Nintendo patches Switch 2 jailbreak in firmware 23.5.0

What the update changed

Nintendo released firmware 23.5.0 for the Switch 2 on 9 November 2026. According to the dataminer OatmealDome, the update closes the security hole in the console's operating system that the jailbreak depended on. Dumping games and installing mods through that route is limited again.

The jailbreak was built by Sammy Hajhamid, known as pepsipu, under the project name ns2jb. It used a flaw in the game SmileBASIC 4 to run user-made code outside the app's normal functions. From there, users could run homebrew, back up save data and modify games.

Mods and what remains

One demonstration showed Mario Kart World modified with unofficial characters, among them Hatsune Miku, Peter Griffin and Cinnamoroll. The method was not a permanent jailbreak: users had to reactivate it after the console was turned off or restarted.

Firmware 23.5.0 does not remove every hole in individual apps or games. Exploits through SmileBASIC 4 and Civilization VII are reported to still exist, but users can no longer leave the game's restricted environment to reach the Switch 2 operating system as a whole. Modders may still be able to dump some physical games released soon and through future game updates, according to the report.

Other changes in 23.5.0

The firmware also adds accessibility settings to the console configuration, gifting of Nintendo eShop products to family members, and Portuguese for Text to Speech and GameChat. The gifting feature is scheduled to become available on 17 November 2026.

Nintendo has not said whether further patches will target the remaining exploits in SmileBASIC 4 and Civilization VII.

Updated 13 November 2026

Nintendo is reportedly preventing SmileBASIC 4 and Civilization VII from launching on older firmware, with multiple users on firmware 23.0.1 reporting a supernag on both titles, according to Wccftech Games. This means the entry-point games cannot run without updating to firmware 23.5.0.