Switch 2 gets first public jailbreak as key app disappears from some stores
The software exploit enables homebrew and game mods, but requires a computer and must be repeated after every reboot.
Researcher Sammy Hajhamid has demonstrated the first public jailbreak for Nintendo's Switch 2, using firmware 23.0.1 to run homebrew programs, modify games and copy save files, TechSpot reported. The method requires no changes to the console's hardware.
Access depends on SmileBASIC 4, a coding tool released for the original Switch. Following the jailbreak's public debut, the tool was removed from Nintendo's US and European eShop stores. It was unclear whether Nintendo or developer SmileBomb removed it. The Japanese version remained available when TechSpot published its report.
Hajhamid showed footage of Mario Kart World modified to include characters such as Goku, Walter White and Hatsune Miku. He also gained access to most of the console's peripherals.
The work used OpenAI's Codex, including for coding the Mario Kart modification. Developing the jailbreak took about two weeks. An initial route through WebKit did not provide the capabilities needed for homebrew, modifications or save backups; the later approach used SmileBASIC 4.
The jailbreak does not yet include full custom firmware. Users need a computer to carry it out, and restarting the console means performing the procedure again.
