Latest news with #MiGSwitch
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
Nintendo just banned a ton of Switch 2 consoles, turning them into offline-only bricks
If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, BGR may receive an affiliate commission. The Nintendo Switch 2 is the fastest-selling console of all time, and it might be tough to get your hands on one if you didn't preorder or buy it on release day. What I'm getting at is that it could be hard to replace your Switch 2 if something went wrong and you couldn't use it anymore. What could happen to it? I'm not talking about the Switch 2 getting punctured by receipts or dealing with Joy-Con 2 drift right out of the box. The real problem is having Nintendo ban your specific console from connecting to the internet after using the MiG Switch/Flash tool on your new device. Today's Top Deals Best deals: Tech, laptops, TVs, and more sales Best Ring Video Doorbell deals Memorial Day security camera deals: Reolink's unbeatable sale has prices from $29.98 Plenty of users who used the MiG microSD tool discovered that their Switch 2 consoles could no longer connect to the web. A screen displaying error code 2124-4508 appears on the console, informing them that 'the use of online services on this console is currently restricted by Nintendo.' As shown in the video at the end of this post, there's not much you can do to recover your console. A Switch 2 that loaded a MiG card remains banned even after a factory reset. You can still play games offline on a banned Switch 2, but that's not the experience most people are looking for. Playing Mario Kart with friends is one of the highlights of the Switch 2. You also won't be able to buy content from Nintendo's online store or export your game save data. If you reset to factory settings, like YouTuber Scattered Brain did, you'll lose access to offline games too. In that case, the banned console basically becomes an expensive brick. It's still unclear whether Nintendo will eventually lift the ban. The error message says the console is 'currently' restricted, but it doesn't give any timeframe. You could try reaching out to Nintendo support and asking if there's any way to undo the ban. Maybe they'll figure you've learned your lesson and will stick to buying games from the eShop. Or they might just tell you to buy a new console. I'm just speculating. YouTuber Scattered Brain says he used the MiG tool to dump the Switch games he bought onto a microSD card. That's a legit use of the MiG hack that doesn't involve piracy. It just puts all your cartridges in one place for convenience. But others, maybe someone you know, might use the MiG tool to run pirated games on the Switch. That's the real reason Nintendo is cracking down on MiG hacks. The video below shows the ban only applies to the Switch 2, not earlier models. If you and your friends want to use MiG hacks, you'll need to stick with the older hardware. Don't Miss: Today's deals: Nintendo Switch games, $5 smart plugs, $150 Vizio soundbar, $100 Beats Pill speaker, more More Top Deals Amazon gift card deals, offers & coupons 2025: Get $2,000+ free See the
Android Authority
21 hours ago
- Android Authority
The secondhand Switch 2 market is already a minefield of bricked consoles
Oliver Cragg / Android Authority TL;DR Reports of bricked secondhand Switch 2 consoles are already coming in. Nintendo has been banning consoles that use MiG Switch carts, with no recourse. This has major implications for the used Switch 2 market going forward. The Nintendo Switch 2 has only been out for a few weeks, but some lucky users have already found deals on secondhand consoles. One Reddit user reported finding such a deal, scoring a sweet $50 discount on the console, even though new consoles were sold out. Well, at least it seemed like a good deal, until an 'Error Code: 2124-4508' message appeared on the screen during setup at home. This error code prevents the console from using any online Nintendo services, effectively bricking the device. It's Nintendo's nuclear option in the war against piracy and ToS violations, and the company hasn't been shy about using it. For example, many users are reporting having their consoles bricked after attempting to use a MiG Switch cart. These carts can be used for piracy or to play backups of purchased games. Nintendo considers both use cases a violation of its ToS and doesn't differentiate between them when permanently bricking consoles. Odds of secondhand Switch 2 consoles being bricked are uncomfortably high. This creates a minefield for the secondhand Switch 2 market. There are currently no options to remove a console lock, so you must turn the console on and check that it can connect to Nintendo's servers before purchasing. The user mentioned above managed to return the console and get a full refund, but if you buy a used Switch 2 from a private individual or, even worse, eBay, your odds of getting stuck with a bricked console are uncomfortably high. Unless you can test the console yourself, it's better to avoid secondhand Switch 2 consoles altogether. The Nintendo Switch 2 retails for $449 for just the console, or $499 for the console and Mario Kart World. The game is a download code rather than a cart, though, so buying the bundle secondhand will likely leave you with a useless code, even if the console isn't bricked. Got a tip? Talk to us! Email our staff at Email our staff at news@ . You can stay anonymous or get credit for the info, it's your choice.
