NXBoot enables starting custom boot code on the Nintendo Switch through the Fusée Gelée hardware exploit.
A jailbreak or TrollStore is required. Please keep in mind that jailbreaking is detrimental to your phone's security. You should never jailbreak a phone that stores sensitive data. The minimum supported iOS version is iOS 9.0.
Add the following repository to your package manager to install NXBoot:
https://mologie.github.io/repo/
Add to Sileo
/
Add to Zebra
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Add to Cydia
Users of TrollStore or AppSync Unified can install NXBoot as IPA:
Download NXBoot for TrollStore
(v0.3.2)
TrollStore or AppSync Unified are required. Attempting to otherwise sideload NXBoot will render it non-functional. Please read the FAQ for more information.
A command-line tool is available for macOS:
Download Command-Line Tool for macOS
(v0.3.2)
The command-line tool requires macOS 10.11 or later. It runs natively on Apple Silicon and is notarized. Run ./nxboot -h for usage info.
iOS: The command line tool is available at /usr/bin/nxboot when the NXBoot app .deb package is installed. It requires iOS 9 or later.
Contact:
Bugs can be reported via the GitHub issue tracker. Please double-check the FAQ below and ensure that your Switch is supported before reporting an issue.
License:
NXBoot is provided under the terms of the GNU General Public License v3 and comes without any functional guarantees, support, or warranty. Payloads are the responsibility of the user and not shipped with NXBoot.
0.3.2:
0.3.1:
0.2.0:
0.1.1:
0.1.0:
0.0.3:
0.0.2:
I don't have a jailbreak. Can this work as IPA too?
Only if you have a device that is compatible with TrollStore. Otherwise it is impossible, because a side-loaded IPA cannot get any sandbox exceptions, which NXBoot requires for raw USB device access.
What are the iOS hardware requirements?
An OTG adapter on the Lightning end of the connection is required. Setup example: An iPhone 6 with NXBoot, connected to an Apple Lightning USB 2 Camera Adapter, where a standard USB 3 Type A to Type C cable connects the adapter with the Nintendo Switch:
Does it work without a Lightning port on USB-C Apple devices?
Yes! A simple USB-C to USB-C cable has been reported to work for those few lucky iOS 17 TrollStore users.
Does it work without a Lightning OTG adapter on older devices?
Nope.
Can you make it work without an Lightning OTG adapter?
Probably not. I'd be interested in technical details about the Lightning Camera adapter's internals and how iOS deals with USB host and device mode.
Will cheap, non-Apple OTG adapters work?
Maybe. I've received reports from some people who had success with cheap $5 Lightning OTG adapters, but others did not get their third-party adapter to work at all or had USB communication errors.
Why use your app at all if it requires a $30 adapter?
Because you've already got that adapter, or find it convenient, or found a cheap third-party adapter that works for you.
iOS software requirements?
NXBoot was tested and found compatible with all jailbreaks for iOS 9 and later, up to iOS 17. It may break if Apple changes some of its private APIs or sandbox details in future iOS versions.
Nintendo Switch requirements?
Only some first-generation Nintendo Switch consoles will work. Fusée Gelée was patched after roughly one year, but any device purchased before July 2018 should be safe (and some after). There is an online tool to check your serial.
Is this app free?
Yes and there are no ads. It was created as a fun experiment.
Is it open-source / free software?
Yes! The source code was released 2019-09-02 under the GPLv3. It is available at GitHub. Pull requests are welcome.
What is the difference between your command-line tool and others?
None except ease of use: NXBoot has no external dependencies (it works directly with IOKit, so no Python, libusb, etc. are required) and can run any payload out of the box. It can also run in the background to start payloads automatically.
2018-2024 - Oliver Kuckertz