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Dumping Games

To play Nintendo Switch games on Ryujinx, you need to legally dump your own game cartridges or digital titles from a modded Switch. This guide will walk you through the prerequisites, checking if your Switch is compatible, installing Atmosphere (custom firmware) and using nxdumptool to dump your games.

Table of Contents

Prerequisites
Checking if Switch is Hackable
Installing Atmosphere
Dumping Games with NXDumpTool
Final Steps

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have the following:

  • A Hacked Nintendo Switch – Your Switch must be able to run Custom Firmware (CFW) such as Atmosphère.
  • MicroSD Card – A large exFAT or FAT32 formatted SD card is recommended.
  • nxdumptool – This homebrew tool allows you to dump game cartridges and digital titles.
  • Latest Hekate & Atmosphère – Up-to-date CFW ensures compatibility.

Checking If Your Switch is Hackable

Not all Switch consoles can be hacked. To check if yours is compatible:

  1. Identify Your Serial Number:

    • Look at the bottom of your Switch console near the USB-C port.
    • Find the serial number and note the first few characters.

  2. Compare with Online Databases:

    • Go to IsMySwitchPatched.com.
    • Enter your serial number to check if your Switch is:
      • Unpatched – Fully hackable ✅
      • Patched – Not hackable ❌
      • Possibly Patched – Further checks required ⚠

  3. If Your Switch is Unpatched:

    • You can use RCM (Recovery Mode) exploits to install Atmosphère CFW.
    • If it’s patched, you cannot dump games without hardware modifications.

Install Atmosphère on Your Switch

What You Need

✅ MicroSD Card (32GB or larger recommended)
✅ A USB-C Cable
✅ A Windows PC
✅ A Jig Tool (to enter RCM mode) – You can buy one online or use the paperclip method
✅ Hekate & Atmosphère – Download the latest versions

Step 1. Download the Required Files

  1. Get the latest Atmosphère: https://github.com/Atmosphere-NX/Atmosphere/releases
  2. Get Hekate (bootloader): https://github.com/CTCaer/hekate/releases
  3. Get TegraRcmGUI (Windows users only): https://github.com/eliboa/TegraRcmGUI/releases
  4. Get the latest fusee.bin payload: This comes with Atmosphère, located inside the .zip file.

Step 2. Prepare Your SD Card

  1. Format your microSD card to exFAT or FAT32.
    • FAT32 is recommended for compatibility.
    • Use GUIFormat to format if necessary.
  2. Extract Atmosphère, Hekate, and fusee.bin to the root of your SD card.

Your SD card layout should now look like this:

				
					/atmosphere  
/bootloader  
/switch  
config.ini  
hekate_ctcaer.bin  
fusee.bin

Step 3. Enter RCM Mode

RCM (Recovery Mode) is required to inject a payload and boot Atmosphère.

  1. Turn off your Switch completely.
  2. Insert a Jig tool into the right Joy-Con rail (or use a bent paperclip carefully).
  3. Hold Volume Up and Press Power at the same time.
  4. Your Switch screen should remain black – this means it’s in RCM mode.

Step 4. Inject the Payload

  1. Connect your Switch to your PC via USB-C.
  2. Open TegraRcmGUI on your PC and install the drivers if prompted.
  3. Click “Select Payload” and choose hekate_ctcaer.bin.
  4. Click “Inject Payload”.
  5. Your Switch should now boot into Hekate.

Step 5. Boot Atmosphère

  1. In Hekate, tap Launch > CFW (SYSNAND).
  2. Your Switch will boot into Atmosphère! 🎉
  3. Open the Homebrew Menu by launching the Album app while holding R.

Congratulations! Atmosphère is now installed.

Dumping Nintendo Switch Games with nxdumptool

Once your Switch is running Atmosphère, follow these steps to dump your game:

Step 1: Install nxdumptool

  1. Download nxdumptool from GitHub.
  2. Place the nxdumptool.nro file in: /switch/nxdumptool/ on your SD card.

Step 2: Dumping a Game Cartridge (XCI Format)

  1. Insert your game cartridge into the Switch.
  2. Open the Homebrew Menu (hold R while launching Album or a game).
  3. Select nxdumptool.
  4. Choose Dump gamecard content.
  5. Select Cartridge Image (XCI) to dump the full game.
  6. Choose:
    1. Full dump (Recommended)
    2. Trimmed XCI (Removes junk data, saves space)
  7. The dump will be saved to: /switch/nxdumptool/XCI/
  8. Transfer the XCI file to your PC and load it in Ryujinx!

Step 3: Dumping a Digital Game (NSP Format)

For digital games installed on your Switch:

  1. Open nxdumptool from the Homebrew Menu.
  2. Select Dump installed SD card / eMMC content.
  3. Choose the game you want to dump.
  4. Select Nintendo Submission Package (NSP).
  5. Adjust settings (Split output files if using FAT32).
  6. The dump will be saved in: /switch/nxdumptool/NSP/
  7. Transfer the NSP file to your PC and load it in Ryujinx!

Final Steps: Moving Dumped Games to Ryujinx

  • Transfer the dumped XCI/NSP files from your SD card to your PC.
  • Open Ryujinx and go to File > Load Application.
  • Select your dumped game file and start playing!

Make sure to check out our Adding & Managing Games section for more information.

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