Nintendo Switch Hack Could Enable Free Pirated Games & Emulators

Nintendo Switch is reportedly the latest games console to fall victim to the nefarious tools of internet hackers. As referenced in a post by the modding experts at Team Xecuter, it appears significant progress has been made in controlling every inch of the popular hardware. A supposed all-encompassing Switch hack is planned for release later this year.

Xecuter posted its findings days after the Chaos Communication Congress in Germany where several groups made presentations regarding kernel exploits found in the Switch’s 3.0 firmware. In an effort to not be outdone, Xecuter claims its methods are a “completely future proof” way to install custom firmware on the device regardless of system software version. For reference's sake, the latest build is version 4.1.

To prove its success, Xecuter posted a short video on YouTube that shows a Nintendo Switch booting with a custom logo. While a clip could be faked to display the same results, this team has earned great favor over the past decade for delivering on its lofty promises.

These concepts may be difficult for the average gamer to understand, but the larger implications of them are fairly simple. Once custom firmware is installed on a Nintendo Switch, the doors are blown wide open to enable features not sanctioned by Nintendo. Notable among those is the ability to download and play pirated games for free. In the absence of an official Virtual Console solution, so-called homebrew coders could also create classic system emulators that take full advantage of the new hardware. It’s all highly illegal and potentially damaging to your Switch, of course, but those with an interest in “the scene” generally choose to ignore those risks.

If the source is to be believed, there are a few questions that remain. The lack of a release date for the hack leaves lots of wiggle room for its launch, and we also don’t know what form the hack will take. While “soft mods” offer the similar benefits without having to physically dissect your console, we’re guessing Xecuter’s methods may require some kind of hardware adjustment. In its note Xecuter refers to its hack as a “product,” which implies it’s a physical item that must be bought and paid for. Especially if installation requires soldering on the Switch’s small chipset, the procedure could potentially be too difficult for most consumers to care.

Officials at Nintendo are likely hoping Xecuter’s hack will be too messy for the public to try. Opening up hardware to piracy so early in a console’s life cycle has proven to have some seriously damaging side effects in the past. Similar loopholes played a major role in the death of the Sega Dreamcast in 2001. Sony’s PSP sold about 80 million units, but many consumers never purchased a single game for it. That turn of events is one many reasons why Sony has stopped investing in portables.

If this hack is an accessible one, it could require Nintendo to rollout a new version of the hardware. If not, Xecuter’s wares will likely be a hobbyist piece for tech-savvy cheapskates.