Users claim Nintendo consoles are becoming inoperable when swapping ownership using Mig Flash cartridges, regardless of whether they're running personal ROMs or not, not just pirated games.
Switched Off? Switch 2 Users Warned After Nintendo Cracks Down on Piracy
Nintendo is making an example of Switch 2 owners who use flash carts to play pirated games, with some users reporting that their new consoles have been banned after using the MIG Switch.
Think of the MIG Switch as a flash cartridge that toes the line of piracy. Designed for Switch consoles, it loads games from a microSD card, including legally dumped backups or shadier, online-sourced copies. Think of R4 cards on the Nintendo DS, and you'll get the gist.
Nintendo, with its formidable anti-piracy stance, has doubled down on its efforts, engaging in numerous legal battles in recent years. Given this, it's understandable why the company wouldn't take kindly to people using these flash carts. It appears they might be taking action.
Twitter user @SwitchTools shared their experience, writing, "My Switch 2 test has been banned after using the MIG Switch with perfectly legal dumps of my own cartridges, so it would seem that Nintendo can detect something." Their console displayed error code 2124-4508, restricting access to online features such as the eShop, online multiplayer, and cloud saves.
Similar reports have surfaced on Reddit, with one user writing, "Just wanted to let everyone know to refrain from using their MIG Flash on the Switch 2 online for now. My Switch 2 was just banned." Another, who hadn't pirated games but backed up their legitimate copies, noted, "I don't pirate games, I back-up my legitimate games I own on cartridges. Piracy is shit."
It's worth mentioning that the MIG Switch only became usable on Switch 2 in the past few days, following a new firmware update for the cartridge. All the ban reports seem to have happened within the last 24 hours after this MIG Switch firmware update was rolled out.
As the dust settles, we'll have to watch and see if this continues to affect more users. The question remains: how is Nintendo detecting the use of these cartridges? The technical details aren't fully public but likely involve monitoring unique cartridge identifiers, suspicious behavior, and possibly analyzing firmware or hardware fingerprints left by these flash carts.
In short, Nintendo's Switch 2 anti-piracy enforcement is adamant, actively targeting the use of MIG Switch cartridges through network and device-level verification, resulting in permanent console bans that block online services, even when users claim to only use legally dumped backups on these flash carts.
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- Users who employ the MIG Switch for playing pirated games on their Nintendo Switch 2 consoles are facing permanent bans, according to recent reports.
- Nintendo's recent crackdown on piracy includes targeting users of the MIG Switch, a flash cartridge designed for Switch consoles that loads games from a microSD card, regardless of whether they're legally dumped backups or shadier, online-sourced copies.
- A Twitter user, @SwitchTools, shared their experience of having their Switch 2 banned after using the MIG Switch with legally obtained cartridges, suggesting Nintendo is capable of detecting the use of these flash carts.
- The MIG Switch became usable on Switch 2 following a recent firmware update, and all ban reports seem to have occurred within the last 24 hours after the MIG Switch firmware update was rolled out.
- The technical details of how Nintendo is detecting the use of these cartridges are not fully public, but they likely involve monitoring unique cartridge identifiers, suspicious behavior, and possibly analyzing firmware or hardware fingerprints left by these flash carts.
- Users should be wary of the potential consequences of using flash carts like the MIG Switch on their Nintendo Switch 2 console, as Nintendo's anti-piracy enforcement remains adamant and active.
