Nintendo Switch Online has been accessible for about a day and it’s already been dismantled by hackers. Kotaku has reported how some rather industrious individuals have found out how to upload additional NES roms to the library.
Hackers looking into the backend of Switch Online have found that the emulator used to play the 20 NES games that come with the service is essentially the same as the one used for the NES Classic. As you may know, the NES Classic was hacked pretty quickly last year, giving owners the ability to upload as many as 700 retro NES titles
The hacking saga started when a Switch hacker called DevRin revealed a YouTube video in which he proves his successful hack by showing the opening credits to Battletoads, a game which isn’t included as one of the 20 playable NES games.
Following his video, numerous other hackers have attempted to work their own magic on Switch Online. A Twitter user who goes by the handle “KapuccinoHeck” shared his own progress with a video tweet showing the beginning of Kirby’s Adventure, another title which currently isn’t available normally through the service.
ok so
this is incredibly basic but it shows that fully custom games ARE possible!
hakchi for NES Nintendo Switch Online when?#NintendoSwitch #NintendoSwitchOnline #NES pic.twitter.com/OBYn3dLOtV— Kapuccino ᗷᒪᗰ / ACAB (@nb_zeraora) September 19, 2018
If you’re interested in giving it a go, you could probably figure it out by spending a few minutes researching on Google. Despite the apparent ease of getting it to work, any user attempting the process should really consider whether or not the risk is worth taking. Unlike hacking the NES or SNES Classic, the Switch regularly connects to the internet where Nintendo’s systems could easily check your system for irregularities. If they notice something not quite right, they could outright ban your account from using the service.
Kotaku reached out to Nintendo for comment on the story, and a spokesperson for the company noted that they had nothing to comment on the issue at the moment. If they do provide a statement later, we’ll be sure to update you. Until then, stay tuned!
Featured Image Source: Nintendo
