A new update has been released for uLaunch , the custom, open-source reimplementation of qlaunch (the Switch console’s HOME menu) by developer XorTroll .

[Scene Switch] uLaunch v1.1.0 released - Chép Game Uy Tín tại ChepGame.net

uLaunch is a project that aims to replace the Switch console’s HOME menu with a customized, homebrew-oriented one.

https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=Checcolin80&dnt=true&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1901378494388470130&lang=it&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.biteyourconsole.net%2F2025%2F03%2F17%2Fscena-switch-rilasciato-ulaunch-v1-1-0%2F&sessionId=e51a7fd0423b9918e5461861ee328d2130b64e19&siteScreenName=BiteYourConsole&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px

This new version, in addition to introducing support for Atmosphère v1.8.0 (up to firmware 19.0.1), also adds a more accurate game detection feature , which now better handles corrupted games and titles on game cards, displaying them correctly.

However, there is one minor issue: some games are mistakenly marked as “needs update” with the wrong icon, but this does not prevent them from launching.

Additionally, lockscreen support has been added , which can be enabled or disabled within the settings.

Among other improvements, folder names now appear above folder icons, just like in previous versions of uLaunch.

New checks have also been introduced for games that cannot be launched, correctly recognizing and displaying such titles, and improving the process of detecting corrupted games . Additionally, the delay time after adding a homebrew or after a crash has been reduced.

Settings have also been reorganized and now include new options, including console language, system region, update status, console sleep time, and other options related to power management and the uLaunch-specific screen lock.

Theme customization options have been expanded, with the introduction of new icon sets for various game conditions, such as corrupted , game card , update required , and unbootable .

Finally, the documentation and the uDesigner tool will be updated to support these changes in themes, allowing for more complete customization of the interface.

Characteristics

Custom features

User login system (login once, use that user for everything).
Grid-based main menu, heavily inspired by the 3DS menu (and partially by the DSi/Wii menus), is easier than ever to navigate and customize.
- The grid can be resized like in the 3DS menus.
- The entries can be moved as desired.
Folders, subfolders…
Homebrew launchable directly from the main menu as an applet or application (using applications as donors).
Extensive support for theme customization.
- Wallpapers, icons, etc.
- BGM and lots of sound effects.
Easily accessible web browser directly from the main menu.
Mii Editor easily accessible directly from the main menu.
Support for PC screen capture via USB.
Display system version + Atmosphère version + EmuMMC presence independently and more clearly.
Better viewing when game card fails to mount.
1080p resolution.

Basic features implemented

List of implemented official HOME menu functions:

Starting, suspending and closing applications.
Starting and closing applets.
User page.
Controller support.
Settings (only a few have been implemented so far):
- Console version.
- Atmosphère version.
- Presence of EmuMMC.
- Console nickname.
- Console time zone.
- WiFi connection name/WiFi settings.
- Console language.
- Console information upload (enable/disable).
- Bluetooth (enable/disable).
- NFC (enable/disable).
- Automatic application download (enable/disable).
- Automatic console update (enable/disable).
- Wireless LAN (enable/disable).
- Console serial number.
- Show IP/MAC address of the console.
General messages for channels/applets (some are not implemented yet):
- HOME button detection.
- Shutdown, sleep, restart.
- Removing the SD card.
- Failure to mount game card.

Basic features not implemented

List of unimplemented features of the official HOME menu:

Planned to be implemented

Automatically suspend after a certain period of time.
Several settings not implemented.
Various general messages for unimplemented channels/applets.
Console update.

Not planned to be implemented (at least for now)

eShop features.
Parental control.
Application (game) updates.

Installation

Installing uLaunch

Download the archive .zip.
- Note: This project is released and intended for use with Atmosphère, so use it with different CFWs at your own risk.
Copy everything inside the archive .zipto the SD card.
- If you have never used uLaunch or any kind of HOME menu replacement (NXThemes does not count), you will not need to overwrite any files.
- You do not need to remove your regular HOME menu themes (NXThemes) to install uLaunch. These themes are in a romfs directory inside contents/0100000000001000, while the only uLaunch file in that folder is contents/0100000000001000/exefs.nsp.
Boot into the CFW (using emuMMC or sysMMC should make no difference) and enjoy your new HOME menu!

Removing uLaunch

Important: Make sure you do not remove anything other than what is mentioned here, to avoid potential problems!
- If you want to keep your custom themes, menu items, configuration, etc., simply use the uManager tool to disable uLaunch. This does not remove any data, allowing you to re-enable it at any time.
- If you want to remove everything permanently, then you will need to remove the folders atmosphere/contents/0100000000001000and ulaunch on the SD card. If you also want to remove uManager , then also remove switch/uManager.nro.
- Note: If you use any HOME menu modifications – such as NXThemes – make sure you do not delete the entire folder 0100000000001000, just the file exefs.nsp!

FAQ

uLaunch gives me a black screen. How can I fix it?

First, make sure you are using the latest released version of uLaunch.
If new firmware updates or new versions of Atmosphère have been released, you may need to wait for a new release, and in the meantime you may be able to use development/test builds from our Discord server.
The log files generated by uLaunch components inside the ulaunch folder can be very useful when sharing your issue on Discord or GitHub. Make sure you don’t reboot into uLaunch again, as the log files will be overwritten! Otherwise, replicate the bug and share/copy the log files before reloading anything.
In more extreme cases, uLaunch black screens could be caused by incorrect handling of invalid theme/entry JSON files. The JSON files could be corrupted (due to ExFAT, other homebrew…) so try deleting them.

Why can’t I access the usual system settings, while I can access other normal system menus such as the album, Mii editor, user page, etc.?

This is an unfortunate technical issue. While the web browser, user page, album… are separate applets (separate programs, independent from the HOME menu itself) the system settings are actually part of the HOME menu itself. Therefore, we have to manually implement all of them… which requires effort, so only some of the available settings (plus a few extras) are currently available here, while the remaining settings are in the process of being reverse engineered and implemented.

Will using uLaunch get me banned online?

There have been a few cases where using uLaunch may have resulted in a ban. Keep in mind that replacing the functionality of the official HOME Menu is never a completely safe idea, so always use at your own risk. Since uLaunch does not perform any telemetry or communication with Nintendo servers, they may be able to detect that you are using something other than the original HOME Menu.

Why does uLaunch (sometimes) feel slower than the official HOME menu?

There are several possible reasons:
- uLaunch loads more content than the official HOME menu when loading. Most of the official HOME menu UI is solid colors, while uLaunch loads multiple images, etc. Being customizable comes with small drawbacks, like this.
- Icons are slow to load, so for menus with a lot of items (essentially people with a lot of games) navigating through the menu will be a little laggy until everything loads, which will only take a few seconds. The 3DS menu has similar laggy moments.
- In addition to the two excuses above, there is always room for further optimizations in the uLaunch code. Feel free to report any excessive lag/slowdown issues.

Components

uSystem

uSystem is the process of replacing the system applet – the actual, literal replacement for the HOME menu – and serves as the backend for the actual menu the user will interact with (uMenu).
uSystem handles the essential functionality of the HOME menu, such as pausing/closing titles, closing applets, detecting the power buttons or HOME button… it is very lightweight since it always needs to run in the background.
Also communicate with uMenu for anything you need via their smi communication system.

uMenu

uMenu is a library application (which temporarily runs on top of the eShop applet when launched) that represents the HOME menu that the user will see and interact with.
uMenu is started and stopped by uSystem when needed. To handle the special functionality of the HOME menu (close titles, start them…) it communicates with uSystem via their smi communication system.

uLoader

uLoader is a custom implementation of nx-hbloader, which allows you to easily launch homebrew as applets or applications, or even choose homebrew as a sort of file dialog.

uManager

uManager is an NRO homebrew used to control key aspects of uLaunch.
Only tasks that cannot be performed outside of uLaunch are controlled (such as enabling or disabling uLaunch itself, which is why this is a separate NRO and not part of uMenu/etc), while everything else is controlled and managed on uLaunch itself.

uScreen

uScreen is a PC tool that communicates via USB with uSystem to capture the screen. It requires Java 8 or higher, but higher versions are recommended.
Note that USB screen capture is disabled by default and must be enabled in settings.
You also need to install the libusbK drivers for USB to work properly:

Windows

The best way to install Java 9 on Windows (or a very simple one) is to install AdoptOpenJDK 11 or higher.
- Note: Make sure your chosen JDK/JRE contains JavaFX! You can install it manually otherwise.
- Once installed, double-clicking the JAR should be enough to launch it.
- Otherwise, run java -jar uScreen.jarin command prompt.
- To make the USB recognized, follow these steps:
  - Download Zadig.
  - Start the console with uLaunch (first make sure USB screen capture is enabled in settings), connect it to your PC via USB.
  - With Zadig, select the device called “Nintendo Switch”.
  - Install libusbK on that device (any other driver will not work properly).

Linux

Install OpenJDK 11 (or higher) in the terminal:
- Run the commandsudo add-apt-repository ppa:openjdk-r/ppa
- Run the commandsudo apt-get update
- Finally, run the command sudo apt-get install openjdk-11-jdk(if you only want the JRE, install openjdk-11-jre instead).
- Create the file /etc/udev/rules.d/99-switch.ruleswith the following contents:SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTRS{idVendor}=="057e", ATTRS{idProduct}=="3000", GROUP="plugdev"
- Reload udev rules with:sudo udevadm control --reload-rules && sudo udevadm trigger
- You can now run uScreen using java -jar uScreen.jar.

Mac

Install OpenJDK 11 (or higher) in the terminal:
- Install brew/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/master/install.sh)"
- Performbrew tap AdoptOpenJDK/openjdk
- Performbrew install adoptopenjdk11 --cask
- Finally, run java -versionto check the JDK version.
- You can now run uScreen using java -jar uScreen.jar.
After doing all this, your USB connection should work fine.

uDesigner

uDesigner is an (experimental) web theme editor to make theme creation easier.

Changelog

First of all, Atmosphère v1.8.0 (up to firmware 19.0.1) is supported.

Disclaimer: Known issue

This release includes a known (minor) issue: the recently introduced game detection (Game Card, Corrupted, and Other) incorrectly classifies some games as “needing an update”.

While this does not prevent them from launching, the corresponding icon is displayed incorrectly. The developer has yet to figure out how the regular HOME menu detects updated titles.

Translations into Italian , French and German
Lockscreen support ! Can be enabled/disabled in settings
Added a new special entry for amiibo settings
Folder names are now displayed above the folder icons (as in previous versions of uLaunch)
Games are now detected much better:
- Corrupted games are detected as in the regular HOME menu, allowing the same data checking process to take place, but in the background, whereas the regular HOME menu forced it to be active.
- Titles on the game card are recognized and displayed correctly
- Games that fail to launch (for the most part) are recognized and displayed correctly (see known issue above)
Added special checks to make sure all special items (user page, controller options, etc.) are present in the menu
Reduced delay time after adding homebrew or after a crash
Fixed minor bugs in adding new homebrew entry in menu
Fixed some issues with custom menu items , where some JSON fields would not work if other fields were not set.

Settings

The settings have been reorganized and expanded with some previously unimplemented options (and there will be more in the future). Here are the changed/added entries:

Console language (more neatly reorganized).
System update status.
Console region.
Primary storage for albums.
Lockscreen enabled (uLaunch specific).
Console/handheld sleep time.
Pause while playing media.
Awakening to a change in power state.
Battery serial/batch number.

All these entries have been organized into various menus (uLaunch, system, screen, etc..), not many new entries have been added, but the supported settings continue to be progressively extended.

Themes

Introduced a new special voice for amiibo options , with a new icon in ui/Main/EntryIcon/Amiibo, ui/Main/QuickIcon/Amiiboand a dedicated sound effect in sound/Main/OpenAmiibo.wav.

The settings have been reorganized, now with fields menu_textand submenu_text(the field info_textis no longer used) and its own input_bar, with a background in ui/Settings/InputBarBackground.

Due to improved game detection, the following overlay icons have been introduced in this release :

Main/OverIcon/Corrupted
Main/OverIcon/Gamecard
Main/OverIcon/NeedsUpdate
Main/OverIcon/NotLaunchable

Of course, uDesigner and the wiki will be quickly updated with these theme changes.