Less than two weeks after the launch of the Switch 2, Nintendo has begun imposing penalties on users who attempt to utilize devices that can run unauthorized copies of games, including the so-called “MiG Switch” flash card, which was used on the original Switch for loading both legal and pirated backups.
Users who opted to pay to discover what would happen when attempting to use a “MiG Switch” on the Switch 2 encountered an error message 2124-4508. This message indicates that their consoles have been banned from online services, including eShop and multiplayer functionality.
“It must be some new detection that Nintendo implemented for this,” wrote a Reddit user in a topic about the ban. “The fault is mine for using it online,” commented the resigned owner of one of the earliest Switch 2s, which was deactivated for using online functionalities.
In the US, Nintendo’s End User License Agreement now permits making a device “permanently unusable” if unauthorized use is detected, which includes hardware or software that modifies the system. In Europe, due to legal restrictions from the European Union, Nintendo cannot completely block the console but can prevent access to pirated content; thus, the device remains functional. Therefore, reported bans refer to blocking online services, primarily in the US, and not a complete “bricking” of the console, at least for now.
A user who attempted to use the MiG cartridge on a Switch 2 reports that their entire console appears to be banned. After contacting Nintendo’s customer support, they were informed that there was nothing that could be done.
“I do not engage in piracy; I create backups of my legally purchased games on cartridges,” he wrote. “Piracy is regrettable, as I work in software development.”—(Note: The original paragraph provided for rewriting only contained a personal statement and did not include additional context or information about Nintendo’s actions regarding unauthorized game copies. Therefore, the rewrite focuses solely on the given text.)
Despite these bans, it is unlikely that this news will deter hackers’ advancements, and the creators of the flash carts have already announced that they are working to ensure their products can be used on the new console.
My Switch 2 test has been terminated after using the MiG Switch with legally obtained dumps of my own cartridges, suggesting that Nintendo is capable of detecting such usage. Similar reports are emerging on Reddit. I strongly… pic.twitter.com/btzjQYJzE4
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