A “softmod” is modifying a device’s software—typically the console’s firmware or boot process—to enable unauthorized functionality (homebrew applications, emulators, custom firmware, backups, etc.) without permanently altering (or with only reversible changes to) the hardware. On the Switch platform this usually means running unsigned code by exploiting vulnerabilities in software or in the boot process, then installing custom bootloaders and payloads that allow advanced features.
The Nintendo Switch V2 (often called the OLED family’s predecessor or “revised” Switch model depending on context) refers to a hardware revision of the original Nintendo Switch platform. In community discussion, “V2” commonly denotes a later-manufactured unit that includes modest internal improvements over the earliest launch units—most notably improved battery life and occasionally slight component changes—while remaining fully compatible with the same cartridges, Joy‑Con controllers, and official firmware updates.