For several console generations now, Nintendo consoles have proven themselves to be surprisingly adaptable to modding and homebrew software. This is kind of ironic, as Nintendo typically hates stuff like modding and emulation with a fiery passion. Even so, homebrewing is as enduring a pursuit as gaming itself, and it’s understandable if you’re curious about it. However, in the case of the Nintendo Switch, there are certain prerequisites that must be ticked if you want to engage in any modding. Here’s how to check if your Nintendo Switch is moddable.
Now, before we get into this, I need to put out a disclaimer to cover our collective butts. As mentioned before, Nintendo is very strict with their copyrights and property, so homebrewing software is fine in itself, any efforts to distribute said software, and especially for money, could invite legal trouble. It should also be noted that modding your Switch will void its warranty; Nintendo refuses to service modded hardware on principle, so in the event you make a mistake and brick your Switch, you’re officially up the creek. Please remember that if you still want to mod your Switch after reading all of that, you do so at your own risk. Get it? Got it? Good.
How to Check if Your Nintendo Switch is Moddable
Modding your Switch for homebrew and emulation compatibility depends entirely on your Switch’s OS. Specifically, the OS’s vulnerability to a piece of hardware known as Fusée Gelée, which is necessary to trick the OS into running certain programs. Nintendo got wise to this vulnerability a while back and patched the OS in all of the Switch consoles they released going forward. As such, whether or not your Switch is moddable depends entirely on when it was manufactured.
To check when your Switch was manufactured, just look for the serial number. Pull the Switch proper out of its dock and look for the white sticker with a barcode on it on the bottom. If you peeled the sticker off or something, you can also check your Switch’s serial information from the System section of the console’s options.
Serial numbers have a handful of different prefixes, followed by a long string of numbers. These numbers tell you when the console was manufactured, and by extension, the likelihood that they’ve been patched.
- If the serial number begins with XAW1 and has these numbers:
- XAW10000000000 to XAW10074000000: unpatched and moddable
- XAW10074000000 to XAW10120000000: may be patched, may not be moddable
- XAW10120000000 and up: definitely patched, not moddable
- If the serial number begins with XAW4 and has these numbers:
- XAW40000000000 to XAW40011000000: unpatched and moddable
- XAW40011000000 to XAW40012000000: may be patched, may not be moddable
- XAW40012000000 and up: definitely patched, not moddable
- If the serial number begins with XAW7 and has these numbers:
- XAW70000000000 to XAW70017800000: unpatched and moddable
- XAW70017800000 to XAW70030000000: may be patched, may not be moddable
- XAW70030000000 and up: definitely patched, not moddable
- If the serial number begins with XAJ1 and has these numbers:
- XAJ10000000000 to XAJ10020000000: unpatched and moddable
- XAJ10020000000 to XAJ10030000000: may be patched, may not be moddable
- XAJ10030000000 and up: definitely patched, not moddable
- If the serial number begins with XAJ4 and has these numbers:
- XAJ40000000000 to XAJ40046000000: unpatched and moddable
- XAJ40046000000 to XAJ40060000000: may be patched, may not be moddable
- XAJ40060000000 and up: definitely patched, not moddable
- If the serial number begins with XAJ7 and has these numbers:
- XAJ70000000000 to XAJ70040000000: unpatched and moddable
- XAJ70040000000 to XAJ70050000000: may be patched, may not be moddable
- XAJ70050000000 and up: definitely patched, not moddable
- If the serial number begins with XKW1, XKJ1, XJW1, or XWW1, these have all been patched and are not moddable
If you attempt to mod a Switch that either may have been patched was definitely patched, the mod will either simply not work, or it’ll brick the Switch entirely. Let me stress this once again, any modding efforts you make are at your own risk.
