How to Add Games to Kenji-NX: Dump Your Own Cartridges

Kenji-NX doesn’t come with games, and neither does this site — and that’s by design. The legal way to get games into any Switch emulator is to dump them from cartridges and consoles you own. This guide explains the legitimate path, how to point Kenji-NX at your game folder, and how the built-in DLC/update handling works. We do not provide ROM downloads, and neither should any site you trust.

The Only Legitimate Source: Your Own Switch and Cartridges

To get playable game files you need:

1. A Nintendo Switch you own that can run homebrew (an unpatched early model or a modded console).
2. The game cartridge or digital copy you purchased, dumped with a homebrew dumping tool on that console.
3. Your console’s keys and firmware, dumped with Lockpick_RCM — see our firmware & keys guide.

Downloading game files (ROMs), keys, or firmware from the internet is piracy even if you own the game on paper — ownership of a cartridge doesn’t grant a download right from pirate sites. Nintendo has sued over exactly this pipeline before, so keep your setup clean.

Setting Up Your Game Folder

1. Create a folder on your phone (or SD card) for your dumped games, e.g. Switch/Games.
2. Copy your dumped game files into it. Kenji-NX reads the standard Switch formats (XCI cartridge dumps, NSP digital dumps).
3. In Kenji-NX, open Settings → Game Directories and add the folder. Your games will appear in the library.
4. If a game doesn’t appear, double-check that your prod.keys are installed — undecryptable files are silently skipped.

DLC and Updates: Automatic Loading

Since 2.1.0-pr.1, Kenji-NX can automatically load title updates and DLC from a selected folder — point it at the folder once and updates apply themselves. Dump update/DLC files from your own console the same way you dump base games, drop them in, and the emulator handles the rest. This is a big quality-of-life improvement over manually managing update files per game.

Storage: Games Are Big

Switch games commonly run from a few GB to 30GB+. A 128GB phone fills up fast once you add DLC and updates, which is why most serious players run a large microSD card — see our microSD guide for what to buy. Keep your saves backed up too: Kenji-NX includes a save manager with .zip import/export (added in 2.1.0-pr.1), so exporting before an update or phone swap takes seconds.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I download Kenji-NX ROMs?

Nowhere legitimate. This site does not host or link to ROM downloads. Dump games from cartridges you own using a homebrew-capable Switch.

What file formats does Kenji-NX support?

XCI (cartridge dumps) and NSP (digital dumps), plus their update/DLC counterparts, dumped from your own console.

Do I need keys to add games?

Yes — without your console’s prod.keys, dumped files can’t be decrypted and won’t show up in the library.

How do updates and DLC work?

Dump them from your own console, put them in the folder you selected for auto-loading (2.1.0-pr.1+), and Kenji-NX applies them automatically.