Nintendo Switch got Hacked - And why this is important

[Pepito The Cat]

So... Someone managed to install Linux on a Nintendo Switch.

From ExtremeTech:

Hacker group Fail0verflow has announced a Switch hack that the organization claims can’t be patched or blocked by firmware updates on already-shipped Switches. They’ve published a screenshot of the device booting a Linux distribution, likely giving someone at Nintendo heartburn in the process.

It’s not clear when we’ll see the exploit in the wild. Fail0verflow says there’s no need for modchips, but the Switch in the image above is clearly wired up for something. Hackers have been hammering at the Switch for quite a while and have been making steady progress in breaking the platform, but this is the first time we’ve seen a cold boot program used to launch a third-party operating system. In theory, this opens the Switch up to homebrew applications and other types of projects.

As mentioned in the article, this is the most important (and complicated) step to open the switch to homebrew projects. we are talking about emulators, 3th party software and game "backups".

This, pretty much, creates the Switch Scene. It's almost a certainty that Nintendo will start to produce hardware revisions from now on. Fail0verflow declared the exploit to be unpatchable by software methods due to it being nested on the Tegra X1 processor, a well known and documented chip witch has been hacked in the past. The only way to patch said exploit is to add hardware barriers to it (custom chip controllers) or create a Switch with a completely different hardware. This last option is not viable as the costs of it will skyrocket. Most likely Nintendo will end up modding the X1 but it will eventually get hacked again. The floodgates have been opened for good now.

 

[SomeSonicFag]

Cool. I've always loved systems that have homebrew and backups. Still use my Dreamcast and Vita to this day. Maybe I'll pick up a Switch.

 

[Desire Lines]

Good news for everyone else, bad news for Nintendo. Kind of hope it doesn't get hacked too quickly because it will then go the route of PSP.

 

[Y2K Baby]

Cool.

 

[Y2K Baby]

e it doesn't get hacked too quickly because it will then go the route of PSP.

Tell me of this story, my friend.

 

[MarvinTheParanoidAndroid]

So... Someone managed to install Linux on a Nintendo Switch.

From ExtremeTech:


As mentioned in the article, this is the most important (and complicated) step to open the switch to homebrew projects. we are talking about emulators, 3th party software and game "backups".

This, pretty much, creates the Switch Scene. It's almost a certainty that Nintendo will start to produce hardware revisions from now on. Fail0verflow declared the exploit to be unpatchable by software methods due to the exploit used being nested on the Tegra X1 processor, a well known and documented chip witch has been hacked in the past. The only way to patch said exploit is to add hardware barriers to it (custom chip controllers) or create a Switch with a completely different hardware. This last option is not viable as the costs of it will skyrocket. Most likely Nintendo will end up modding the X1 but it will eventually get hacked again. The floodgates have been opened for good now.

What an enormous waste of fucking time.

 

[Neil]

Good.
I can't wait for the Switchax circlejerk to angrily shit their pants even harder because other groups such as Fail0verflow and Xecuter are taking their thunder by actually releasing shit and not moral fagging about piracy while sending out cryptic tweets to their asslicking fans and drip-feeding updates on their progress to the public.
Stay salty, you pretentious fuckfaces.

 

[Slamerella]

Good news for everyone else, bad news for Nintendo. Kind of hope it doesn't get hacked too quickly because it will then go the route of PSP.

My problem is cheaters. When the Wii U got accessible hacks and exploits soon there were hackers on games. While I would love to see mods for things like the inevitable Smash game again, I'm afraid to do this since I'm sure Nintendo will give some swift bans again like the last time on the 3DS.

 

[REGENDarySumanai]

It was only a matter of time.

 

[SteelPlatedHeart]

It was only a matter of time.

Everything always ends up getting hacked eventually.

 

[Desire Lines]

Tell me of this story, my friend.

It's not much of a story, really. The PSP got hacked ridicilously quickly, and Sony didn't really give a shit. That proved to be very bad later, because while actual PSP sales were skyrocketing, the software sales (the main source of income) were absolutely abysmal.

 

[Y2K Baby]

It's not much of a story, really. The PSP got hacked ridicilously quickly, and Sony didn't really give a shit. That proved to be very bad later, because while actual PSP sales were skyrocketing, the software sales (the main source of income) were absolutely abysmal.

Why would the software sames go down because people were fugging with the hardware? If the system was good, wouldn't people still want to buy the games? I'm not really seeing the causation here.

 

[:thinking:]

Looks more like they interfaced the display and nothing else.

 

[HomeAloneTwo]

Why would the software sames go down because people were fugging with the hardware? If the system was good, wouldn't people still want to buy the games? I'm not really seeing the causation here.

The CFW on the PSP allowed you to place any PSP title on the memory stick, and a lot of PS1 titles too. So you just download the 1gb psp iso and slam it on the stick. For the longest time you had to have a physical UMD disc in the PSP to run the game ISOs, and most PSPs were bundled with a UMD game, so nobody ever bought them.

-edit- i still use my PSP liberally, but I cannot recall the last time I actually played a PSP title on it.

 

[Desire Lines]

Why would the software sames go down because people were fugging with the hardware? If the system was good, wouldn't people still want to buy the games? I'm not really seeing the causation here.

Because pirating games for PSP was so easy, it's braindead. You just had to put a file in a folder and BOOM here is your game. There was no point in buying games, and considering how many emulators were made for the thing, it pretty much got turned into a multi-media machine.

EDIT: Whoops, got ninja'd

 

[Rand /pol/]

Why would the software sames go down because people were fugging with the hardware? If the system was good, wouldn't people still want to buy the games? I'm not really seeing the causation here.

The Nintendo DS had a lot of first party support and big brand names but the PSP didn't, which is probably the main cause, that and a lack of 3rd Party support. People messing with hardware probably wouldn't have an effect outside of pirating.

Edit: Ninja'd X2

 

[HomeAloneTwo]

On a more related note, this is probably really great news. All that is needed now is a cart dumping tool, and since the switch uses carts, the transfer rate should be quicker than dumping an 8-16gb disc.

 

[Piss Clam]

You know you are an adult when you are actually buying games rather than pirate them.

 

[MarvinTheParanoidAndroid]

Because pirating games for PSP was so easy, it's braindead. You just had to put a file in a folder and BOOM here is your game. There was no point in buying games, and considering how many emulators were made for the thing, it pretty much got turned into a multi-media machine.

EDIT: Whoops, got ninja'd

And to think, on the other side of that fence, there are idiots who make up straw grabbing justifications for why piracy is moral and good for the industry.

On a more related note, this is probably really great news. All that is needed now is a cart dumping tool, and since the switch uses carts, the transfer rate should be quicker than dumping an 8-16gb disc.

Why not just run it on a fucking computer?

 

[Y2K Baby]

Because pirating games for PSP was so easy, it's braindead. You just had to put a file in a folder and BOOM here is your game. There was no point in buying games, and considering how many emulators were made for the thing, it pretty much got turned into a multi-media machine.

EDIT: Whoops, got ninja'd

The Nintendo DS had a lot of first party support and big brand names but the PSP didn't, which is probably the main cause, that and a lack of 3rd Party support. People messing with hardware probably wouldn't have an effect outside of pirating.

Edit: Ninja'd X2

Lol, ninja combo. Real interesting stuff though.