Upload Homebrew Grayed Out

If the “Upload Homebrew” option is grayed out, there’s a specific reason based on your cartridge type.

Reason 1: Official cartridge inserted

The most common reason.

Official game cartridges use read-only memory. As the name suggests, this memory can only be read — it cannot be written to.

• Game data is permanently burned onto the chip at the factory
• This is by design and cannot be changed
• You can still back up the game and save data

What you can do:

• Use a rewritable/flashcart cartridge instead to upload custom games
• The “Upload Save” option may still be available for save data

Reason 2: Unsupported flashcart

If you’re using a flashcart and the option is still grayed out:

• Your specific flashcart model may not be supported yet
• The flashcart may use non-standard chips we don’t recognize

What you can do:

1. Contact us with your flashcart’s brand and model
2. We’ll investigate adding support

Reason 3: SD card-based flashcart

SD card flashcarts like EZ Flash and Everdrive are not supported for writing:

• These devices store games on the SD card, not internal chips
• The hardware architecture is fundamentally different
• See Flashcart Support for details

What’s the difference?