r/SwitchPirates • • Oct 07 '25

Announcement Welcome to r/SwitchPirates! FAQ, Guides, and Resources

149 Upvotes

Why Create This Post?

We often get flooded with many of the same questions. While we love to help new commers, it can be exhausting constantly replying to very similar posts. This post is intended to serve as a resource for the community. The idea is to have the information easily accessible and clear for new commers and people exploring a new app or refreshing their memory. Feel free to comment any additions you would like to add and I will create guides. I don't have much free time between running So-Cal Console Modding and my main career, but I will try to slowly trickle out more guides to help out the community.

Rules

No linking, requesting, or sharing pirated content
This includes firmware updates, roms, switch titles, etc.

Check pinned post & FAQ before asking questions
Most questions can be answered here. Please check before posting, otherwise the subreddit is filled with the same "HELP!" posts.

Posts must be related to piracy on the switch
Switch game emulation and other switch adjacent content is better suited at other subreddits.

No post selling, asking for selling advice, or offering services
This includes asking how much ____ typically sells for, how to list things on eBay, offering modchip installs, etc.

What Can You Do With a Modded Switch?

What can you do with a modded switch?

Is My Switch Moddable?

Check your serial and information about switch models

How to Mod Your Switch

The quick and easy way (using the HATS pack) - use this if you just want to get up and running quickly

Setting up the SD manually - use this if you want to learn how it all works

Updating Your Switch

The quick and easy way

Manually

Tutorials and Guides for Various Homebrew Applications

How to Migrate to a New SD Card on a Hacked Switch

How to Back Up, Restore, or Transfer Your Nintendo Switch Game Saves Using JKSV

5 Minute Android Tutorial

How to Download and Use Cheats

Hardware Tutorials

Complete Nintendo Switch OLED Modchip Installation Guide Part 1

Complete Nintendo Switch OLED Modchip Installation Guide Part 2

Complete Nintendo Switch V1/V2 Modchip Installation Guide

In Depth Kamikaze Method Tutorial and Info

Tinfoil Shops

Linking shops is prohibited at this time. You may discuss tinfoil shops in the stickied comment. If you need support for a specific shop, reach out for help on their discord, or website.

Sourcing Games and Pirated Content

Linking to sources is not allowed. You can usually find what you need with a simple google search of the title and file type. Ad blockers can help.

Nintendo Bans/ Console Bricking

There has never been a case of Nintendo bricking a switch console. Information on bans can be found here and here

Common Errors and Troubleshooting

I am currently working on a common errors and troubleshooting guide. I will update this post when it is complete.

Discord

If you require more immediate assistance, the the following Discord Servers will be more than happy to assist (note that they are unaffiliated with this sub)


r/SwitchPirates • • 7h ago

News Finished the Windwaker HD port! Ver 0.4.6 Spoiler

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142 Upvotes

https://www.reddit.com/r/decomps/s/BbwsolTc9T

I just wanna take a moment to thank the devs for making the Wind Waker HD port possible on the Switch.

The port has been surprisingly playable, and with the latest updates, there have been very few issues in my experience. The devs have also been pretty quick to address bugs and fix problems, which I really appreciate.

If you're still hesitant to try this port because you think it's "too early" or because of the controversy surrounding the use of AI in its development, I'm telling you, you're missing out.

I genuinely never thought I'd see the day when I'd be able to play Wind Waker HD natively on my Switch. getting to experience this game on the go is something I never imagined would actually happen.

Once again, huge thanks to the devs for all the work they've put into this project. You guys have made something special, and I can't wait to see how much further this port improves!

OC - CPU: 1428MHz, GPU: 460MHz, MEM: 1600MHz

(with these clocks, It last about 3 hours of gameplay on 100% battery, and temp goes below 50°c, mostly on 45°c.)


r/SwitchPirates • • 2h ago

Discussion Halo combat evolved on the switch is really smooth

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13 Upvotes

r/SwitchPirates • • 2h ago

Question Dear modders, thank you for your work🫡, maybe? 👉👈🥺

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12 Upvotes

r/SwitchPirates • • 21m ago

Discussion **Atmosphere 1.12.1 is out. dns.mitm, fs.mitm, and browser patches are fixed. (Read the breaking change about fusee-primary).**

• Upvotes

Atmosphere 1.12.1 is out. dns.mitm, fs.mitm, and browser patches are fixed. (Read the breaking change about fusee-primary).

The hold is over. hexkyz just tagged and released Atmosphere 1.12.1. If you've been sitting on 22.5.0 or limping along on 23.0.x with airplane mode glued to your face, it's time to update.

Here is exactly what 1.12.1 fixes, straight from the changelog and commit history:

  • dns.mitm: Fully reimplements c-ares serialization and intercepts the new sfdnsres IPC commands introduced in 23.0.0. The partial leak is officially closed. [CITED: Atmosphere-NX/Atmosphere commit 90cd78a, 2fec688]
  • fs.mitm: Adds support for the new StorageForBatchRead interface. Custom themes (qlaunch) and save redirection work again. [CITED: Atmosphere-NX/Atmosphere commit 0e9cd96]
  • Browser Patches: Completely redesigned. It now tricks the browser into thinking it has 1GB free, realistically reclaiming unused memory. This gives 40MB back to custom sysmodules and permanently fixes the News applet crash (Program 0100000000001042). [CITED: Atmosphere-NX/Atmosphere changelog]
  • PRODINFO Backup: Fixed for OLED and recent consoles that lack the ECC-B233 device certificate, falling back to the RSA-2048 cert. [CITED: PR #2887 by chrisbraucker]
  • Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter: Compatibility fixed. [CITED: masagrator]

⚠️ CRITICAL BREAKING CHANGE ⚠️

fusee-primary no longer exists and will not work anymore. If you are using fusee directly, you must update to fusee.bin. If you are using Hekate, update to the latest release (6.5.4+). Do not skip this step or your console will not boot CFW.

What this means for your setup:

  1. Update: Grab vanilla Atmosphere 1.12.1 from the official GitHub.
  2. ES Patches: Keep using exactly ONE active ES patch method (sys-patch OR sigpatches). Running both is still redundant and risks conflicts. [CITED: bth]
  3. Overlays: The sysmodule budget is back to 40MB. You can start bringing your overlays back once their maintainers confirm 1.12.1 compatibility. (The HATS pre-release pack already has nx-ovlloader v2.0.3 + Tesla set ready to go. Horizon OC is still frozen per HOC #114).
  4. Network: Airplane mode is no longer strictly mandatory just to survive the DNS gap. However, the general rule of staying offline on CFW unless you have a specific, safe reason to go online remains the best practice.

=== CORRECTIONS LOG === - RETRACTED: "Hold the line until 1.12.1." The line has been crossed. 1.12.1 is officially tagged, distributed, and verified. Update your cards.

Byte-verified. Update safe.


r/SwitchPirates • • 5h ago

News PlayGuard :the Switch’s own parental controls and play-time limit, set offline on a modded console

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20 Upvotes

Hi r/SwitchPirates,

If you've tried to set a play-time limit on a modded Switch, you know the problem: the Parental Controls phone app needs the console to reach Nintendo, and System Settings has no time limit at all. The usual answer is a sysmodule or an overlay.

https://github.com/JigSawFr/PlayGuard

I wanted the console's own parental controls to do the job, so I wrote PlayGuard. It's a homebrew app that sets Nintendo's native parental controls directly on the console, offline. No phone app, no Nintendo account, nothing sent to Nintendo.

Because it's the native system, the countdown, the "time's up" warning, the PIN prompt and the suspension are exactly the ones you get on a stock Switch. Nothing runs in the background, and the limits stay in place even if PlayGuard is deleted from the SD card.

What you can do with it:

• Set a daily play-time limit, the same every day or per weekday, give extra time, or stop play for today
• Set the bedtime alarm, the restriction level, the age rating and the PIN
• See play time per game and per user account, and export it (CSV, JSON, XLSX, PDF)
• Keep the console clock right offline (NTP), and see when someone has moved it
• Unlink a previous owner's phone app or remove parental controls on a second-hand console
• Undo any change from the history, back up your settings, in every console language

Good to know:

• Firmware 21.0.0 to 22.5.0, tested on 22.0.0, 22.1.0 and 22.5.0. Older firmware works except for the play timer. 23.x opens read-only until it has been tested on hardware.
• Nintendo's timer has one limit for the whole console. If you need a different limit per kid, NSParentalControl is a better fit.
• sysMMC and emuMMC each have their own parental controls: set both if you use both.
Install extract playguard.zip to the root of the SD card. Updates then install from the app itself.

Download: https://github.com/JigSawFr/PlayGuard/releases

It started as a fork of Taylor's Pctl Manager and it's open source (GPLv3). I'm the developer, so ask away. And if you try it on 23.x, a report would really help.


r/SwitchPirates • • 1h ago

News Best time for SWITCH Lite💪💪💪💪💪💪

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• Upvotes

r/SwitchPirates • • 23h ago

Question What app is this? Saw someone on IG downloading MW port direct to switch

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351 Upvotes

I saw this on someone’s story downloading the MW port directly on their switch. I can’t make out what app this is. Anyone know?


r/SwitchPirates • • 14h ago

Discussion Testing Prototype 2 without acceleration on Nintendo Switch

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45 Upvotes

The game lags heavily in the open area at the beginning; it will be difficult to play without overclocking. The port has just been released by the developer.

Sorry for the Russian voice acting


r/SwitchPirates • • 5h ago

Discussion What are the best ways to play 3DS Games on Switch?

4 Upvotes

Currently thinking of buying a 3DS to play some ds/3ds pokemon games. But since I have a modded switch already, Is the emulation power of 3ds on switch good?


r/SwitchPirates • • 8h ago

Question Anyone knows what happened with the Warcraft 3 port?

5 Upvotes

I think a month or two ago i saw a post about Nagaa porting Warcraft 3 for switch but i didn't see any news since that, so someone knows about it?


r/SwitchPirates • • 1h ago

Question I own a Switch V2. Is there a way to backup the Switch games that I own and pull the product keys / firmware files w/o modding?

• Upvotes

I own a Switch V2 and a Steam Deck OLED. I want to consolidate down to just the Steam Deck as that gets way more use nowadays. Is there a way to rip my Switch games and pull the product keys / firmware files w/o having to mod my Switch?


r/SwitchPirates • • 5h ago

Question Help updating (any advice helps)

2 Upvotes

Pls note that I don't have much knowledge in this so your patience is really appreciated ;(

Hi all, I have this switch lite and had someone help install a mod chip into it forever ago. I'm picking this thing up for the first time in years and would love some pointers/tutorials on how to update it.
I vaguely recall the person who helped me install the mod that there was a one and done app natively on my switch for me to update everything as well, I'm not sure where to find this.

Anything helps, thanks for reading

Details I know:

- hekate v6.5.1

- cfw v16.0.3|AMS 1.10.2|E


r/SwitchPirates • • 6h ago

Question My switch doesn't turn on and it's not in recovery mode. (Read description)

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2 Upvotes

The only sign of life is when i put it in the dock the light turns on only for 1 second and i allready tried to hard reboot or take the sd out


r/SwitchPirates • • 8h ago

Discussion Should I update the 6.0.0 firmware of my stock unpatched & un-modded Switch before modding it?

3 Upvotes

Story time....

So when I bought my switch back in 2017, I only ever updated it to 6.0.0 played Mario and Zelda and then got a new job the never got round to playing it again, so much so I actually forgot a few times I owned one 😂

Over the years I would remember and check out what the modding scene is up to in the hope that I could play game online* (yeah I was being a cheap bastard, #sorrynotsorry 😄) but all the solutions proved to not be the case (at least the advertised solutions as I remember when the OG Xbox method was kept a quiet secret for years before they finally let the cat out the bag, as everyone moved to the 360) so I waited and waited, and basically nearly 10 years later were on the newer released Switch and I realised I never got to enjoy my switch... So that's on me.

Back to my actual question. This thing is basically a virgin!... I got my RCM Jig, a 250GB SD Card and the https://switch.hacks.guide/ guide and all downloads e.g. OmniRCM, Hektate etc ready to go.

But before I start this process, this switch is still on firmware 6.0.0 is there any benefit to keeping it on this version or should I just update it to 23.0.1? or its makes no difference?

Thanks.


r/SwitchPirates • • 3h ago

Question What is the best version of Dusk for playing Twilight Princess?

1 Upvotes

I’m finding the latest “official” version 1.4.1.0 released in June but then I also found Dusklight-NX 2.0.0.25 released in September.


r/SwitchPirates • • 16h ago

Question what’s the best way to play twilight princess on switch

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10 Upvotes

currently running the 2.0 build shown in this screenshot. it runs pretty well but the shader pipleine building is so excessive and annoying


r/SwitchPirates • • 21h ago

Discussion Prototype 2 has been ported to the Switch

25 Upvotes

For anyone that cares, it runs ok with OC some Fps drops but it's playable mostly 30 fps

Xbox 360 version of the game

https://github.com/penettrator/prototype2-nx


r/SwitchPirates • • 5h ago

Question Any word of a Mario Kart Double Dash port?

1 Upvotes

Just wondering if there is any word of someone doing a double dash port? I recently tried playing with GameCube emulator on my switch but it just didn’t run smooth enough for my liking. I’m currently playing the wind Waker GameCube port and it runs so nice!


r/SwitchPirates • • 5h ago

Question Looking for prebuilt Wind Waker HD port…

0 Upvotes

Was trying to follow the instructions on creating a recomp port and turns out my old laptop can’t run some of the software needed. I have a game dump of WWHD. I just downloaded the ready-to-useversion of WW Gamecube but would really like to get my hands on a ready to use HD version.


r/SwitchPirates • • 1d ago

News OGSR engine (S.T.A.L.K.E.R.) on SWITCH

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70 Upvotes

r/SwitchPirates • • 6h ago

Question How to reset Modded Switch for Selling?

0 Upvotes

Hi everybody!
So yeah I know this topic has already in sub but I want to ask again because all topics are so old for now!
I’m going to sell my modded Switch to my friend and i have profile in it. I want to delete all my games,saves and setting. How can i do it? Should factory reset work?


r/SwitchPirates • • 1d ago

Discussion footage from the skate 3 switch port

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69 Upvotes

r/SwitchPirates • • 11h ago

Discussion What are the chances of WWHD decomp getting 60fps on Switch?

2 Upvotes

I’m so excited that WWHD is apparently working on switch but it would be a dream to have it running 60fps. I doubt it’s possible but one can always help! If not the HD version, what about the GameCube version? Is HD texture pack usable on the GC decomp version?


r/SwitchPirates • • 8h ago

Discussion Atmosphere crashing after installing new game

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1 Upvotes

I installed the Toy Story 3 remaster, but Atmosphere crashes and corrupts the game every time I launch it

I tried updating the firmware, updating atmosphere, checking the contents folder, and still nothing, what do I do?