Extract text from Switch game images (XCI)
To convert XCI game images to another format, you need Ryujinx or other Game software.
To convert other file formats to the "Game Cartridge Dump" file type, you need software like Ryujinx or a similar tool.
The .XCI file format is primarily an exact dump of a Nintendo Switch physical game cartridge (NX Card Image). It contains the base game, firmware updates, padded empty space, and unique cartridge certificates. Users typically run these files on custom firmware consoles or emulators like Ryujinx or Yuzu. A secondary, unrelated use for the .XCI extension is as a Xilinx IP Core configuration file, which stores hardware routing data in XML format for the Vivado Design Suite. Finally, MathType uses it for translator definition files.
Working with .XCI game dumps presents significant practical challenges. The files are exceptionally large, often exceeding 16GB, and contain padded empty data that wastes storage. Furthermore, installing an .XCI file with a shared or public certificate on a modified console poses a massive risk of a permanent hardware ban from Nintendo's network. For Xilinx developers, the raw .XCI file is tightly coupled to specific Vivado versions, making project migration complex.
Converting .XCI files solves these storage and compatibility issues. For archiving and installing Switch games safely, convert .XCI to NSP (Nintendo Submission Package) using tools like 4NXCI or hactool, which strips out the padding and certificates. To save even more space, compress it to .XCZ or NSZ. If you are handling Xilinx IP Cores, you can parse the underlying XML data to standard text.
Convert.Guru analyzes your XCI file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted NSP, RAR, NSZ, 3DS, XC0, CXI, ZIP, XCF, XC1, NCA, EXE, 7Z and TORRENT files.
If you want to convert XCI file to NSP, NCA, 3DS, EXE, ISO, BIN, CUE, PAK, WAD, PK3, PK4 or BSP, you can use Ryujinx or similar software from the "Nintendo Switch Cartridge Image" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert MOD, BIN, CFG, SCX, DAT, MPQ, LOG, CUE, INI, EXE, SCM or ISO files to XCI, try Ryujinx or another comparable tool in the "Nintendo Switch Cartridge Image" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our XCI converter.