Balatro: running code on Switch 2 through a save file
By Tgames · · 2 min read
A Balatro save file is enough to run code on Switch 1 and Switch 2. A proof of concept, in user mode, not a jailbreak.
A save file that replaces the game
On 3 November 2026, Luminger released balatro-switch-rce 1.0.0, followed by 1.1.0 on 6 November. The trick relies on the game's engine: Balatro on Switch is a LÖVE game, and LÖVE mounts the save data ahead of the game's files. A main.lua placed in the save therefore replaces the game's own. At launch, Balatro gives way to a status screen, a Lua console reachable over the network (port 9026) and an FTP server.
What about the Switch 2?
The save is installed with JKSV on an already hacked Switch 1. It then moves to the Switch 2 through Nintendo's official transfer (full system transfer or per-game save data transfer), which copies the save as is. The Switch 1 Balatro cartridge, launched in backward compatibility mode, then starts the Lua console. No modification is needed on the Switch 2 itself.
The author says it was tested on both consoles, with the Switch 1 cartridge at version 1.0.1f (the cartridge's own) and 1.0.1o (the latest). A possible native Switch 2 edition of the game would not be compatible.
What it does not allow
A new way in
After ns2jb and SmileBASIC and CivSwitch, another commercial game serves as a common entry point for both consoles. To hack a compatible Switch 1, see our Atmosphère tutorial.
Sources: balatro-switch-rce (GitHub) · Version 1.0.0 (GitHub) · Version 1.1.0 (GitHub)
A save file that replaces the game
On 3 November 2026, Luminger released balatro-switch-rce 1.0.0, followed by 1.1.0 on 6 November. The trick relies on the game's engine: Balatro on Switch is a LÖVE game, and LÖVE mounts the save data ahead of the game's files. A main.lua placed in the save therefore replaces the game's own. At launch, Balatro gives way to a status screen, a Lua console reachable over the network (port 9026) and an FTP server.
What about the Switch 2?
The save is installed with JKSV on an already hacked Switch 1. It then moves to the Switch 2 through Nintendo's official transfer (full system transfer or per-game save data transfer), which copies the save as is. The Switch 1 Balatro cartridge, launched in backward compatibility mode, then starts the Lua console. No modification is needed on the Switch 2 itself.
The author says it was tested on both consoles, with the Switch 1 cartridge at version 1.0.1f (the cartridge's own) and 1.0.1o (the latest). A possible native Switch 2 edition of the game would not be compatible.
What it does not allow
- everything happens inside the game's process: no kernel, no system module, no custom firmware;
- no backups and no piracy: it cannot run commercial games;
- the restore wipes your Balatro save, and the author warns that it can get the console banned.
A new way in
After ns2jb and SmileBASIC and CivSwitch, another commercial game serves as a common entry point for both consoles. To hack a compatible Switch 1, see our Atmosphère tutorial.
Sources: balatro-switch-rce (GitHub) · Version 1.0.0 (GitHub) · Version 1.1.0 (GitHub)
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