Switch Firmware Discussion

sligeach

World’s First Nintendo Switch Firmware Modification Tool Has Been Revealed

https://nintendosoup.com/worlds-first-nintendo-switch-firmware-modification-tool-has-been-revealed/

https://twitter.com/fail0verflow/status/988445232445378561

CiDeRmAn

I hope they kill it quickly with a patch, last thing the system needs is the possible profits to be made by developers being shrunk due to theft.

Digital Solitude

CiDeRmAn wrote: »

I hope they kill it quickly with a patch, last thing the system needs is the possible profits to be made by developers being shrunk due to theft.

They can't from what I've read, it'll take a hardware revision as the hack gives access to bootrom.

Its a flaw within Nvidias Tegra X1 as opposed to a Ninty fault which is something I guess.

Remember a few ago there was news of Mariko, the Switches first hardware revision? It was probably to curb this vulnerability

Little bit more about it on fail0verflow blog:

ShofEL2, a Tegra X1 and Nintendo Switch exploit

ERG89

CiDeRmAn wrote: »

I hope they kill it quickly with a patch, last thing the system needs is the possible profits to be made by developers being shrunk due to theft.

Aren't developers already losing money when people change their eShop locations to save themselves a few quid?

Mr E

I'd say the people who switch region to save money are in the VAST minority. Most people will just use the eshop from their own country.

ERG89

OSI wrote: »

I don't think saving a fiver on the odd game is quite the same as paying nothing at all, do you?

No but its still losing money one way or another. I'm sure many notice sales down in other regions but miraculously up in Russia.

Mr E wrote: »

I'd say the people who switch region to save money are in the VAST minority. Most people will just use the eshop from their own country.

I don't change it cause you never know what might happen with those accounts.

Mr E

ERG89 wrote: »

I don't change it cause you never know what might happen with those accounts.

Region free by design, not by mistake. I don't think anything will happen to past purchases. The worst that will happen is closer parity with the prices in the future.

maximoose

So, this exploit is opening the door to homebrew city?

Mr E

Yep.

Grumpypants

ERG89 wrote: »

No but its still losing money one way or another. I'm sure many notice sales down in other regions but miraculously up in Russia.



I don't change it cause you never know what might happen with those accounts.

I'd rather lose 5% than 100%

CiDeRmAn

On the one hand I would say that if this led to some sort of homebrew activation of proper hdd support, I'd give it a lash, as being able to use a handy pocket 500gb hdd would be a godsend instead of fretting about how much room Wolfenstein II is going to take up and what I have to delete to play it.

Also, if Plex was to be ported.

But on the other hand damage this will do to the Switch market....


But then, on the other hand the bulk of Switch consoles to be owned are yet to be made, so Nintendo have time to block the vulnerability.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWGtjqv19ZA

Grassey

In fairness, running Linux on it would be great! Solves the lack of a plex app issue

Mr E

I've split this discussion from the Game News thread to keep it separate.

Digital Solitude

Dolphin would be tidy, all the best Mario Parties on the go

readyletsgo

Digital Solitude wrote: »

Dolphin would be tidy, all the best Mario Parties on the go

Would love dolphin on the switch. I still but games till the end of a systems life, but having dolphin on it too would be great!

Thar_Cian

I'm all for this. A year later and we still can't back up our saves.

CiDeRmAn

A way to play my GC games on the go would be interesting but is there an emulator suitable for running in a Linux ecosystem on the Switch I wonder?

madmoe

readyletsgo wrote: »

Would love dolphin on the switch. I still but games till the end of a systems life, but having dolphin on it too would be great!

For those of us who have no idea what Dolphin is (apart from the Android browser) could you enlighten us?

Thanks,
M

sligeach

Linux on the Nintendo Switch

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBCkpEdvqDo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBCkpEdvqDo

Tom Mann Centuria

madmoe wrote: »

For those of us who have no idea what Dolphin is (apart from the Android browser) could you enlighten us?

Thanks,
M

A Gamecube and Wii emulator.

I think this is **** news, I just hope that piracy doesn't grow rampant now and destroy the consoles lifespan

Switch hacked: unpatchable exploit is a security nightmare for Nintendo [Eurogamer]

It'll take some time for a homebrew toolchain to appear that produces code that can run natively on Horizon - the name of the Switch OS - and right now, unless you're really keen on Switch Linux, there's not much utility for the exploit until the arrival of custom firmwares later on down the road. But as fail0verflow mentions in its blog, the hack will likely be used for running pirate software at some point. Unfettered access to game software also allows for modifications to take place, potentially compromising the integrity of Switch's online gaming environment. So on the one hand, this exploit delivers Linux and potentially opens up Switch as one hell of an emulation portable - but on the other, Nintendo faces a security nightmare in preventing piracy and keeping modders and cheats out of its online gaming environment.

readyletsgo

madmoe wrote: »

readyletsgo wrote: »

Would love dolphin on the switch. I still but games till the end of a systems life, but having dolphin on it too would be great!

For those of us who have no idea what Dolphin is (apart from the Android browser) could you enlighten us?

Thanks,
M

Near perfect emulator for the GameCube on pc. Also Wii with ordinary controllers like Xbox or with the 'dolphin' usb sensor bar.

CiDeRmAn

Deleted User wrote: »

Switch hacked: unpatchable exploit is a security nightmare for Nintendo [Eurogamer]

Sounds like a recipe for another delay in getting the online service for the Switch

Inviere

Disappointing after just over a year of life, but that was the risk in using off the shelf components for the Switch, particularly ones like the Tegra X1 which were already very well documented hardware wise. Nintendo could have chosen to use something more bespoke, but the costs of ownership for the end user would have obviously increased.

As for how damaging this will be, we'll have to wait and see. The fact that someone can 3d print a little doo-hickey to short the required pins, doesn't bode well....the easier this is to do, the more people will do it (see R4 cards for example). The only hope Ninty have here is to thoroughly invest in thier online service, and tie EVERYTHING Switch related in to it. That's mean the VC, online play, game patches/updates, everything will need the console to go online...and from there, Ninty can lock out any Switch that's been exploited. That's at least incentivise people to keep their console stock.

Another method (if viable, I'm not too sure) is to use future firmwares to reject installation on a compromised system. That'd mean newer games just can't be played very easily on exploited consoles.

All that being said though, because this is a bootrom exploit, and step 1 in the chain of trust, full control of the console has been achieved. Once that happens, there's ways around pretty much everything.

chrislad

The best way for Nintendo to combat this, as others have said, is to bring the Switch OS up to scratch. While some people will always pirate games, I'm at a stage in my life where I don't need to, thankfully, but if I could hack my machine to get something like a Virtual Console and backing up saves, then I'm listening. Nintendo need to communicate more and let people know if these features are coming. It's been over a year since the launch. I understand they had to launch early, but we are past that point now.

WithTheRanks

If it's a hardware security flaw, I wonder if this will push them towards making a "Switch XL" type updated system

CiDeRmAn

I've said it before but the bulk of Switch consoles to be bought have yet to be sold.
Best thing for Nintendo to do is a internal update of some kind that will make all future systems resilient to this exploit, meaning only those in circulation now will be vulnerable.
Yes, there will be those devices that will be no doubt gaining in value as we speak, as the owners can run every game currently released, but a hardware update coupled with firmware updates and online checks could limit the damage done to the brand.

I don't buy the notion that most people will be installing Plex, Netflix and the benefits of off-Switch save storage, people are going to use this to steal income from the publishers and developers, and kill the console as a result.

super_furry

Looks like we’ll be getting a hardware change sooner than expected. Wonder if they’ll go with a form factor change too - Switch Lite or something similar - or if they’ll go down the Xbox 360 road and just change the internals.

I love my Switch and would have no problem buying a new one for online play if I could open up my original to Dolphin emulation.

Tom Mann Centuria

Could they update the joycons to not play nicely with any hacked machine, or am I being thick (this is highly likely).