Question What's the worst that can happen by using exfat?

There's the chance of FS corruption, what might mean losing a file or two, or the entire Nintendo folder (happened to me)
The console itself has a system to "support" +4GB files by folders with the archive bit set, if you really need to.

 

If you're going to use usb to install your games anyway there's no purpose in keeping exfat. You can just format it to Fat32 which the usb install bypasses the 4 gb limit anyway, and then you can not worry about corrupting your sd card.

 

You'll lose (a) files and (b) our respect.

 

If you're only planning on using your Switch to install and run game NSPs, you may be fine using exFat. But if you use homebrew like Retroarch that frequently writes to the SD card, your chances of corruption with exFat are much greater.

I would stick with FAT32 and work on getting USB installs to work. Chances are you just need to reinstall your Zadig driver or something, or maybe you should try doing a USB install with Tinfoil.

Really, if you take the time to set everything up right, splitting NSPs can be as simple as dragging your NSP file over the splitNSP script, and you won't have to use the command line at all.

 

Your entire nintendo folder could get corrupted. That is what happened to me. I also feared used fat32 because I thought that I would have to split all my nsp's and do command prompt stuff. Then I figured out that there is a much easier way to install NSP's on a fat32 sd card. Simply just use quark if you use goldleaf or use nut if you use tinfoil. It is actually a lot easier than taking your sd card out to copy the nsp and then booting back in to install it. Both of which have guis and are easy to use.

 

just to be clear, it's not only 4GB+ files that get corrupted on exFAT. all files even the smallest one can as well

 

The most annoying thing that can (and regularly does) happen is that you'll come complaining about apparently unrelated bugs and crashes in random homebrew and games, and we'll have to figure out that it's an exfat problem which could have been avoided.

 

It's more likely to happen using Retroarch because you're probably playing it longer than you are installing a game, but it's not a Retroarch bug. It's a exFat problem with homebrew in general. So it could even happen when installing an nsp.

 

I thought that all my homebrew crashes or something not working was related to ex fat so changed to fat32. No difference.

I’m not saying you WONT experience issues, but I didn’t and didn’t notice any difference on fat32 speed or comparability, but have left it now.

 

You're mistaking crashes for the format of your sd card. That isn't why you're having crashes. However when you have a crash on Fat32 you can just reboot no harm, but when you have a crash on exfat it can corrupt your entire sd card or some of it.

 

Everything about corruption. This recently happened to me because I thought only the emuMMC needed to be FAT32.

Ate my switch folder and corrupted/deleted other files. They were completely unrecoverable and it sucked but luckily I had a backup of my entire SD card that was only about 10 days old.

 

I have been running 256GB Samsung EVO U10 with exFAT format for almost 2 years now. And as of now, still have no issues (no corruptions and no errors using nsp & xci) on my end. Just make sure when purchasing microSD card, you are using a reputable seller to avoid any "fake" microSD cards.

 

You would have to be insane to think every single person that has had problems with exfat had a fake sd card, that isn't why. Most likely you're not using much homebrew such as Retroarch.

When I first got a Switch I used exfat and it corrupted my entire sd card, and the card was purchased in a retail store, not a fake.

 

Not insane because I never mentioned that it was for every single person... (read much?)
It was just a suggestion and also it's a "good house keeping" to remind yourself to be careful when purchasing microSD for your Switch, that is all.

 

I also have a Samsung EVO, didn't help me.

It also depends on what you're using. I was using Retroarch, which is apparently famous for blowing up cards.

 

There's a right way and a wrong way to do things. If you're using exfat, you're doing it wrong but you might be able to get away with it if you're not running much homebrew. If you're using exfat + retroarch, you're just begging to have your card corrupted.

It's a homebrew issue.

 

That's good info.

 

Nut and Fluffy are standalone apps, nothing additional needed (python, java, etc). Quark is another standalone app, it requires Java to be installed.
Nut works with Tinfoil
Quark works with Goldleaf
Fluffy, not sure if that's been updated to work atm, but works with OG Tinfoil and Goldleaf

I'd just get over the fear of "clutter" and be worried about the corruption that occurs with exfat instead. If your nintendo folder corrupts, bye bye games, if your cfw corrupts you won't be booting, if your switch folder corrupts, no more hb apps.

Just not worth the time because you think python or java are clutter.

You should also be using USB install anyways, way less time and damage over time to your sdcard slot.

EdiZon and Checkpoint are also on that list, basically anything that writes a lot of files.