Nintendo Launches Opening Salvo in War Against Switch 2 Game Pirates, as MIG Switch Users Report Online Service Bans

A question of Nintendo Switch 2 users person reported abruptly being banned from accessing the console's online services, and judge their usage of the MIG Switch cartridge is the cause.

The MIG Switch is simply a flash cartridge that stores and plays copied Nintendo Switch 1 games — thing Nintendo itself takes a dim presumption on, adjacent arsenic galore users of the instrumentality assertion they're conscionable playing backups of their ain legally-bought software.

But careless of its purpose, the result for inserting a MIG Switch into your Switch 2 looks to beryllium the same. Impacted users accidental they've begun receiving online bans connected their Switch 2 consoles, blocking them from online play, the console's eShop and entree to different Nintendo services. And now, they are hurriedly informing others of the consequences.

"My Switch 2 trial has been banned, aft utilizing the MIG Switch with perfectly ineligible dumps of my ain cartridges, truthful it would look that Nintendo tin observe something," 1 idiosyncratic wrote connected societal media, linking to a drawstring of akin reports online.

"Similar reports connected reddit are starting to travel in. I powerfully urge that you bash not usage the MIG Switch, it was already precise risky to usage but it is adjacent much truthful connected Switch 2."

My Switch 2 trial has been banned, aft utilizing the mig power with perfectly ineligible dumps of my ain cartridges, truthful it would look that Nintendo tin observe something
Similar reports connected reddit are starting to travel in.https://t.co/nbPMlRWSaPhttps://t.co/3eq6dkbFMi
I strongly… pic.twitter.com/btzjQYJzE4

On reddit, different idiosyncratic claimed they had lone tried a MIG Switch successful their Switch 2 console once, to play a legitimately backed up crippled they owned, earlier receiving Nintendo's online ban.

"I tried my MIG Switch successful my NS2 once," the idiosyncratic wrote. "It didn't work. It conscionable showed the crippled rubric and refused to load. It tried to download a rubric update for it and that was it. Maybe it downloaded a emblem for the console to beryllium banned? This was implicit a week agone this happened though. I've been playing with a morganatic cartridge ever since though."

Users with an online prohibition present spot the pursuing informing connection popular up erstwhile trying to usage immoderate Switch 2 diagnostic that requires net connectivity: "Error Code: 2124-4508 The usage of online services connected this console is presently restricted by Nintendo."

On YouTube, gaming emulation transmission Scattered Brain has posted a video showing their now-banned Switch 2 console, and said that simply signing successful to different Nintendo relationship connected the instrumentality did not assistance the ban, which seems to beryllium applied astatine a console level.

This video shows banned Switch 2 consoles tin inactive beryllium played offline, truthful Nintendo has not chosen to wholly disable, oregon 'brick', these consoles — for present astatine least.

Back successful May, up of Switch 2's launch, Nintendo updated its Nintendo Account Agreement to marque wide that immoderate effort to usage "hardware oregon bundle that would origin the Nintendo Account Services to run different than successful accordance with its documentation and intended use" risked "the Nintendo Account Services and/or the applicable Nintendo instrumentality [becoming] permanently unusable successful full oregon successful part."

In different words, this caller prohibition question does not travel without informing — adjacent if it is coming arsenic a daze to some.

"My Nintendo Switch 2 has been console banned and I person perfectly nary thought why!" 1 idiosyncratic wrote connected reddit past night. When asked if they had utilized a MIG Switch, they replied: "I haven't been capable to usage the MIG Switch connected my NS2, I conscionable tried it retired of curiosity."

IGN has contacted Nintendo for more.

Image credit: Scattered Brain.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You tin scope Tom astatine [email protected] oregon find him connected Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social