After just 12 days, Nintendo is already nuking Switch 2 console accounts for players caught using Mig Flash — popular cartridge allows Switch 1 games on the new console, but users say they're only using their own ROMs
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Various user reports suggest that Nintendo is actively issuing bans to Switch 2 consoles that have been used with the MIG Switch (now MIG Flash) flash cart. Several affected users have reached out on X (formerly Twitter) and Reddit, sharing accounts of their consoles being banned from using Nintendo's online services after using the device.
Despite earlier reports suggesting otherwise, MIG Flash (formerly MIG-Switch) showcased Nintendo Switch 1 ROMs running on Switch 2 hardware. This functionality is believed to be achieved through a recent firmware update, which mitigated or bypassed whatever new security checks Nintendo introduced with its latest console.
The MIG-Switch is a specialized, reprogrammable cartridge that's designed to mimic a real Nintendo Switch cartridge, but allows you to store your own game ROMs or backups on its microSD card. This essentially enables you to hold multiple game copies on a single cartridge, letting you conveniently switch between them with the help of a button.
That being said, it isn't as simple as dumping pirated copies on a MIG-Switch and calling it a day since Nintendo has robust anti-piracy measures in place, often through unique cartridge identifiers. If two users attempt to play the same game online simultaneously using a single copy, Nintendo can flag this as piracy. As you can expect, this likely has led to many false positives, especially in the case of used cartridges.
It appears the Switch 2 is even stricter on this front, as there are now widespread reports of users being banned even when using what they purport as their own legitimately dumped game ROMs on the MIG-Switch. While users' Nintendo accounts reportedly remain unaffected, their consoles are now blocked from accessing Nintendo's online services. That means saying goodbye to Mario Kart World, the eShop, YouTube, cloud saves, and the list goes on.
Firmware updates are generally not encompassed by these restrictions, but we cannot say for sure without more verified cases. There is a chance Nintendo may reinstate these consoles, as they were most likely caused by the changes introduced with the latest MIG-Switch firmware, rather than users booting up pirated ROMs. Regardless, the MIG-Switch isn't a Nintendo-authorized accessory, meaning that the company likely has no legal obligation to reverse these bans. As a matter of fact, Nintendo's updated EULA reserves the right to effectively brick your console in case of unauthorized hardware/software modifications.
Contacting Nintendo Support might prove worthwhile, but we won't hold our breaths on it. It isn't technically a $449 paper weight, as you can still play offline titles, but that's a major compromise given the Switch 2 has been available for less than two weeks. Given Nintendo's release cycle, users who upgrade once per generation and face a ban on their Switch 2 might have to forego online services for several years, depending on when the Switch 2's successor launches.
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