a an issue with telemetry collection, either the timing of it or just a random bug in collection. I bet this scenario *barely* raises a flag at Nintendo internally. Also, 50% of the people banned in this scenario are innocent which could lead to a bigger support headache than is worth.

With 10 consoles though, it is way less likely to be a false positive and the innocent person makes up a lot smaller percentage of the users. In this scenario, 90% of the switches are guilty, so the 10% false ban is more justifiable

I agree that’s my thought process as well

Even years ago when SXOS was released I got away with similar. I was running a twitch plays channel from a system connected to online and SXOS using the same games I was playing on my retail system

I never got banned either, even after the players eventually downloaded and played Fortnite

 

[adio]

Hi everyone! I am sorry if that was already covered before, but I couldn't find it.
Lets assume I got my hands on a banned switch, and a mig switch v2. The switch is on 19.0.1.
Question: on this firmware version will the switch force me to update any game I try to play (which won't be possible as I won't have access to updates). Or would I be able to at least play v1 of games (without dlc or day 1 patches)?

Question 2: let's say in above scenario, the switch is not yet banned. If I put all the games I wanna play on it, into a sd card and into the mig switch, will I be able to install updates for these games until the switch is banned? Or is it currently more like an instant ban? (As far as I read so far, it's not instantly).

Sorry for the long question... I don't know if the tradition of giving out potatoes for long posts is valued here, so I ll warm the potatoes for now.

Thank you

 

[Blythe93]

Question: on this firmware version will the switch force me to update any game I try to play (which won't be possible as I won't have access to updates). Or would I be able to at least play v1 of games (without dlc or day 1 patches)?

I believe that you will be able to play the game unless it requires an update to even work properly to begin with. Most of the games that I've downloaded in MIG Switch supported format did come with an update so they'll probably be playable on the latest firmware. Sadly, I can't really confirm any of this as I'm yet to buy MIG Switch or similar.

Question 2: let's say in above scenario, the switch is not yet banned. If I put all the games I wanna play on it, into a sd card and into the mig switch, will I be able to install updates for these games until the switch is banned? Or is it currently more like an instant ban? (As far as I read so far, it's not instantly).

You might be able to grab them while your console is still not banned, but I can't say for sure either. I know that you can update your games by matching the game version with another Switch in a local network. provided that the other Switch has that game with the latest update (that's where modded Switches are quite useful).

 

[WiseDan]

big question: playing mig games on emunand, ensures antiban protection?
what about dl updates from ninty servers on emunand?

 

[Nephiel]

big question: playing mig games on emunand, ensures antiban protection?

No. Only preventing a dirty emunand from connecting to servers does help avoid a ban.

what about dl updates from ninty servers on emunand?

Sure, a clean emunand on a non-banned console should be able to update stuff just fine, if you let it phone home. But if it's dirty, a ban is most likely.

Remember that using a MIG with pirated content, just once, even offline, may dirty any nand.

Anyway, if you have emunand, you already have a modded console, so why bother with a MIG at all?

 

[TheStonedModder]

big question: playing mig games on emunand, ensures antiban protection?
what about dl updates from ninty servers on emunand?

You shouldnt be using emunand to connect to online

 

[Blythe93]

what about dl updates from ninty servers on emunand?

If you have Nintendo servers blocked on your emuNAND and want to use MIG Switch on that emuNAND, you can install the updates the usual way via your favorite title installer (Tinwoo, DBI, Tinfoil, Goldleaf, etc.)

Anyway, if you have emunand, you already have a modded console, so why bother with a MIG at all?

I hardly see a point as well, as you can opt out for a bigger SD card instead of using two smaller ones, one for the Switch and the other one for the MIG Switch. Plus, cycling through the games on MIG Switch is a bit of a chore, so I'm not really sure if it's even worth the effort.

MIG Switch and alike provide a decent way to backup your own cartridges so that you don't have to carry all your expensive games around with you. In this case, you're unlikely to get banned if you make proper complete dumps of your games. Another good case, as proven by TheStonedModder himself, is sharing games between a close group of friends, though it might be a bit tricky as we don't know how Nintendo will deal with the shared certificates in the future. So far, he didn't get banned and that's a good thing.

Using MIG Switch for pirated content might be tempting for some people out there due to the fact that you don't have to do any hardware modifications to the console itself, despite all the limitations of the MIG Switch, but to me it's just not worth getting your Switch banned.

If you have a banned patched Switch, don't want to install a modchip and have a modded Switch as well (for installing updates on a banned Switch), using MIG Switch for games on that system might be a "decent" use case, despite the limitations, if the end goal for you is just being able to play a couple of games. Keep in mind that the more games you have on your MIG Switch, the more annyoing will be to cycle through the games it, especially if you have a v1 MIG Switch (one without a button).

 

[adio]

I believe that you will be able to play the game unless it requires an update to even work properly to begin with. Most of the games that I've downloaded in MIG Switch supported format did come with an update so they'll probably be playable on the latest firmware. Sadly, I can't really confirm any of this as I'm yet to buy MIG Switch or similar.


You might be able to grab them while your console is still not banned, but I can't say for sure either. I know that you can update your games by matching the game version with another Switch in a local network. provided that the other Switch has that game with the latest update (that's where modded Switches are quite useful).

Thanks for the quick reply!

For the updates, aren't they usually in a .nsp format even if the base is in .xci? As far as I understand, .nsp can't be used with the mig switch, right?

Can anyone with a mig switch confirm this behavior? (Beeing able to play even without an update & beeing able to update as long as the switch is not banned)

Thanks