Who really owns your Switch 2? "It's-a-me!" suggests Nintendo
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.
The hype train barrels forward for the Nintendo Switch 2 as preorders continue to mount with the handheld console rapidly approaching its June 5 launch date.
Given the astronomical success of the original Switch, which sold over 120 million units to date following its March 2017 release, expectations are sky-high regarding Nintendo's next-gen offering.
However, while fans ponder performance, fantasize about frame rates, and rave over ray tracing, there's another side to the Switch's story: ownership itself.
You may have spent 450 (or $499 if you opted for the MarioKart World Bundle) of your hard-earned dollars on a brand-new Switch 2 ahead of its launch, or you may be prepping yourself for a midnight release at your local brick-and-mortar. In your mind, the Switch 2 is already yours.
And that might be the problem. According to a recently updated section of Nintendo's End User License Agreement (EULA), Switch 2 ownership might be all in your head.
Preorder the Nintendo Switch 2 + MarioKart World Bundle for $499 at Best Buy.
This bundle includes: a Nintendo Switch 2 Console, a full game download of Mario Kart World, a light blue Joy-Con 2, a light red Joy-Con 2 (R), a Nintendo Switch 2 AC adapter, a USB-C charging cable, a Nintendo Switch 2 Dock, a Joy-Con 2 Grip, 2 x Joy-Con 2 Straps, and an ultra high-speed HDMI cable.
Key specs: 7.9-inch 1080p LCD touch screen, HDR support, up to 120 fps, TV dock supports 4K, GameChat, 256GB of storage, expandable via microSD Express cards.View Deal
Saying Nintendo has always had a tumultuous relationship with issues of piracy, emulation, imitation, and modding is a bit like saying dynamite and sparks find each other slightly disagreeable.
This is, after all, the company that attempted to sue a Costa Rican supermarket in January over trademark infringement, got multiple streamers banned for the unforgivable crime of playing a game they legally owned, and struck down the sale of custom-designed JoyCons in honor of popular, deceased YouTuber, Desmond 'Etika' Amofah. (And you can read many more instances here.)
When it comes to obsessing over its brand, intellectual property, and the sanctity of its products, nobody does it quite like Nintendo. It has a vice-like grip on everything it produces.
And you may find yourself wrestling with that same grip when it comes to the ownership of "your" Switch 2, as updated language in the company's EULA (as spotted by Game File's Stephen Totilo) suggests that Nintendo will be retaining its hold on the console, long after you've made your purchase.
The updated agreement offers the usual legalese language to indicate Nintendo's disapproval of piracy, tampering, and modding of its console. As well as efforts to exploit Nintendo Account Services in any way.
While the language is stricter, and clamps down tighter than before on any potential meddling, it's the end of the paragraph that should prick the ears of those interested in picking up a Switch 2 for themselves.
It reads: "You acknowledge that if you fail to comply with the foregoing restrictions Nintendo may render the Nintendo Account Services and/or the applicable Nintendo device permanently unusable in whole or in part."
Roughly translated: break the rules, and we're well within our rights to not just ban you from using Nintendo's online services, but we can also break your Switch 2 at will. Permanently.
The Switch 2 may end up being Nintendo's biggest hardware launch to date, but the question of what it really means to own the handheld console may loom over that parade like a dark cloud.
Yes, technically, this rule should only impact those ne'er-do-wells that hope to interfere with the Switch 2 in ways that the vast majority of owners won't. But if they've bought it, if they "own" it, do they not have the right to do with it as they see fit?
It's a wider point than Nintendo preventing piracy, or the use of emulators and homebrew on its platform. In a time where we're routinely told that we don't actually own any of our games by various publishers, is the next step on that path being told that the hardware in our hands? Is just a very expensive lease that's only upheld on the grounds of you being a good boy/girl?
If you're looking to hop aboard that Switch 2 hype train, just remember: toe the line, or Nintendo may remind you who has final say over what ownership of the upcoming console looks like.
Spoiler: "It's-not-a-you!"
The Switch 2 might not stay at its launch price. Nintendo explains why.
The Nintendo Switch 2 has an Xbox-shaped problem, and we just got our first look at it
Switch 2 is almost here, but a recent Switch update caused problems—here's how Nintendo responded

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Wall Street Journal
20 minutes ago
- Wall Street Journal
Harvey Weinstein Found Guilty of Sexual Assault in Second New York Trial
Harvey Weinstein Found Guilty of Sexual Assault in Second New York Trial A jury found former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein guilty of one count of sexual assault and was acquitted on another charge in his sex-crimes retrial. Photo: Curtis Means/Associated Press


Vogue
23 minutes ago
- Vogue
In Defense of Board Shorts (Yes, the Surfer Bro Kind)
Every summer, I find myself routinely watching the surfer movie Blue Crush to get me into a beachy spirit. If you have never seen the 2002 movie starring Kate Bosworth and Michelle Rodriguez, the premise is pretty straightforward: Three roommates are busy living it up in Oahu, Hawaii as Anne Marie (Bosworth) prepares to compete in a big, important surf competition. There's all the makings of a great cinematic film along the way—a love interest, high-stakes drama—but more importantly, the summer fashion is worth tuning in for alone. If you're in need of new bathing suit inspiration Blue Crush certainly has you covered. I've always had a thing for the movie's colorful board shorts in particular: They are worn with everything from bikini tops to wetsuits. As a whole, board shorts get a bad rap. And I (sort of) understand the stigma. When you think of the, a surfer bro who says things like 'hang loose, bruhhh' likely comes to mind; a crunchy dude who exclusively wears flip-flops. Often worn baggy and below-the-knee, surfer shorts are hardly a chic, streamlined garment. But I also love a sartorial challenge—and when styled right, I actually find board shorts to be quite chic. Miu Miu spring 2024 Photo: Filippo Fior / Chanel resort 2020 Photo: Alessandro Lucioni / Designers agree with me. Last spring, Miu Miu released a very surf-inspired collection that featured board shorts worn with structured blazers, thong sandals, and killer eyewear—exactly how I would style them. The beach vibe was there, yet the shorts were surprisingly sophisticated, too. Back in 2020, Chanel's resort collection matched that energy by featuring board-style shorts in summery whites—paired with perfect little nautical sweaters. It was a dressier approach to the knee-length silhouette (versus your expected swimsuit pairing). Sure, mini skirts and denim cut-offs always creep their way into the summer fray, but don't discount the power of a well-placed board short. Just remember that the current approach is about styling them with an unexpected upper half. You can wear them swimming, but they look even cooler in a non-beach context. Think: More bold fashion statement, less like you're auditioning for Blue Crush 3. (Yes, a direct-to-DVD sequel already exists.)


Forbes
28 minutes ago
- Forbes
Microsoft Installs Emergency Update On Windows PCs
Emergency update is now being installed. Another month, another emergency update for Windows users. After issuing several out-of-band updates to address update fails in May (1,2), here we are again in June. Only now, 'this OOB update downloads and installs automatically,' Microsoft says. Per Windows Latest which was first to report the initial problem and the response, this follows the June update failing to install on some PCs, primarily those with Easy Anti Cheat gaming software. 'As we suspected, something seemed odd with Windows 11 24H2 KB5060842 when Microsoft had paused the rollout briefly.' That interlude allowed a patch to be applied to the standard update, but this didn't work. Instead Microsoft withheld the update from affected PCs, which will now receive the emergency update instead. 'Windows users likely didn't experience this issue,' the Windows-maker says, because the standard update was not offered to at-risk PCs. According to Windows Latest, users had reported that 'the update showed up, but kept failing with the message: 'Some update files are missing or have problems. We'll try to download the update again later. Error code: (0x80073712)'.' Microsoft then confirmed 'compatibility issues' and applied a fix. But when the fix also failed, 'Microsoft made the final call to yank the buggy patch (KB5060842) because it wouldn't install, and replace it with [the new emergency update] KB5063060.' It's now clear this 'major issue' with June's Patch Tuesday 'causes PCs to reboot unexpectedly when launching games using Easy Anti-Cheat, such as Fortnite.' The emergency replacement for the Patch Tuesday update includes all cumulative fixes as well as the compatibility workaround. Microsoft says the OOB update 'downloads and installs automatically from Windows Update and Microsoft Update on devices with Easy Anti-Cheat installed and on devices that have not installed KB506842 yet.'