Hello there! I just found a way to play .NSP games for higher firmwares on my 4.1.0 Switch.

THIS ALSO WORKS WITH ATMOSPHERE /w sigpatches


These methods seem to be obsolete, since the newest Tinfoil builds ignore the "minimum required firmware"-info in the xml-files of any NSP. Just Install any game/update/DLC with the newest Tinfoil and it should just work out of the box! (If the keygeneration limitation is still met!)

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
KEEP IN MIND:
1. only basegames and updates can be installed with newest tinfoil! DLC don't work, yet! But update patching doesn't work with my method (yet?)
2. Not every game can be used with every Switch Firmware! Read the red text at the end of this post for more Information!


I tested this method with Pokemon Quest and Captain Toad, both start after editing the games.

NEW Method for playing games with lower Firmware:

1. Open NSP with Hexeditor e.g. HxD (https://mh-nexus.de/en/programs.php)
2. search for "RequiredSystemVersion" in the file
3. change <RequiredSystemVersion>335675392</RequiredSystemVersion> to all zeroes like that <RequiredSystemVersion>000000000</RequiredSystemVersion>
3.1 Count the digits again! dont forget any of them!
4. save file and install nsp!

That means no extracting anymore! Installable with e.g. Devmenu, too!

Sadly this method doesn't work for game patches/updates: they still force you to update!

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Old Method for playing games with lower Firmware:
You need to do the following:
1. extract the .NSP file with hactool in a cmd window:
"/path/to/hactool.exe" -tpfs0 --pfs0dir=GameFolder "/path/to/YourGame.nsp"

keep in mind to change the path and name of hactool.exe and YourGame.nsp according to your setup!

2. edit the ....cnmt.xml file in the extracted folder with wordpad:
change e.g <RequiredSystemVersion>335675392</RequiredSystemVersion> to <RequiredSystemVersion>0</RequiredSystemVersion>

protip: the string is almost at the bottom of the xml file!

3. copy the folder of the game with all the nca, etc. files to
SD:/tinfoil/extracted/GameFolder/....

4. Boot ReiNX and install extracted NSP with tinfoil

5. ????

6. Profit!



___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

If you plan on doing this often, prepare a batchfile:

1. make a new whatever.txt file
2. edit and put in the following command (but according to your setup):

"/path/to/hactool.exe" -tpfs0 --pfs0dir=GameFolder "%1"
pause

3. save the file and rename the fileextension to .cmd.
4. you can now drag/drop any .nsp file on this .cmd file and you will get your game extracted into GameFolder.


______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

PLEASE HELP ME:

It seems that only some games run on lower firmwares through this method, since the game encryption etc. has changed over time!
The "Keygeneration" in the XML file should tell us which FW is at least needed to play a game!

Keygeneration 0=at least FW ??? needed?, e.g. VOEZ, Mario+Rabbids
Keygeneration 1=at least FW ??? needed?
Keygeneration 2=at least FW ??? needed?
Keygeneration 3=at least FW ??? needed?, e.g. Super Mario Odyssey
Keygeneration 4=at least FW 4.1.0 needed?, e.g. Captain Toad, Pokemon Quest, Octopath Traveler, Limbo, Lego Incredibles, Hello Neighbor
Keygeneration 5=at least FW 5.0.0< needed! e.g. Nekopara Thanks @puppydg68

I need help testing those games on low firmwares! Please tell me on which firmware you are on and what games work/don't work.

If I get enough data (game name+firmware of your switch+key generation of the game) I'll compile a list of compatible games!

When you try to install a game with higher key generation than your FW is capable of the game will install fine with tinfoil (no Error)! But in the home menu you will only have a grey box with a loading circle in it!
We have currently no way to play those games!
___________________________________________________________________________

Get the newest Tinfoil by Adubbz here: Click!
Added old Tinfoil build. Works for me but no updates allowed!
_______________________________________________________________________________________________


UPDATE: Keyfile not mentioned anymore, since it doesn't seem to be needed for .nsp extraction! Thanks @Wizard0f0z for accidentally finding that out!
UPDATE2: Keygeneration in cnmt.xml should be an indicator which fw you at least need for the game to be played
UPDATE3: Newest Keygeneration (5) added. Those games seem to work only on 5.0.0+.
UPDATE4: Error when installing higher key generation game added.
UPDATE5: easier method added!
UPDATE6: Added Tinfoil files! @Adubbz I hope it's okay?
UPDATE7: greyed everything out (methods are obsolete as of Aug. 5th), since Tinfoil ignores the min. Fw. requirement!

 

[Y0sh1]

Great find!

There is no master key revision after 4.0.0-4.10 so anyone can run any games while on 4 with this neat trick

I'm on 3.0.0 so I won't even bother trying

 

[Mat37]

You made a typo : it's -t pfs0
You forgot the space
Anyways it's nice to know

 

[Zocker4444]

You made a typo : it's -t pfs0
You forgot the space

I'm not quite sure, it never works for me with a space inbetween. only the version I posted works for me.

Update: Tried both (with and without space, both work for me), so not really a typo

 

[Mat37]

I'm not quite sure, it never works for me with a space inbetween. only the version I posted works for me.

I just tried and okay both work for me ^^

 

[loler55]

yeah thats very nice to now
since im on 3.01 and wait of my gatewayos
now i can play more games like captain toad thank you
all nsps should edited before upload
and now all 3.00 users and depper can finally play oddesey

 

[Zocker4444]

yeah thats very nice to now
since im on 3.01 and wait of my gatewayos
now i can play more games like captain toad thank you

Did you try it already? Since, as Y0sh1 pointed out, it could be, that you're missing the mastekeys for most games higher than 3.01

 

[loler55]

Did you try it already? Since, as Y0sh1 pointed out, it could be, that you're missing the mastekeys for most games higher than 3.01

i cant try wait of my sxos since it gives no other way to install unsigned nsps on3.01
but i will try it
i hope thats worked

Great find!

There is no master key revision after 4.0.0-4.10 so anyone can run any games while on 4 with this neat trick

I'm on 3.0.0 so I won't even bother trying

for mario it won't even bother trying????
lol so many people say thats a no go forever to play oddesey on3.00 without emunand...
hahaha


and someone have to edit the game compatibly list here ... LOL

someone on 3.01 or deeper with xecuter should try it out

 

[naddel81]

so basically minFW requirement is out the windows now?

 

[Zocker4444]

so basically minFW requirement is out the windows now?

not really, we don't know lots about this stuff, yet.
It seems more like games "pretending" to need a higher FW than they actually need should run now. Things like e.g. the needed masterkeys for decryption are still needed, AFAIK, and thus needing a certain FW.

 

[Xyphoseos]

I believe there is an option in devmenu to remove update restriction

 

[Ghassen-ga]

Great find !i will be trying octopath travaler and hallow knight on my 4.1 fw when i'm home , if anyone could do it before that please confirm if it's working , thanks!


Edit: could you pelase add some pics in the tutorial ? i'm a noob when it comes to unsing code , thanks again!

 

[Deleted User]

cool, but not useful for me (im on 5.1.0)

 

[raphamotta]

You don't need to mess with code. Use this to extract:

https://gbatemp.net/threads/extract-nsp-nca-xci-update-all-in-one-tool-for-layeredfs.511156/

 

[Zocker4444]

Edit: could you pelase add some pics in the tutorial ? i'm a noob when it comes to unsing code , thanks again!

Can you tell me what pictures you would prefer? Since all this should be quite self explanatory

 

[raphamotta]

Great find !i will be trying octopath travaler and hallow knight on my 4.1 fw when i'm home , if anyone could do it before that please confirm if it's working , thanks!


Edit: could you pelase add some pics in the tutorial ? i'm a noob when it comes to unsing code , thanks again!

I'm on 4.1 ad worked with Hollow Knight

 

[Maiken]

Does this only work with Tinfoil? Or can it also be used with the NSP installer from SX OS?

 

[Zocker4444]

Does this only work with Tinfoil? Or can it also be used with the NSP installer from SX OS?

It may work with any Installer, as long as it accepts extracted NSP files. I only know about Tinfoil that does exactly that. But maybe someone else knows more about that.

 

[Wizard0f0z]

thanks for that info i'm now closer than ever but still i'm stuck like in every step i make,
if anybody have a clue to help me would realy appreciate!

i opened PowerShell(admin) on my win 10 laptop and typed like this;
it give me the following err;

Maybe something i misunderstood cause i failed!

my hactool.exe is located on my..; Desktop\Pack CDNSP\CDNSP-GUI-Bob-v3.5.3

_NSPOUT is the name of the folder that contain the .nsp file i want to extract (OCTOPATH TRAVELER [010057d006492000][v0].nsp)

wich is also in..; Desktop\Pack CDNSP\CDNSP-GUI-Bob-v3.5.3

​

just downloaded and installed without issues fowlowing this simple tutorial that i found on Logic-Sunrise;
/dossiers-et-tutoriaux-1006574-switch-installation-cdnsp-sur-pc-pour-eviter-le-ban.html
Thanks to antifake13(hope he deserves is name)

Thanks for taking the time reading this and try to help!
Hope that will help others also!
​

 

[Ramoth]

thanks for that info i'm now closer than ever but still i'm stuck like in every step i make, if anybody have a clue to help me would realy appreciate!
i opened PowerShell(admin) on my win 10 laptop and typed like this---;
​

The simple answer is don't use Powershell, it's not as simple to run cli programs with.

Use CMD instead