Nintendo Switch Guide
Your Nintendo Switch Guide
Everything you need to boot your console, install games and themes, and get the most out of the custom firmware — handcrafted and set up personally by Lewis.
Turned it on and it's empty? That's exactly right.
If you've just unboxed your Switch and there are no games and no custom theme on it — nothing has gone wrong. This is completely intentional, and your console is working perfectly.
Every ModxGaming Switch is personally modded by Lewis with custom firmware, which turns your console into something you fully control. Rather than pre-loading a random selection of games, each console is set up so you can install exactly what you want, free, over Wi-Fi — think of it like a brand-new phone: the store is ready and waiting, you just pick what to download.
Booting into Hekate with your RCM jig
Hekate is the boot menu for your custom firmware — it's the launchpad you use to start your modded Switch. To open it you put the console into a special mode called RCM using the jig from your box, then send it the Hekate file from a computer. You only need to do this from a PC once to get in; after that it's the same quick routine any time.
🧰 What you'll need
• The RCM jig included in your box • A Windows PC • A USB-C data cable (the kind that transfers data, not a charge-only cable) • Two free files: TegraRcmGUI and the Hekate payload — both linked below.
⚙️ One-time PC setup
Install TegraRcmGUI, then open it and go to the Settings tab and click Install Driver. This lets Windows recognise your Switch when it's in RCM. You only ever do this once.
Then unzip the Hekate download and keep the hekate_ctcaer.bin file somewhere easy to find, like your Desktop.
Step-by-step
Fully power off your Switch
Hold the Power button for about 3 seconds, choose Power Options → Turn Off, and make sure it's fully off — not just asleep.
Insert the RCM jig
Slide the right Joy-Con off the console, then push the RCM jig fully into the right-hand rail where the Joy-Con was.
Enter RCM mode
Hold Volume Up and, while holding it, press Power once. The screen will stay black — that's correct. A black screen means you're in RCM and ready.
Connect to your PC
Plug the Switch into your computer with a USB-C data cable. In TegraRcmGUI the status box at the bottom should turn green and say “RCM OK”.
Load the Hekate file
In TegraRcmGUI open the Payload tab, click the folder icon, and select your hekate_ctcaer .bin file.
Inject Hekate
Click Inject payload. Your Switch screen will instantly light up into the Hekate menu. You can now unplug it and remove the jig — Hekate stays running.
Launching your custom firmware from Hekate
Once you're in the Hekate menu, you're one tap away from your modded home screen.
Open the launch list
In Hekate, tap Launch (or More Configs) from the main menu.
Pick your custom firmware
Select the CFW option (it may be labelled “CFW (emuMMC)” or Atmosphère). Tap it once.
You're in
Your Switch boots to the normal home screen — but now with all your custom firmware and apps ready to use.
Downloading games — Cyberfoil
On your home screen you'll find Cyberfoil — this is your game shop. Think of it like the App Store, but for Switch games, and everything downloads free over your Wi-Fi.
Connect to Wi-Fi
Make sure your Switch is connected to your home Wi-Fi (System Settings → Internet).
Open Cyberfoil
Launch Cyberfoil from your home screen. The first time it opens it will load its list of games — give it a moment to fetch everything.
Find your game
Browse the list or use the search option to type a game's name. Highlight the one you want.
Install it
Select the game and confirm to start the download. It installs straight to your console — larger games take a little longer depending on your Wi-Fi speed.
Play
When it's finished, press Home. Your new game appears as an icon on the home screen, ready to launch.
Prefer to install games from a computer instead? Your console also includes DBI, Goldleaf and TinWoo for installing game files over USB or from your SD card — see Your preinstalled apps below.
↓ Change how your Switch looksCustom themes — NXThemes Installer
Your console comes with NXThemes Installer, which lets you completely change the look of your home menu — backgrounds, colours and more — with community themes.
Get a theme file
Custom themes come as .nxtheme files. You can download them from theme sites (like Themezer) onto your SD card, or browse from within apps that support it.
Open NXThemes Installer
Launch it from the homebrew menu (see the next section on opening that). It will scan for the themes on your SD card.
Pick & install
Choose the theme you want and confirm to install it. You can also reset back to the default look at any time from the same app.
See your new look
Return to the home screen and your new theme is applied. Some themes ask you to reboot to take effect.
Opening the homebrew menu (title override)
Most of your tools — DBI, Goldleaf, JKSV, NX-Shell, NXThemes Installer, ftpd — live inside the Homebrew Menu. You open it with a simple trick called a title override: hold a button as you open a game.
Hold R
On your home screen, hold down the R shoulder button.
Open a game or the Album
While still holding R, tap any game icon — or the Album (the round photo icon). Keep holding R as it opens.
The Homebrew Menu appears
Instead of the game, the Homebrew Menu loads — a list of all your homebrew apps. Pick any one to launch it.
Your preinstalled apps explained
Lewis has set your console up with a full toolkit. You won't need most of these day-to-day, but here's exactly what each one is for. Tap any app to expand it.
🛒Cyberfoil Everyday›
💠DBI Advanced›
🍃Goldleaf Advanced›
📦TinWoo Installer Advanced›
📥ES Installer Advanced›
💾JKSV Handy›
🗂️NX-Shell Advanced›
🎨NXThemes Installer Handy›
📡ftpd (classic) Advanced›
🧰Ultrahand Advanced›
⚡sys-clk Manager Advanced›
🔗Linkalho Advanced›
Overlays & the Tesla menu
The Tesla menu is a quick on-screen overlay you can pop up at any time — even inside a game — to run little tools like Ultrahand and sys-clk. This is the "mod menu" people often mean when they talk about overlays.
🎛️ How to open the Tesla menu
Hold these three together: L + D-Pad Down + Right Stick (press it in). The overlay slides in from the side. Use the D-pad to move around, A to select, and B to back out and close it.
Video tutorials
Like to follow along on screen? These walk through the same steps. Start with the ModxGaming channel for videos from Lewis himself.
Still stuck? Lewis is happy to help.
Every ModxGaming console is set up personally by Lewis, and every order is backed by real, personal support. If anything doesn't look right or you get stuck at any step, get in touch and he'll help you directly.