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Nintendo Shuts Down Switch 2 Jailbreak, Sending Hackers Back To Square One
Kotaku • • technology
Key Points:
- The Nintendo Switch 2 was jailbroken for the first time on October 22, allowing limited game modding and dumping, but the exploit was complex and software-based, requiring now-delisted software SmileBASIC.
- Nintendo quickly countered the jailbreak with its 23.5.0 firmware update, effectively shutting down the exploit due to its software nature, unlike the hardware vulnerabilities seen in the original Switch.
- Hackers had briefly managed to dump games and access the Switch 2 file system by October 26, which could have led to homebrew development and emulation, but these capabilities were patched out by Nintendo's update.
- Unlike the original Switch, whose hardware flaw was unpatchable and allowed persistent jailbreaking, the Switch 2's software-based exploit is easier for Nintendo to control and block through updates.
- While hackers may eventually find new vulnerabilities, it could be many years before a stable jailbreak for the Switch 2 emerges, as Nintendo's swift response has so far prevented widespread exploitation.
