Switch 2 jailbreak ns2jb goes public: AI-assisted exploit, Nintendo pulls SmileBASIC 4

On October 22, 2026 (US time), Caltech student and security researcher Sammy Hajhamid, known online as pepsipu, released ns2jb. It is the first public software-only jailbreak for the Nintendo Switch 2, it targets system version 23.0.1, and it was built with heavy help from OpenAI's Codex. It is also limited: it disappears after a reboot, has no kernel access and can't run custom firmware. Nintendo pulled the entry point, SmileBASIC 4, from the eShop the same day. As of November 3, 2026, Nintendo still hasn't shipped a system update that patches it: the Switch 2 is still on 23.0.x, and the rumored November 2 update never arrived. pepsipu's WebKit version is reportedly on hold, and a week after the jailbreak, unofficial Eden forks that boot Switch 2 games on PC have appeared.

What ns2jb is

• The entry point is an original Switch app. SmileBASIC 4, a programming tool for the first Switch, runs on Switch 2 through backward compatibility.
• It stops at a system service. According to Ars Technica and GBAtemp, the chain first gets memory access inside the app, then uses a bug in the file system service (fs) to escape the app sandbox and run code as that system module. It never touches the kernel.
• It's tethered. Every time the console restarts, it has to be triggered again from a Mac or Linux computer on the same network.
• In his demo, pepsipu swapped Cinnamoroll, Peter Griffin and Hatsune Miku into Mario Kart World, which shows it can already modify game data.

What the AI did

Ars Technica reports that pepsipu ran several Codex instances for about two weeks, together with remote-control hardware and a rig that rebooted the console after every crash. GBAtemp quotes security researcher hexkyz: the genuinely new and useful AI contribution was the memory-layout code that made the exploit trigger reliably. It fits a wider 2026 trend. Jailbreaks, game ports and emulator work are all leaning on AI now.

How Nintendo responded

• SmileBASIC 4 vanished within hours. GBAtemp's timeline has it leaving the European and UK eShop around 14:22 GMT, the US store around 17:00, and Japan shortly after. The listing was removed from the eShop database entirely. Existing owners can still redownload it.
• Still no patch, and the Nov 2 rumor fizzled. On October 31, a YouTuber posted on X that he'd "heard" Nintendo would release an update on Monday morning Japan time, which would be November 2. That day came and went. As of November 3, Nintendo's official Switch 2 update history still tops out at 23.0.x, with no 23.1 or 24.0.
• Demo videos reportedly taken down. VideoCardz wrote on October 30 that the Switch 2 demo videos embedded in its October 28 story (Mario Kart World on Mac and iPhone, Splatoon Raiders and others) had all been removed from X. It said Nintendo is reportedly sending copyright takedowns for Switch 2 content, but it couldn't confirm why each video was removed. NoobFeed reported on October 28 that Nintendo was allegedly issuing DMCA notices, though the number and scope couldn't be independently confirmed.
• Code repos untouched so far. GitHub's public DMCA archive, updated through November 2, lists only three Nintendo notices for October (two on October 1, one on October 23) and none yet for November. The archive is published with a delay. As of November 3, Eglantine and the other Switch 2 emulator forks' repos are still up.
• Nintendo hasn't made a public statement. The original SmileBASIC on 3DS was also pulled for a while over a similar exploit.

The WebKit version: from "ported" to "on hold"

On October 28, Notebookcheck relayed Discord messages saying pepsipu had ported the entry point to the Switch 2's built-in WebKit browser engine. It reportedly worked on 23.0.1, no longer needed SmileBASIC 4, and he was looking for testers.

On October 29, a Brazilian creator posted screenshots of three Discord messages from pepsipu on X, saying he can't release the WebKit version until further notice, can't share any details, and hopes to release what he has in some form in the future. This is only a screenshot, and no outlet has verified it. pepsipu hasn't said anything on X; his last original post was on October 25. The reason is unknown, and social media claims that he received a legal letter from Nintendo or was sued have no evidence behind them.

On October 31, another researcher, James Mykil, posted a video saying he used a free eShop game to open the system's built-in web component and ran his own code on 23.0.1. By his own account, it can only read and write the web component's local storage, which is wiped when the component closes; it doesn't reach the file system, and he hasn't released anything. It's separate from pepsipu's WebKit work, and it's also just his own claim.

As of November 1, the only public version is still ns2jb through SmileBASIC 4.

Timeline

After the jailbreak: Switch 2 emulator forks

ns2jb lets developers read game and system files from their own Switch 2 and study its system software and graphics API. From October 29, several unofficial Eden forks published builds: eden-nx2 came first and Eglantine moved fastest, with XDA saying on October 31 that it runs Mario Kart World surprisingly well. None of them come from the Eden team, and Eden's own Switch 2 code is still an unmerged draft. The full story is in the first emulators that run Switch 2 games, and each fork is covered on our Eden Switch 2 forks page.

There's also a second route, native porting. Since October 31, nxnative has been adding Switch 2 support. It turns games into native Mac programs instead of emulating them, and it's only officially tested on Mac. See nxnative adds Switch 2 support.

Common misconceptions (as of Nov 3, 2026)

What this means for players

For regular players, ns2jb is a researcher's tool, not something to play with. Nintendo's 2025 user agreement update reserves the right to make a violating device "permanently unusable in whole or in part", so trying it yourself carries real risk. Its effect on emulation is already visible: within a week, experimental forks that boot Switch 2 games on PC appeared, though compatibility and stability are far from good and they could be hit by DMCA notices at any time. Follow the state of things in our Switch 2 emulation guide, read fake Switch 2 emulator scams and how to spot fake emulator sites before you click any "Switch 2 emulator download", and see are Switch emulators legal for the legal side. If you want to play original Switch games on PC or a phone, start with the best Switch emulator in 2026.