Bin To — Nsp
: The standard digital installer format used by the Nintendo eShop. It is the preferred format for installing games, updates, and DLC onto a modded console's home menu. Common "Bin to NSP" Scenarios 1. Converting emuMMC/NAND Dumps to NSP
: Launch SAK and select the option to create NRO forwarders as installable NSP files.
The tool will process the file, and a notification will pop up once it’s finished. Your new .nsp file will appear in the SAK application folder. 4. Installation
Because everything on the Switch is encrypted, you need your console’s unique keys to decrypt the BIN and then re-encrypt it into an NSP. Tools like hactool or hactoolnet require a prod.keys file dumped from your own Switch via .
: Drag and drop your BIN file onto the 4nxci.exe . It will automatically generate an NSP file in the same directory. bin to nsp
An NSP file stands for . It is the digital equivalent of an official eShop download package. It acts as a standardized archive container that bundles together:
If your goal is to create a "forwarder" for a .nro (homebrew) file to appear on your Switch home screen, you typically use tools like the NSP Forwarder Generator [10] or nro2nsp [2].
NSP files install directly to your Switch home menu, allowing you to launch the game instantly without loading an external menu.
: Check that your NSP file contains all necessary components. : The standard digital installer format used by
Once you have your keyset, you will need to place it in the correct location for your chosen tool. This is typically in the root folder of the application or in a specific \bin\ directory. Always refer to the tool's documentation, but a common requirement is to rename your keys file to keys.dat or keys.txt and place it alongside the conversion tool's executable file.
Build/sign the NSP
If you have multiple files (base game + DLC + updates), you can use SAK's "NSP Merge" feature to combine them into one tidy package.
Typical workflows (high-level)
Understanding the structural differences between these two file types is essential before starting any file modification or package conversion.
Converting is a core process required by the Nintendo Switch homebrew and emulation communities to transform raw binary data, cryptographic keys, or homebrew applications into installable Nintendo Submission Packages (NSP) . NSP files act as digital game packages natively recognized by Custom Firmware (CFW) ecosystems like Atmosphère and popular emulation layers.
is the standard format for a direct 1:1 copy of a physical Nintendo Switch game cartridge. This format mirrors the exact contents and structure of the card. XCI files are convenient for use with certain emulators or specific custom firmware setups as they can emulate a game cartridge directly from an SD card. In the context of the Switch, a .BIN file is typically just a differently named XCI file. It is a raw, sector-by-sector data dump of the cartridge. For conversion purposes, you can, and should, treat these BIN files identically to an XCI file. In fact, many users have successfully converted their BIN files by simply renaming the .BIN extension to .XCI .