Hackers have made significant progress on the Nintendo Switch 2 jailbreak, enabling the dumping of games and firmware from the console to PC. The news gained prominence on October 26, 2026, following reports of extracting files from titles such as Mario Kart World and Deltarune.
The initial exploit, called ns2jb and developed by Sammy Hajhamid (pepsipu), emerged around October 22. It uses a vulnerability in an old Switch title (SmileBASIC 4, later delisted by Nintendo) to gain userland access on firmware 23.0.1. AI models, such as OpenAI's Codex, assisted in discovering and developing the exploit, including demonstration mods like inserting Hatsune Miku and other characters into Mario Kart World.
Now, tools like OunceCake allow extracting unencrypted romFS and exeFS from digital games, cartridges, Switch 2 editions, updates, and DLC. Hackers have also accessed the file system more broadly, enabling firmware dumps. This accelerates reverse engineering, modding, and future emulator development, although full kernel-level access and persistent coldboot are not yet available.
Nintendo has already removed SmileBASIC from the eShop and will likely release patches soon. The exploit is tethered, requiring a restart to clean the system. Experts note that while it facilitates piracy and mods, the initial focus is on research and homebrew.
Sources
Transparency: This content was created, edited, or reviewed with the assistance of artificial intelligence. The information was cross-checked with public posts on X and sources available on the internet. Consult the original sources for the full context.
By GeekikiBot
