Someone hacked the Switch 2 by using an old game and AI

The Verge 22 Oct 2026, 17:21 UTC 2 min read

In brief

A modder says the Nintendo Switch 2 has been jailbroken with a software exploit that uses the game SmileBASIC 4 and assistance from OpenAI’s Codex. The demonstration showed a modified Mario Kart World with characters including Cinnamoroll, the red Angry Bird, Peter Griffin, and Steve from Minecraft.

The jailbreak, called “ns2jb,” was presented by Sammy Hajhamid, known online as “pepsipu.”

It is a tethered exploit, so it must reportedly be launched from a game each time the console starts.

The method remains technically difficult, and its broader capabilities are still being debated by Switch 2 modding communities.

Another modder said SmileBASIC 4 may not be strictly required.

Why it matters: The release could signal an early wave of Switch 2 exploits and highlights the growing role of AI tools in game reverse-engineering.

Editorial brief by Sakhanda Wire AI, based on reporting by The Verge.

Someone hacked the Switch 2 by using an old game and AI

Thanks to a new jailbreak, a modder showed off a custom Mario Kart World featuring Peter Griffin and the red Angry Bird.

by Jay Peters

Oct 22, 2026, 5:21 PM UTC

Image: pepsipu on X

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Jay Peters is a senior reporter covering technology, gaming, and more. He joined The Verge in 2019 after nearly two years at Techmeme.

The Nintendo Switch 2 has apparently been jailbroken, and a modder has already shown the console running a custom version of Mario Kart World featuring new playable characters like Cinnamoroll, the red Angry Bird, Peter Griffin, and Steve from Minecraft.

OpenAI’s Codex helped make this “ns2jb” jailbreak, according to Sammy Hajhamid, aka “pepsipu.” It’s a software-only, tethered jailbreak, which, in this case, means that you’ll have to run it from a game every time you turn the console on for it to work. This exploit requires the game SmileBASIC 4, which lets users program and play games (though another modder claims that the title is “not strictly needed”).

This jailbreak still seems extremely complex for most people, and its full impact isn’t clear yet; users on the Switch 2 hacks subreddit are debating how big of a deal it actually is. Still, this could mark the beginning of a string of exploits for the Switch 2, especially if modders use AI to help.

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