Support for HOS 23.0.0
hekate v6.5.4, released on September 28, 2026, adds support for HOS 23.0.0, the Nintendo Switch operating system version identified in the release notes. The same support is included in Nyx v1.9.4, hekate’s graphical interface, and the emuMMC implementation used for a separate system environment on the console’s storage.
This is the only version-specific change listed for the release, but it covers the main components users rely on when starting Switch software. The project states that the build supports booting current custom firmware, Android, Linux and payload tools. Those are documented project capabilities rather than a compatibility guarantee for every individual setup.
What hekate and Nyx provide
hekate is a graphical Nintendo Switch bootloader and toolkit. Its Launch menu can be configured for custom firmware, official firmware and stock-system entries, while its payload launcher can start other boot software and tools. The README also lists Android and Linux booting, eMMC and emuMMC backup and restore, SD card partition management, USB Mass Storage and hardware-information screens among its features.
Nyx supplies the touchscreen- and Joy-Con-friendly interface for these functions. It supports configurable backgrounds, themes and launch entries, and stores its settings in the bootloader folder. Boot entries can be managed through Nyx or through the hekate_ipl.ini configuration file, allowing users to select launch targets, payloads, emuMMC behavior and other documented options.
The release’s emuMMC update is important for users who maintain a separate system environment rather than booting only from the console’s system storage. The notes state that emuMMC support for HOS 23.0.0 is based on the project’s existing emuMMC implementation. No additional emuMMC feature or migration change is listed for this version.
Partition Manager and SD card use
The release documentation also clarifies what Nyx’s Partition Manager can handle. For L4T Linux, it lists the official Ubuntu Bionic 3.4.0 release and newer versions, as well as other supported distributions. For Android, it lists Android 11 as a legacy option and Android 13 or 14, using the dynamic layout, or newer versions.
Partition Manager is not limited to preparing storage for Linux or Android. It can reformat an SD card as a single FAT32 partition, including when converting a card from exFAT to FAT32. The project recommends formatting through hekate because its process prepares the card for performance, while some general partitioning tools may not do so.
These functions concern the SD card used by the Switch and the operating environments that hekate can launch. They do not mean that Android or Linux is included with hekate; the bootloader provides the relevant launching and storage-management functions, while the operating-system files come from their respective distributions.
USB Mass Storage note for Windows
hekate includes USB Mass Storage support that can expose the Switch’s SD card, eMMC or emuMMC as storage to a host computer. The release notes include a Windows registry file named nyx_usb_max_rate__run_only_once_per_windows_pc.reg for maximum UMS performance on Windows.
That file is intended to be run once on each Windows PC and affects hekate’s USB device. Linux and macOS users do not need it. The notes also state that the file can be opened in a text editor so its changes can be inspected before use.
Updating an existing installation
The documented update method is to copy the release’s bootloader folder to the root of the Switch SD card and choose merge or replace when prompted. The existing bootloader folder does not need to be deleted first. Keeping it in place is particularly relevant for preserving user configurations and payloads.
The supplied package includes hekate_ctcaer_6.5.4.bin, the combined hekate_ctcaer_6.5.4_Nyx_1.9.4.zip package, a hekate_ctcaer_6.5.4__ram8GB.bin variant, joiner scripts for Windows, Linux and macOS, and the optional Windows UMS registry file. The release notes say users may update an RCM injection device or PC with the new hekate_ctcaer binary, but this is optional when the existing setup checks bootloader/update.bin and finds a newer version.
The update process copies bootloader/update.bin with the bootloader folder. The notes identify update.bin as hekate and state that it is checked at boot and loaded when it is newer. This allows the bootloader folder update to provide the new hekate binary without requiring users to remove the folder or manually recreate their existing configuration.
Configuration remains in the bootloader folder
The README identifies bootloader/hekate_ipl.ini as the main configuration file for boot entries and bootloader/nyx.ini as Nyx’s graphical-interface configuration. The folder can also contain payloads, custom resources, screenshots and system modules. Existing configurations and payloads are therefore part of the files users should preserve during the documented merge-and-replace update.
hekate supports automatic boot selection, configurable boot delays, custom boot logos, payload paths and emuMMC selection. Nyx settings include themes, launch-menu layout, home-screen selection, backup and restore verification modes, and USB-related behavior. These are project features documented in the README, not changes specifically introduced by v6.5.4.
