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Patched Switch games become unbootable without the patch data [Unless you factory reset your switch]

Vito

Vito

One Winged Slayer - Formerly Undead Fantasy
Member
Oct 25, 2017
16,040
So I was messing around on my Switch and found this shit.

Once you update a Switch cart and delete the patch data, that cart can't boot up without downloading the updates. Doesn't matter if they game was fully playable on it's base verison. It will just refuse to boot up.

This effectively makes the cart wortless once the servers go down.

What the hell was Nintendo thinking? Is there a way to bypass this?

Edit: There is a way to boot games after all. You just have to factory reset your Switch and disable automatic downloads. Here's a video:



You will lose your save files though but it's something.
 
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low-G

low-G

Member
Oct 25, 2017
8,144
Wonder what happens if you delete all the cart's saves?

If it still doesn't work, that's terrible.
 
Jedi2016

Jedi2016

Member
Oct 27, 2017
15,610
What do you mean it makes the cart worthless? The flag that indicates the game has been patched is saved to your system, not the cart. It's your system and your system alone that will have that problem.

And why are you deleting patches anyway? Patches are good things.
 
Powerwing

Powerwing

Member
Nov 30, 2017
128
Hmmm...it's probably not "flagged" in the cartridge itself but in the switch, so if you reinitialize it it will probably boot...i know it sucks either way
 
Illusion

Illusion

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
8,407
Ex-Psych said:
Don't delete the patch?

Why delete it in the first place?
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Sometimes bugs arrive that bricks game files and or makes a change in a exploit in a game that added fun and value to it. Sort of like FINAL fantasy XV and seeing the unfinished continents and huge portions of the game not released.
 
TheCrackedJack

TheCrackedJack

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,030
I've deleted the patch for Doom to free up space after I was done with the first playthrough. The Doom patch being about 8GB, of course, so I could free up space. So, there are reasons for doing so.
 

Deleted member 442

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
2,431
It is flagged in the carts.

I think they have an efuse that logs the maximum game and console version they've been used with.

The carts don't hold save data.
 

Deleted member 3017

User requested account closure
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17,653
I'm laughing at the thought of me getting angry at not being able to play my unpatched ARMS cart in 2030.
 
XDevil666

XDevil666

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Oct 27, 2017
2,985
You sure the issue isn't your save data been on the latest version, which is then causing it unable to boot as the version is incorrect?
 

Deleted member 12509

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Oct 27, 2017
191
Pretty sure the system knows your save data was made with a patched game and prevents you from messing up the save by booting up the game without the patch. Try starting the game unpatched on a new account or after deleting the save data.
 
Jucksalbe

Jucksalbe

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What does "unbootable" mean exactly? Does it work again when you delete your save data? I don't think patches write anything on the cart itself, do they?
 
Anteo

Anteo

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,099
I mean what else is suposed to happen? Let you start a game with a save file from a later patch that may not even be able to load in an early patch?
 
Rats

Rats

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Oct 25, 2017
8,110
Anteo said:
I mean what else is suposed to happen? Let you start a game with a save file from a later patch that may not even be able to load in an early patch?
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Plenty of games tell you that your save is incompatible with the game version and can't be used, but still let you create new data. I see it in PC stuff all the time.
 
horkrux

horkrux

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Oct 27, 2017
4,702
Yeah this is a thing. Most annoying for people on lower firmwares and therefore unable to aquire the patches
 

Deleted member 2791

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It's on the system. You can't write any data on Switch cards. In your situation, the cart will only not boot on your own console.
 
Decarb

Decarb

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Oct 27, 2017
8,636
ibrahima said:
It is flagged in the carts.

I think they have an efuse that logs the maximum game and console version they've been used with.

The carts don't hold save data.
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Eh, not true. You can put that cart in a Switch that has never been online and it'll play just fine. If you update with a patch and save the game, that save file is incompatible with earlier versions, which is why the cart wont play in that particular Switch. Imo some PS4 games do this too.
 

Deleted member 15538

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Console games expire these days, play them while you can. We should see all of them on pc though eventually.
 
Kneefoil

Kneefoil

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,445
Vito said:
So I was messing around on my Switch and found this shit.

Once you update a Switch cart and delete the patch data, that cart can't boot up without downloading the updates. Doesn't matter if they game was fully playable on it's base verison. It will just refuse to boot up.

This effectively makes the cart wortless once the servers go down.

What the hell was Nintendo thinking? Is there a way to bypass this?
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If you also restore factory settings, you can play the game, but then you will also lose saves of ALL of your games.

However, if you transfer your user and save data for other games to another Switch before factory resetting the original Switch, you can transfer that data back and keep your saves afterwards. (Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQLkayn2oDU)
 
-shadow-

-shadow-

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
6,110
I know I can't play my WiiU games either if the save file was made with a patch. Deleting the save resolves that if I want to go back to the base game for whatever. You still have the save I assume?
 
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Vito

Vito

One Winged Slayer - Formerly Undead Fantasy
Member
Oct 25, 2017
16,040
I'm going to get xenoverse 2 tomorrow and try to see if it's the save file.

This is really shitty. At least Nintendo is re-releasing games with the highest version in the cart but I doubt third parties will care.
 
papercan

papercan

Member
Oct 25, 2017
800
horkrux said:
Nope. You can buy a used cart and it will ask you to update if the previous owner has done so.
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what!
that's insane, anyone else able to confirm this.
Basically makes all cartridges obsolete once the servers go down unless your system has all the latest patches saved or have i got this wrong?
your telling me that if you refuse to update then you can't play?
OrbitalBeard said:
....really??

I don't even see how this is possible, especially if your system is taken offline
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me neither but everyone here is saying the cart saves the information somehow.
 
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Vito

Vito

One Winged Slayer - Formerly Undead Fantasy
Member
Oct 25, 2017
16,040
papercan said:
what!
that's insane, anyone else able to confirm this. Basically makes all cartridges obsolete once the servers go down unless your system has all the latest patches saved or have i got this wrong?
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Seems like it. Someone try deleting a save file now :P
 
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