Nintendo Switch 2 reportedly blocks SmileBASIC 4 and Civilization VII on firmware 23.0.1

Reports from the Nintendo Switch 2 hacking community indicate that Nintendo is blocking SmileBASIC 4 and Civilization VII from launching on firmware 23.0.1. Instead of launching the games, consoles running that version reportedly display a mandatory update notification for firmware 23.5.0.

SmileBasic 4 · official art via IGDB

Hackers used these two games as entry points for a software-based jailbreak discovered in late October 2026. Nintendo released firmware 23.5.0 on November 9 to patch the operating system vulnerability that made that jailbreak possible.

According to reports from OatmealDome and Coxxs on X, the restriction appears to target consoles connected to the internet. Keeping a console offline may allow these games to continue launching on older firmware. The exact method Nintendo is using to enforce this block is not confirmed, though possibilities include a rebootless update or BCAT.

Community members have noted that the update prompt cannot be cleared through the console's Maintenance Mode. While firmware 23.5.0 patches the known exploits, reports suggest the update did not change the console's production encryption keys.