How to Dump Prod Keys From Your Own Switch

This page exists because “download prod keys” is only half the story. The other half is where the " "file comes from, and the answer is always a console. If you want the quick route instead, the " "homepage download table has current dumps; if you want keys that match your own " "firmware generation exactly, read on.

What you need before you start

• A Nintendo Switch you own. The whole method depends on the console’s own key material.
• A way to enter payload mode — an RCM jig on unpatched units, or your console’s normal payload method.
• An SD card with free space and a way to read it on a computer.
• Lockpick_RCM, built for your console generation.

Nothing here requires installing an emulator first, and nothing here modifies your game library.

Dumping prod.keys with Lockpick_RCM, step by step

1. Power the console off completely, then enter payload mode using your usual method.
2. Push Lockpick_RCM as the payload and wait for it to boot into its own menu.
3. Choose the option to dump console keys. The tool derives the full key set from the console's hardware keys.
4. Let it finish. It writes prod.keys and title.keys to the SD card, usually under a switch/ folder.
5. Power down, move the SD card to a computer, and copy both files somewhere safe on that machine.
6. Copy prod.keys into your emulator's keys folder — the paths are in the install guide.

Where do the dumped files end up?

Lockpick_RCM writes to the SD card rather than to console storage, so nothing is lost when you power down. " "Both files are plain text and can be copied, backed up and inspected in any editor. Keep them: a dump taken " "now still covers every generation up to your current firmware, and re-dumping later takes the same two " "minutes.

Why dump instead of downloading?

• Generation match. A file dumped on your own console matches your own firmware exactly — no guessing which version to pick, which is the whole subject of the version guide.
• Known origin. You know what produced the file and that it was not edited or truncated.
• Completeness. Hand-edited and partial dumps are the usual cause of “some games work, others don’t”.
• It also produces title.keys, which a handful of digital releases still want — see prod keys vs title keys.

Common problems

• The payload will not boot — check the jig or payload loader first; this is a console-side issue rather than a keys issue.
• The dump finishes but the file looks empty — check the SD card location, not the console storage.
• Emulator still reports no keys after copying — the filename is almost always wrong. It must be exactly prod.keys.
• One new game still fails — the game was encrypted with a generation newer than the console’s current firmware. Update the console firmware, re-dump, or take the newest file from the download table.

Prefer to just grab a file?

That is a legitimate shortcut if you understand the trade-off. Take the newest version from the " "download table, then follow the install " "guide and pair it with firmware where games need system libraries.

See also our disclaimer for how we describe the legal boundaries here.