A Nintendo Switch 2 owner reportedly faced a console ban from Nintendo after purchasing and updating used Nintendo Switch (Switch 1) games. According to a Reddit post by user dmanthey, the individual bought four pre-owned games from Facebook Marketplace, inserted them into their Switch 2, and proceeded to update them. The following day, upon turning on the console, they received a message indicating a restriction from Nintendo’s online services, preventing even the download of previously purchased games.
Fortunately, dmanthey experienced a swift resolution with Nintendo. After discovering the issue, they contacted Nintendo Support and were promptly connected with a representative. Nintendo confirmed the console ban was due to suspected pirated games. However, dmanthey was able to prove their legitimate purchase by providing screenshots of the Facebook Marketplace listings and photos of the physical cartridges. The Redditor described the process as easy and quick, praising Nintendo’s support as “so much easier than getting support from Microsoft or Sony.” Providing proof of purchase in good faith can help rectify such situations, though other users cautioned that this outcome isn’t always guaranteed.
Nintendo is well-known for its stringent protection of intellectual property and enforces strict penalties against violators. There have been reports of users being banned for using Mig Flash, even with their own ROMs. While a ban doesn’t render the Switch 2 unusable, it significantly restricts functionality by preventing access to Nintendo’s online services.
This incident underscores the risk associated with purchasing used games. Unscrupulous sellers can create copies of the game onto a microSD Express Card, and then sell the original cartridge. Because this process duplicates all game data, including the unique identification number, Nintendo can detect simultaneous usage of multiple copies, indicating piracy. Consequently, Nintendo bans the console associated with the pirated game, preventing online access and deterring other users from engaging in piracy.
Fortunately, Nintendo appears to be responsive to users falsely accused, offering a quick reversal of the ban upon presentation of proof of legitimate purchase. However, it remains unclear whether users are still permitted to use the potentially pirated cartridges they purchased, or if doing so could trigger another console ban.
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