Is My Switch Moddable? Serial Number Checker

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Every Nintendo Switch can be modded. That includes the original models, special editions, the Lite, and the OLED. The real question is how. A small batch of early original Switch consoles can run custom firmware with no extra hardware at all, and those are the ones people call unpatched. An unpatched Switch is the only kind that can be modded with software alone. Everything else, including every Lite and every OLED, needs a modchip.

Enter your serial number in the checker below. It updates as you type and tells you the moment it has enough digits to know whether your console is unpatched, potentially patched, or patched.

Is My Switch Unpatched? Serial Number Checker

Type the serial number from the white sticker on the bottom of your Switch. The checker updates as you type and gives you an answer the moment it has enough digits to decide.

Waiting for your serial...

Start typing your serial number above.

This is an estimate based on known serial ranges. For original Switch consoles, the only way to be 100% certain is the RCM test further down this page.

What Unpatched, Potentially Patched, and Patched Mean

  • Unpatched – The console can be exploited with software alone through the RCM method. No modchip needed. Only some early original Switch units fall here.
  • Potentially patched – The serial lands in a transition range where Nintendo mixed patched and unpatched units. Yours could be either. The RCM test is the only way to know.
  • Patched – The console cannot be exploited through RCM and needs a modchip. This covers later original Switch units, every V2, and every Lite and OLED.

Note: The serial number is a strong indicator, not a guarantee. Nintendo did not switch over cleanly at one exact serial, which is why the middle range exists. If you have an original Switch and want certainty, run the RCM test below.

V1 (Erista) Models

You can tell you have a V1 by looking at the model number on the back of the console, just below the Switch logo. If it reads HAC-001 with nothing after it, you have a V1 (Erista). If it reads HAC-001(-01), that is a V2 (Mariko) and it needs a modchip. Some early V1 units are exploitable through the RCM exploit. The serial number gives you a rough idea, but the only way to know for sure is to put the Switch in RCM mode and connect it to your computer.

How to Put Your Switch in RCM Mode

  1. Get an RCM jig. They are cheap on eBay, Amazon, or AliExpress.
  2. Fully power off the console. Hold the power button until the power menu appears, choose Power Options, then Turn Off.
  3. Slide the jig into the right Joy-Con rail.
  4. Hold Volume Up, press the power button once, then let go of everything.
  5. The screen stays black with no outward sign, but the console should now be in RCM mode.

How to Confirm an Unpatched Switch (RCM Test)

This is the definitive test. If the payload injects, the console is unpatched. If it gets rejected, the console is patched.

  1. Download the latest version of TegraRcmGUI from the official releases page.
  2. Install it, or extract the portable version.
  3. Open TegraRcmGUI, go to the Settings tab, and click Install Driver.
  4. Grab a Hekate payload (the hekate_ctcaer_X.X.X.bin file) from the Hekate releases page.
  5. Put your Switch in RCM mode and plug it into your computer with a USB-C cable. TegraRcmGUI should show the console as connected. If it does not, your Switch is not in RCM mode.
  6. Select the Hekate payload, then click Inject payload. If Hekate loads on your Switch, the console is unpatched and you do not need a modchip. If TegraRcmGUI says it smashed the stack with 0x0000 bytes, the console is patched and would need a modchip. If it freezes or hangs, try a different USB-C cable.
TegraRcmGUI Settings tab with the Install Driver button highlighted
Step 3: Settings tab, then Install Driver.
TegraRcmGUI showing RCM Device detected with the hekate payload selected
Step 5: a connected console shows RCM Device detected and RCM OK.
TegraRcmGUI showing the hekate payload successfully injected on an unpatched Switch
Step 6: Payload successfully injected. This console is unpatched.

V2 (Mariko) Models

V2 units (model number HAC-001(-01)) are patched at the hardware level. There is no RCM exploit for them, so they need a modchip to run custom firmware.

Switch Lite and OLED (All Versions)

Every Switch Lite and every Switch OLED is patched. There are no unpatched units of either model, so both need a modchip.

Can I Install a Modchip Myself?

In most cases, no. V1 and V2 consoles use a chip that is easier to install than the one for the Lite or OLED, but even those have very small, delicate components. Botched-install photos show up in modding communities every day. The tools and supplies alone tend to cost about the same as having a professional do the job. If you just want a hacked Switch to save money on games, get it modded by a qualified installer or buy an unpatched V1. If you want to get into the hobby of soldering, do thorough research first, practice on broken electronics, and go in knowing you might damage your Switch.

Tips

  • Your serial number is on the white sticker on the bottom of the console. You can also find it in System Settings, under System, then Serial Information.
  • A serial in the unpatched range is a strong signal, but always confirm with the RCM test before you buy a console or rely on it being moddable without a chip.
  • Buying used? Ask the seller for the full serial number and run it through the checker before you pay.
  • A patched console is not a dead end. A modchip opens up the exact same custom firmware features as an unpatched unit.

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