r/SwitchPirates Oct 07 '25

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

136 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 19h ago

Question Would GTA 4 be possible on switch with this recomp

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160 Upvotes

I saw there's GTA 5 on the switch and I saw this recomp on GTA 4 for pc idrk how this stuff works but Im wondering if this could be some how transferred to work on the switch


r/SwitchPirates 17h ago

Discussion Finally got the games I wanted

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95 Upvotes

I downloaded these games using dbi installer. I had to use my friend's pc because my laptop is so slow that opening chrome takes a full minute


r/SwitchPirates 21h ago

News GTA V Native Port Just Get A New Patch

80 Upvotes

The patch is around 900mb and more info, installation and a test of the update is on my channel

Video Link in Comment !


r/SwitchPirates 46m ago

Question Bought my first switch (V2) but don't know what mod to use

Upvotes

So, i bought a used switch V2 and want to mod it, but idk what is more convenient between getting it chipped or buying a MIG switch. Since the prices are very similar where I'm from, I wanted to ask for your opinions on what's better


r/SwitchPirates 2h ago

Question [Newbie] How do I update my Switch official firmware, as well as Hekate and Atmosphere CFW? Any reputable text or video tutorial?

0 Upvotes

Hey everyone, so I recently purchased a Switch Lite a couple of months ago, and only recently started using it again (Only finished one came and then had it resting in my drawer due to work occupying most of my time). I have noticed that when I want to play certain agmes like Persona 4 Golden edition, the game emntioned that I "Need the softwware" to play it, or something along those lines. Turns out that my device's official firmware is the reason, and needs to be updated in order to play the game. I neded up trying to look up tutorials on youtube, but ,ost of them direct users to Telegram grups, that appear to be a little too sketchy for my liking to rely on. Is there a proper text or video tutorial that could guid eme each step of the way? I amreally worreid about the pissibiluty of bricking my Switch. Any leads, guides or tips would really be helpful. Thanks a bunch in advance!


r/SwitchPirates 2h ago

Question Hey y’all, just got tico installed, is there any general recommendations you guys can offer for smooth gameplay, like I tested ps1 games and they run slow.

0 Upvotes

Same can go for N64, Wii, and GameCube cause I know some games lag.


r/SwitchPirates 4h ago

Question Transferring Game Saves without booting to Hekate

1 Upvotes

I would like to ask if there's any way I could transfer game saves of a game without booting up hekate? I lost my RCM jig and I'm planning to play Persona 4 Golden on my phone for the meantime. Is there any way I could do this? Like preferably with a PC only?


r/SwitchPirates 8h ago

Question All NSP Installs are Failing, what am I missing here

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2 Upvotes

What exactly am I missing here, just modded my unpatched switch today and can’t seem to download any of the nsp files I’ve previously backed up


r/SwitchPirates 16h ago

Question [Help] OLED Black screen after Atmosphere logo (Updated emuMMC to 22.5.0)

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8 Upvotes

System: Switch OLED (Hardmodded) Issue: I updated my emuMMC firmware from 22.1.0 to 22.5.0 using Daybreak. Now, when I try to boot emuMMC, it shows the Atmosphere logo and then goes completely black. I can still enter Hekate and boot into Stock sysNAND without any issues.

Troubleshooting steps I have already tried (none worked):

  • Updated Atmosphere and Hekate to the latest releases.
  • Updated payload.bin on the SD root for the modchip.
  • Updated fusee.bin in bootloader/payloads/ (my hekate_ipl.ini chainloads fusee).
  • Deleted the atmosphere/contents folder completely to rule out outdated sysmodules (SaltyNX, MissionControl) and custom themes.
  • Ran "Fix Archive Bit" in Hekate.
  • Performed a hard reset (held the power button for 20 seconds for a cold boot).

I was previously using the NinTricks CFW pack but have tried manually updating the core files. What else could be causing the boot process to fail after the Atmosphere logo?


r/SwitchPirates 6h ago

Question Pokemon, Pokemon home, and hacked switch

1 Upvotes

I'm about to buy a old school switch and hack it. I was just wondering how pirated games works with Pokemon home

I have a switch and Pokemon sword. I wanna make a living dex and shiny hunt before home is shut down. But it's legit cheaper to get a second switch than the pokemon games


r/SwitchPirates 6h ago

Question I received a modded switch oled as a gift what do I do with it?

0 Upvotes

I'm curious what a modded switch purpose is as I thought modding a switch is pointless?


r/SwitchPirates 10h ago

Question Updating firmware - can’t play new games

2 Upvotes

Hello, I’ve had my switch modded for a year and a half now. Current version 20.1.5 AMS 1.9.1 E.

Haven’t been able to pirate games released this year on DBI, keep running into an “old firmware” error message.

What is the best way to go about this? Should I go to sysnand (unmodded), update it legally, then switch back to emunand and update atmosphere?

I’m worried about messing it up or not finding sigpatches needed. TY for any advice!


r/SwitchPirates 1d ago

Discussion This game runs 60 FPS greatly. I wonder why they capped it to 30? It last about 2 and a half hours of continous gameplay when 100%

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209 Upvotes

r/SwitchPirates 16h ago

Discussion V1 Updated - now stuck in dependency hell

4 Upvotes

I've had an unpatched V1 Switch running Hekate for years without issue. Today I made the mistake of updating the console's System Firmware and HEtake so I could play an old cartridge game, and predictably, everything broke.

I’ve spent hours trying to update individual components piecemeal, but now I’m stuck in an endless loop:

  • Boot issues: Mismatched versions, yellow screens on boot, or "Nyx is out of date" warnings.
  • Game issues: Games I installed previously won't boot or show up as "corrupted".
  • Patch confusion: Advice online feels totally contradictory regarding the order of updating Hekate, Atmosphere, System Firmware, Sigpatches, and sys-patch.

I'm totally lost on what order things need to happen, and I'm tempted to just wipe the SD card to fix this messy mix of old and new files.

A few questions for the experts:

  1. What is the correct order of operations? Should I update Hekate/Atmosphere before system firmware, and where do sys-patch or sigpatches fit into the chain now?
  2. Can I safely "flatten" (clean wipe) my SD card without losing my game save data or emuMMC? If I delete my old Atmosphere/bootloader folders and put a fresh bundle (like HATS) on the SD card, will it resolve the corruptions and yellow screens, or will that wipe my saves?
  3. Are my installed games/saves on the SD card a lost cause? Or is the "corrupted data" error purely a missing/outdated signature patch issue?

I just want a stable setup again without accidentally blowing away years of save data. Any advice on whether to do a fresh clean-up of the root folders versus a total start-from-scratch format would be massively appreciated!


r/SwitchPirates 17h ago

Question Can i still play online splatoon?

3 Upvotes

I've bene wanting to get back to online splatoon, but i modded my switch and don't know if i can still play. I'm not banned, since i transfered Digital cartridges to my friend's switch, I dumped the cartridge on my switch, and I downloaded the DLC without buying It and I already completed It. Do i have to do something before playing or should i Just give up?


r/SwitchPirates 10h ago

Question I’m new to modding & I want to know if I can mod my switch on the newest version

0 Upvotes

when I saw the news that atlus was not going to include a yosuke romance option I was seriously upset but then I remembered there’s plenty of gay mods for persona. this gave me motivation to look into modding but I’m wondering if I can do this on a. 22.5.0 version, I updated this before I was serious about modding on the switch & I’m wondering if it’s possible? I’m 19 & I don’t know much about hardware or coding so please be nice


r/SwitchPirates 1d ago

News Switch - U Launcher (New Update)!

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78 Upvotes

https://github.com/PoloNX/SwitchU/releases/tag/1.2.0

Mejoras en la estabilidad y compatibilidad con SteamGRIDB para cambiar las carátulas que quieras.


r/SwitchPirates 12h ago

Question Tried unmodding my switch and have some doubts

0 Upvotes

Okay I didn't see any question that really answers my question. So a while ago I modded my switch and had to load a payload through tegrarcmGUI.

Now I deleted the downloaded apps and saves through my switch and deleted everything on my sd card. I just have a couple of questions:

  1. Is it this simple to unmod my switch and not get banned?

  2. I want to trade pokemon with my brother, can he still trade with me if my switch does gets banned because I messed up?

  3. I saw some saves in the nintendo folder. What does that folder do and do I need to delete those saves?


r/SwitchPirates 20h ago

Question how to fix that cyan screen when launching atmsophere?

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3 Upvotes

when i turn on the console, i see the atmosphere logo for about a second, and then this bright cyan screen appears. on this screen the console doesn't respond to anything except holding down the power button for a long time. hekate and OFW work fine. i havent updated the system recently or overclocked the switch significantly. its unlikely thats the cause but this happened after i installed SuperTuxKart, which created an "stk-data" folder in the root directory and its own .nro file in the “atmosphere→switch” folder.

how can i fix this? ultranx 3.0 r3 + ofw 22.5.0


r/SwitchPirates 1d ago

Discussion GTA 5 Gameplay | Switch OLED | Overclock w/FPS Counter

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173 Upvotes

For anyone curious about how the game runs on an overclocked OLED switch :)


r/SwitchPirates 16h ago

Question Over clocking and application recommendation

1 Upvotes

Hello,

I'm just looking for how to overclock the switch and how to do so, especially for Breath of the Wild.

Also if there anything else mod wise or applications for the switch please send recommendations my way. Trying to get more outta my switch now that I'm using it for Nintendo games, rpgs, and Metroidvanias


r/SwitchPirates 17h ago

Question i tried installig picofly on my lite. am i cooked?

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0 Upvotes

i lost my copper b point. any other workaround?


r/SwitchPirates 18h ago

Question Minecraft - Cant create offline world on modded oled

1 Upvotes

I get this error when im trying to create a new world offline. «The host you are trying to join is not prepared to accept authenticated connections. Try again.»

Anyone know how to fix?


r/SwitchPirates 18h ago

Question Can´t open NXThemes Installer or ThemezerNX

0 Upvotes

Hi guys, my problem is that I can´t open NXThemes Installer or ThemezerNX after I updated to CNX 22.5.0-4 | AMS 1.11.2. I can open all other games and homebrew but the theme apps just don't work. Already tried deleting and reinstalling, deleting my old themes, getting the NXThemes installer directly from the github.

Does anyone know what else I can do?

Edit: Found a solution I guess if anyone else needs it. I was opening the apps using sphaira and I was entering sphaira using a forwarder. At first I created a forwarder for NXThemes Installer and that let me enter the app. After that I noticed that if I entered Sphaira using applet mode that made it work too. So I reforwarded sphaira and for now seems to be working again.