Dumping Decryption Keys from a Switch Console

How to Dump Keys

In order to play games in XCI or NCA format, you must have the required keys to decrypt them.

Process

Guide on how to obtain the decryptions keys.

  • Requirements: A hackable Nintendo Switch (you can check whether your Nintendo Switch is hackable or not here.)

  • A Micro SD card of at least 1 Gigabyte in capacity.

  • A Micro SD card reader.

  • Lockpick: Is included by default in Kosmos CFW if you don’t use that you can download it here.

  • The necessary tools (i.e a jig, paperclip, etc.) required to be able to boot into RCM and navigate around the Hekate menu.

  • TegraRCMGUI or TegraRCMSmash.

You can skip to Step 3 if you already have CFW set-up.

  • Step 1: Turn off your Nintendo Switch and plug your Micro SD card into your computer.
  • Step 2: Download the latest Kosmos CFW (If you already have that or use a different CFW software download the latest Lockpick. and extract than in your “/switch/” folder) and extract the zip in the root of your Micro SD card.
  • Step 3: Put your SD card back in your Nintendo Switch, boot into RCM mode and inject the latest Hekate payload * using your preferred payload injector.
  • Step 4a: Using the touchscreen go to Console info.
  • Step 4b: Select Fuses (not kfuse!) and press the Dump fuses button to save fuses to your Micro SD card.
  • Step 4c: Return back to Console info and select TSEC Keys and press the Dump Keys button to save TSEC keys to your Micro SD card.

If you are on firmware 7.x and above you’ll need to run the Lockpick_RCM payload instead.

For those above 7.x

  • Step 5: Go back to the hekate menu and go to Payloads and then pick Lockpick_RCM.bin.
  • Step 6: After it’s done running go to Step 7

For the title.keys (and prod.keys for those under 7.x)

  • Step 7: Boot into your CFW of choice, and open the Homebrew Menu (Album application) while pressing the R button on your joy-con.
  • Step 8: Navigate the menu and run Lockpick.
  • Step 9: Once it says it’s done turn you Nintendo Switch off and plug your Micro SD card into your computer.
  • Step 10: Locate to the /switch/ folder on your Micro SD card where you’ll find two .keys files; prod.keys and title.keys, copy these and paste them into the &appdata&/yuzu/keys/ folder.

And you’re done! Congratulations! You’ve just dumped your decryption and title keys!

Place it in:

C:/Users/yourusername/AppData/Roaming/yuzu/keys (for Windows)

~/.local/share/yuzu-emu/keys (for macOS and Linux)

Diagram showing the correct location of the decryption keys in yuzu’s User Directory.
"User Directory"
└── config
└── keys
    └─── prod.keys
    └─── title.keys
└── log
└── nand
└── sdmc
└── sysdata

Please seek support in the official yuzu discord server if you have any further issues. If you have suggestions for this guide please contact me on discord @MysticExile#1552

Credits:

  • CTCaer for maintaining Hekate
  • Rajkosto for creating and maintaining TegraRCMSmash
  • AtlasNX for creating and maintaining Kosmos CFW
  • shchmue for creating and maintaining Lockpick

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