Homebrew on Switch: where to start?

The Switch is one of the most sought-after consoles on the scene. But not all Switches are equal: before dreaming of homebrews, you need to know which model you have in your hands.


The model is key

• The earliest Switch consoles (sold until around mid-2018) are affected by a hardware flaw in the processor, impossible to correct with an update. They can boot a modified system without hardware intervention, via recovery mode (RCM).
• More recent models, the Switch Lite and the Switch OLED are not affected: they require the installation of a chip ("modchip"), a delicate operation reserved for experienced micro-soldering enthusiasts.

The serial number, visible under the console or in settings, makes it possible to know which category a Switch falls into.


Basic tools

• Hekate: a versatile bootloader, which allows you to notably backup internal memory.
• Atmosphère: the reference open source custom firmware.
• emuMMC: a copy of the system on the SD card, which allows you to separate the modified environment from the original system.

Essential precautions

Backup the internal memory (NAND) and the console's keys before anything else. Keep in mind that Nintendo bans modified consoles from online services: using an offline emuMMC is strongly recommended.


And after?

Backup managers, retro emulators, capture tools, game mods, fan translations... The Switch homebrew library is huge.

Our Switch tutorials and the Switch & Wii U Questions/Help section are here to guide you step by step.