When one thinks of native hacks, a piece of homebrew that usually comes to mind is some sort of file manger. Now, the Nintendo Switch has acquired its own file manager called NX-Shell by Joel16.
What is NX-Shell?
As its name suggests, NX-Shell is a file manager for hacked Nintendo Switch consoles which lets you locally access the SD card. This file manager is based on 3DShell, a popular and mature file manager for hacked Nintendo 2/3DS consoles by the same author. Currently, NX-Shell is in early stages and has the following features:
- Moving, deleting and copying around files and folders
- Displaying file sizes
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NX-Shell has a pretty clean UI that will work even better if/when touchscreen support is implemented!
- Viewing PNG/JPG images that are within the Switch’s screen resolution
- A pleasant material theme reminiscent of CyanogenMod/LineageOS 12+
- Confirmed compatibility with FW 4.1.0 and 5.0.2
It must be noted that this file manager is still in early stages, as noted by the developer himself. While it does have some basic functionality, it currently can’t create new folders or rename anything as there isn’t a way to display a native onscreen keyboard with libnx just yet.
Furthermore, the touch screen doesn’t work as an input method so you must use the D-Pad or analogue sticks for navigation.
What is planned for the future?
As this file manager is still in beta stage, Joel16 plans to give it further support and will eventually add in the following:
- Support for renaming files and creating new folders
- FTP server feature. There already is a port of ftpd if you don’t want to take the SD card out of your Switch every time you wish to copy something over. Obviously, having it integrated into this file manager would be quite nice!
- A music player
- Dark theme toggle
- Multi-select for files and folders
Currently, NX-Shell is a bit barebones but Joel16 will surely add more features to it.
With the addition of these features, NX-Shell will become a fully fledged file manager comparable to VitaShell. It is important to keep in mind that libnx needs to mature a bit before Joel16 will be able to add the above features, without a lot of extra work to get around its limitations.
Conclusion
To get this on your hacked Switch console, simply follow the link below and install the NRO file. If you find any bugs, simply report them to the Issues Tab on GitHub.
GitHub release link (download link + more info + donation link): https://github.com/joel16/NX-Shell/releases/latest
GBATemp release thread (Further information): https://gbatemp.net/threads/nx-shell-multipurpose-file-manager-for-nintendo-switch.505332/
N.B: Please note that I could not test the software mentioned in this article as I currently do not own a Switch. The best efforts have been made to report accurate information through online research! – Aurora.
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