Jailbreaking your Nintendo Switch isn't for the light-hearted, but information technology does let you do a lot more than with your Switch, from installing loads of boosted games (including plenty of retro titles) to running unofficial apps that add new functionality.

Of course, it's not without risks - you could turn your Switch into an expensive paperweight, and void your warranty along the manner. If yous're feeling brave, here's how to jailbreak your Switch, and our advice on how to minimise the risks to your console.

Why would I want to jailbreak my Switch?

If y'all're new to the jailbreaking scene and are unsure every bit to what it does, let u.s. clarify; in general, jailbreaking an operating system provides admission in a mode that was never intended by the creators of the operating system. This provides an easy way for fans to create and download custom apps and games for devices that wouldn't usually be bachelor.

In the case of the Nintendo Switch, jailbreaking allows you to install unofficial Switch apps and games. While the selection available at the time of writing isn't extensive, information technology's yet relatively early on days and does provide those that want to take the plunge with the opportunity to play retro games unofficially on the console. If you're just on the marketplace for cool new games to play, take a look at the best Nintendo Switch games right at present.

It's not without its risks though; carry on reading to find out what could go wrong when jailbreaking your Nintendo Switch.

What are the risks of jailbreaking my Switch?

The biggest risk of jailbreaking your Nintendo Switch is bricking. While there aren't many reports of jailbreaks bricking the Nintendo Switch arrangement, it is a possibility due to the fact that almost jailbreaks tweak the operating arrangement in some style. Jailbreaking is also against Nintendo's T&Cs, significant if you do brick your panel, Nintendo won't be replacing it.

Jailbreaking your Nintendo Switch will void the warranty, though we're non currently sure if there'south a manner for Nintendo to tell if the console is jailbroken apart from past inspecting it physically.

Due to the problems mentioned higher up, we wouldn't recommend jailbreaking your master Nintendo Switch console. If anything, pick up a defended Homebrew Switch console that you can play effectually with, without the fright of bricking your only console. Take a wait at our selection of the best Nintendo Switch deals to pick one upward for cheap!

There's also some confusion as to whether yous tin can un-jailbreak your Nintendo Switch console if you need to send information technology in for repairs at a later engagement. While logic suggests that updating the Nintendo Switch to the latest version of the Switch software will remove the jailbreak, nosotros can't confirm that at this time.

If you lot still want to jailbreak your Nintendo Switch, go along reading to find out exactly how to do it.

How do I jailbreak my Nintendo Switch?

At that place are a few means to jailbreak your Nintendo Switch, but the easiest and most pop option for users is to employ the Homebrew Launcher. The Homebrew Launcher was revealed by a grouping of hackers at the Chaos Communication Congress in Germany in Dec 2022, and was fabricated public months later.

It'south arguably the easiest way to 'jailbreak' your Nintendo Switch, as it doesn't require the use of a PC or Mac to tweak the operating system. In fact, all yous need is a laptop, a microSD card and your Nintendo Switch! There's a take hold of though; the Homebrew Launcher is only compatible with Switch software iii.0.0, with no plans to back up older or more contempo updates.

If your Switch is running software below iii.0.0, you can withal upgrade to 3.0.0 by using a concrete copy of the game Pokken Tournament DX with the cartridge identification number 000. Some versions are numbered 001 or 002, and will update your Switch'southward software to iii.0.1. If you somehow manage to install a newer version of the Switch firmware, the bad news is that it's not currently possible to roll dorsum to a previous version.

If your Nintendo Switch is running firmware iii.0.0, and so follow the beneath instructions to jailbreak your device.

  1. Download the latest version of nx-hbmenu from Github (3.iii.0 at the time of writing).
  2. Copy hbmenu.nro onto the root menu of your SD card.
  3. Insert your microSD card into your Nintendo Switch.
  4. Head to your connection Settings and manually configure your DNS server. When prompted, enter the following DNS: 104.236.106.125 and perform a connectedness examination.
  5. Click 'Install'.
  6. Restart your Nintendo Switch.
  7. Run some other new connection test.
  8. Click 'Run'.

If you see '2000-1337' on your screen, the installation has been successful. You lot can then head to the Abode card and click the Anthology icon to browse your homebrew apps and games.

There is another method of jailbreaking the Switch running any software between one.0.0 and four.1.0, but information technology won't work with consoles purchased from July 2022 onwards. Information technology's also riskier than the above method as you'll accept to short out pins on the right JoyCon every bit office of the procedure. If the hazard doesn't bother you, y'all can notice out how to do it right here, merely know that Tech Advisor isn't liable for any damage to your console.

How do I install Homebrew games and apps?

You might notice that, at beginning glance, in that location isn't much to do on a newly jailbroken Nintendo Switch. And while information technology doesn't quite have the vast offering of jailbreak apps and games like those available for iOS, at that place are a few homebrew apps and games currently available for download.

You can browse a collection of supported Homebrew apps for your Nintendo Switch on the Switchbrew website, and it's fairly piece of cake to install them too. Merely download the necessary app/game files, transfer to the microSD card in the switch/ directory and pop information technology back into your Switch. It's that unproblematic!

If your console becomes unresponsive at any indicate when using Homebrew games and apps, be sure to cheque out how to force restart the Nintendo Switch.