Out of the box, SysDVR can only stream games that allow the Switch’s native video recording — and some popular games block recording entirely. dvr-patches is the fix: a small set of patches, published by exelix11 — the same author as SysDVR itself, in his own repository — that lifts the recording block for most games. Installing it takes three steps: download the release that matches your console firmware, copy it to the SD card, and reboot.
One clarification, because older guides get this wrong: dvr-patches is not a third-party community project. It is the SysDVR author’s own companion repository (github.com/exelix11/dvr-patches), and it is the patch set the official SysDVR guide itself points to.
First, check whether a game even needs the patches
Plenty of games stream with no patches at all. The test takes ten seconds:
- Launch the game on your console.
- Long-press the capture button.
- If the console records a video clip, the game supports native recording — SysDVR can stream it as-is.
- If recording is blocked or unavailable, that game needs dvr-patches.
Some games sit in between and only allow recording in certain sections; those games will only stream during those sections unless patched. Our guide to which games work with SysDVR explains the compatibility picture in full.
Step 1 — Note your console firmware version
dvr-patches releases are built per firmware version, and the match matters. On the console, open System Settings → System and note the firmware version shown there (for example, 23.0.1). You’ll pick the dvr-patches release with the same number.
Step 2 — Download the matching release
Go to the releases page of the exelix11/dvr-patches repository on GitHub and download the release that matches your firmware. Releases are named by firmware: the current one is fw-23.0.1 (for firmware 23.0.1), preceded by fw-22.5, fw-22.0 and so on. Resist the urge to just grab the newest — if your console is on an older firmware, you need the release built for your version.
Firmware updated recently? The pairing works both ways: every time your console firmware changes, the dvr-patches build must change with it. A mismatched build is the most common reason the patches appear to “do nothing”.
Step 3 — Copy the patches to the SD card
- Extract the release archive you downloaded.
- Copy its
atmospherefolder to the root of your SD card, merging with the existing folders when asked. - Check the result: the patch files (
.ipsfiles) should now sit inside/atmosphere/exefs_patches/on the card.
Merging is the key word — you are adding files to your existing Atmosphère installation, not replacing it. If your file manager asks whether to merge or overwrite folders, choose merge.
Step 4 — Reboot the console
The patches are applied by Atmosphère as the system boots, so nothing changes until you restart the console. Reboot, wait for SysDVR to start (the full build takes about 20 seconds after boot), and you’re ready to test.
Step 5 — Test the game again
- Launch the game that previously blocked recording.
- Long-press the capture button — recording should now be available.
- Start your usual streaming mode (USB, TCP Bridge or Simple Network) and confirm the picture reaches your PC or phone.
What to expect — and the author’s own caveat
dvr-patches makes most recording-blocked games streamable, not literally all of them. The author is explicit about this: a small number of games may still not work properly even with the patches installed. If a game still shows a black screen after patching, work through our SysDVR black screen fixes — and check first that you really installed the build matching your firmware.
Keeping patches and SysDVR straight
- dvr-patches follows your firmware, not SysDVR’s version. Updating SysDVR does not update the patches, and updating the patches is not part of a SysDVR update.
- After a console firmware update, download the newly matching dvr-patches release and repeat steps 3–5.
- To remove the patches, delete the patch files you added under
/atmosphere/exefs_patches/and reboot.
Picking the right release — a quick example
| Your console firmware | Download this release |
|---|---|
| 23.0.1 | fw-23.0.1 (current) |
| 22.x | The fw-22.x release matching your exact version (e.g. fw-22.5) |
| Anything older | The release named for your version — not the newest one |
The release name is the firmware version it was built for. If the list doesn’t contain your exact version, that’s a sign your firmware and the available patches haven’t met yet — wait for the matching build rather than forcing a near-match.
A word on safety
Two things can both be true: the wider community reports that SysDVR itself does not seem to cause bans, and running any custom firmware carries its own risks that no patch can remove. dvr-patches changes whether games permit recording; it doesn’t change that equation, and nothing here is a guarantee. Treat ban questions the way the official guide does — as community experience, not a promise — and make your own call about connecting a modified console to online services.
Keep the release you downloaded. If you ever reinstall Atmosphère from scratch — the troubleshooting fix of last resort — the exefs_patches folder goes with the old install, and dvr-patches goes with it. Keeping the firmware-matched release zip in your downloads means the rebuild is a two-minute re-copy instead of a fresh hunt for the right version.
Next steps
- Which games work with SysDVR — the full compatibility picture.
- How to install SysDVR — if the sysmodule itself isn’t set up yet.
- Grab every file from the SysDVR download page, where each build links to its official GitHub release.