Help:Dumping games

In order to get a copy of the content files and executable, you will need to dump Breath of the Wild from a console. This article provides instructions for Wii U and Switch users.

Wii U

Dump the game files from the console to your computer using ddd. If any add-on-content (aoc) is installed, that will be dumped at the same time.

Switch

The general process is:

1. Dump the base version NCA of the game.
2. Dump the update NCA.
3. Extract the romfs to get a copy of the content files.

Warning: Running homebrew on the Switch can get you banned from Nintendo online services if you aren't careful. If you do not want to leave any traces, turn on airplane mode, back up your NAND before running any homebrew and do not ever go online before you have restored the backup.

Prerequisites

• hactool
• nxdumptool
• Keys (see below)
  1. Run LockpickRCM on your console in order to dump keys that are required to decrypt contents (or get a copy of the keys manually).
  2. Copy the keys file from your SD to $HOME/.switch/prod.keys.

In the instructions below, every time you are dumping a NSP, turn on the "Remove console specific data" and "Generate ticket-less dump" options (to make extraction easier).

Dumping the base NCA

Because of how updates work on Switch, the base NCA must be dumped even if you're only interested in 1.6.0.

• On your Switch, open nxdumptool.
• If you have the game card: Select "Dump gamecard content".
• If you have the eShop version: Select "Dump SD card / eMMC content". Select BotW.
• Select "NSP dump". If asked to, select "Dump base application NSP".
• Copy the NSP to a computer, then extract it by running the command hactool -t pfs0 [path to the NSP] --outdir [folder where to place the NCAs] ^[help]. The main NCA will be found in the folder you've told hactool to extract the files to, called efecb2d6befccddc928e44416dbdee38.nca.

Dumping the update

• On your Switch, open nxdumptool again.
• If you have a <1.6.0 game card:
  • Select "Dump SD card / eMMC content".
  • Press Y to "dump installed content with missing base application".
  • Select 01007EF00011E800 (this is the BotW update title).
  • Select "Start NSP dump process".
• If you have a 1.6.0 game card:
  • Select "Dump gamecard content".
  • Select "NSP dump", then select "Dump installed update NSP".
• If you have the eShop version:
  • Select "Dump SD card / eMMC content". Select BotW.
  • Select "NSP dump", then select "Dump installed update NSP".
• Copy the NSP to a computer, then extract it by running the command hactool -t pfs0 [path to the NSP] --outdir [folder where to place the NCAs] ^[help]. You now have the update NCA (see Versions for NCA hashes).

Extracting the romfs

Now that you have the base NCA and the update NCA, you can extract the romfs (which contains all content files) by running the command ^[help]:

hactool -x -t nca path/to/update.nca  --basenca path/to/base.nca --romfsdir where/to/extract/the/romfs

To extract the exefs (which contains the executable and SDK libraries):

hactool -x -t nca path/to/update.nca  --basenca path/to/base.nca --exefsdir where/to/extract/the/exefs

Dumping the DLC

The Add-on content can be dumped by following the same procedure.

• If you have a game card:
  • Select "Dump SD card / eMMC content".
  • Press Y to "dump installed content with missing base application".
  • Select 01007EF00011F001 (this is the main BotW DLC title).
  • Select "NSP dump".
• If you have the eShop version:
  • Select "Dump SD card / eMMC content". Select BotW.
  • Select "Dump installed DLC NSP".
• Copy the NSP to a computer, then extract it by running the command hactool -t pfs0 [path to the NSP] --outdir [folder where to place the NCAs] ^[help]. You now have the DLC NCA.
• Extract the exefs and the romfs by following the instructions in the previous section.