Switch Cartridge to USB reader.

dorfink · Apr 12, 2023

Hi I have been looking for a switch cartridge reader in an attempt to play switch cartridges on an emulator live from cartridge. The Retrode(discontinued) used to do this with super nintendo, genesis, and more. after being unable to find a device to meet my need, I decided Ill just make my own, how hard can it be.

I need to know how a switch cartridge pins out so I can allow it to interface over usb. I kind of want to make this the size of a usb sdcard reader. It will work almost exactly the same way as an sd card reader. Im extremely beginner at making computer hardware and devices. Im a programmer so this is all very new to me but I figured dream big right?.

Vorde · Apr 12, 2023

The main issue will be getting the decryption keys working with the software and hardware you're developing.
If you are serious about this, I would look up the pinout, and begin researching how to write your own custom firmware. You could probably butcher an old non-working Switch for the port.
When it comes to the retrode it was able to read and dump info based on the chips it recognized through the pinout. It's a lot more complex than that with a Switch cart due to security, and a multiple verification process.
TLDR; You can persue it, but be warned NOA will go after you, and there's already solutions for dumping carts.

dorfink · Apr 12, 2023

Vorde said:
The main issue will be getting the decryption keys working with the software and hardware you're developing.
If you are serious about this, I would look up the pinout, and begin researching how to write your own custom firmware. You could probably butcher an old non-working Switch for the port.
When it comes to the retrode it was able to read and dump info based on the chips it recognized through the pinout. It's a lot more complex than that with a Switch cart due to security, and a multiple verification process.
TLDR; You can persue it, but be warned NOA will go after you, and there's already solutions for dumping carts.

the problem I was attempting to solve for myself was Nintendo's view of dumping games as illegal. with a device that allows you to read and play straight from the cart, there is no dumping.

This would be cheaper for the end user(especially if they wanted to use my schematics and shit to build the damn thing themself) and it would not be illegal because all the software and devices would not be intelectual property of nintendo.

Vorde · Apr 12, 2023

dorfink said:
the problem I was attempting to solve for myself was Nintendo's view of dumping games as illegal. with a device that allows you to read and play straight from the cart, there is no dumping.

This would be cheaper for the end user(especially if they wanted to use my schematics and shit to build the damn thing themself) and it would not be illegal because all the software and devices would not be intelectual property of nintendo.

The overall product itself would not be illegal if it wasn't distributed with the firmware needed to dump said carts, however it would require keys to be extracted from a Switch to begin to read the cards contents.
I applaud you in thinking of a way to do this, but I would have concerns about NOA.
I would reach out to some well known Switch devs and see what they have to say about it.

linuxares · Apr 12, 2023

First hurdle is of course the decryption. The Switch is very encrypted so either you need to do an illegal way by dumping they keys or find them online. Then you must reverse engineer how it reads the games and then of course playback (Yuzu?).

But Nintendo would hunt you down long before you could sell this by claiming it violates their copyright, their proprietary reader etc. It's not a battle I personally would wanna be in.

The biggest problem I still see is the direct decryption imho.

Sebash789 · Apr 7, 2024

Hello, It is one year later and I’ve been wanting the exact same kind of device for playing switch games on pc directly off the cartridge, saving myself a ton of space not having to play backups of games I already have that take up space on my hard drive. Now we have the Mig Switch and the Mig Switch Dumper, from what I’ve seen, the dumper should be able to completely play switch games right off the cartridge as if the cart was an sd card on your PC, I want the Dumper so bad if it really can do that, hopefully it becomes easy to obtain soon.

Statesman · Apr 16, 2024

A Mig Dumper is what you need OP, Switch Cartridge to USB-C.

Switch Cartridge to USB reader.

New Member

Well-Known Member

New Member

Well-Known Member

The inadequate, autocratic beast!

New Member

Well-Known Member

Similar threads

Popular threads in this forum