Switch 2 hacking status

Can you hack the Switch 2?

By Yu (Better Gaming) · last checked 15 November 2026, 01:20 Swiss time

Partly. If your Switch 2 is on firmware 23.0.1 you can get a homebrew menu, emulators and game mods running with KaiHEN, but a reboot wipes it and you start it again each time. You also need one of two games to get in at all, the Switch 1 version of Civilization VII on cartridge (game version 1.0.0) or SmileBASIC 4. On 23.5.0, the newest firmware, the file-system bug is fixed, which leaves only the small homebrew those games can run inside themselves. Custom firmware that stays after a reboot doesn't exist yet.

My own Switch 2 is on 23.0.1 and Civ 7 still starts on it.

I'm really excited about this. Running our own code on the Switch 2 this early is insanely cool, and the hardware is a lot stronger than the Switch 1, so there's way more to play with. Right now only a few consoles can use the exploit and the setup is anything but friendly, but as a first step it's a lot of fun. With all the AI tools around, the scene is moving faster than I've ever seen. What I'm really hoping for is a modchip that works on every Switch 2, because that would bring the jailbreak to way more people.

By firmware

Firmware	File-system bug	KaiHEN, full homebrew	Homebrew inside the game
23.5.010 Nov 2026 · newest	Fixed	NoBurns a fuse: no way back to 23.0.1.	Yes, inside the game only
23.0.11 Oct 2026	Works	Yes, until you rebootCiv 7 and SmileBASIC 4 get blocked once the console reaches Nintendo's servers.	Yes
23.0.0 and lowerbefore Oct 2026	Bug is there	Not with today's public toolsThe public file-access tools are built for 23.0.1.	Yes

What works today

YesHomebrew menu (hbmenu)With KaiHEN on 23.0.1, started again after every reboot.
YesEmulatorsRetroArch for KaiHEN, SW2NES, GBA-kaiHEN. Early builds.
YesStreaming PC gamesMoonlight runs through Civ 7.
YesGame modsMod loaders on 23.0.1.
NoStays after a rebootEverything is gone after a restart.
NoFull custom firmware like AtmosphèreKaiHEN is a minimal one and has to be started each time.
NoKernel accessNobody has shown it.

The catch

Nintendo's blockSince 12 November Civ 7 and SmileBASIC 4 won't start on 23.0.1 once the console has reached Nintendo's servers, they ask for the system update first. People who tested it say consoles that stayed offline still start both games, though a few got blocked anyway.

No way back23.5.0 also burns a fuse, so a console that installs it can never go back to 23.0.1 or lower.

What KaiHEN isThe developers call KaiHEN a homebrew environment and minimal custom firmware. Their own page warns that it has full access to the system storage and a bad homebrew app could brick the console.

Questions

Is there a hack for 23.5.0?

Not a full one, no. Civ 7 and SmileBASIC still run their own small homebrew there, but no new file-system bug has shown up for 23.5.0 so far.

Can I get banned for this?

There hasn't been a ban wave yet. Nintendo did ban modded Switch 1 consoles in the past though, and like one of the devs said, "nintendo likes banwaves".

Do you link downloads?

No. I never link firmware, keys, game files or downloads here. The devs' own pages are at the bottom if you want the real thing.

How we got here

14 Nov 2026KaiHEN comes out (ouncebrew, kurumuz and team). First apps the same day: RetroArch, a save manager, a native Pokémon Platinum.
12 Nov 2026Nintendo starts blocking Civ 7 and SmileBASIC 4 on 23.0.1 consoles that go online.
11 Nov 2026A Civ 7 kit gets file access on 23.0.1.
10 Nov 2026Firmware 23.5.0 fixes the file-system bug and burns a fuse.
1 Nov 2026Gezine releases CivSwitch: the Civ 7 cartridge as a way in, no PC needed for the first step.
22 Oct 2026pepsipu releases ns2jb, the first Switch 2 jailbreak, through SmileBASIC 4.