Older Broadcom BCM43224 Wi-Fi chips needed patched IO80211Family kexts. USB 1.1 on legacy Mac Pros required a legacy USB injector kext.
The patcher automated all of this: post-install, it would run a “Patch Kexts” script, rebuild the kernel cache, and bless the new System volume while preserving the SSV’s basic structure (though disabling its protection). Macos Big Sur Patcher
DosDude1 famously created patchers for Mojave and Catalina, but for Big Sur, the community has largely migrated to OpenCore Legacy Patcher (OCLP) . Unlike traditional patchers that modify system files aggressively, OCLP uses a "boot-loader" method. It loads legacy drivers before macOS boots, making updates more stable. DosDude1 famously created patchers for Mojave and Catalina,
The macOS Big Sur Patcher inspired two major successors: Ben Sova himself contributed to early OCLP documentation
Ben Sova himself contributed to early OCLP documentation and passed the torch.
Once you have Big Sur running, you cannot update via System Preferences like a normal Mac.