Latest news with #ScatteredBrain
Metro
14 hours ago
- Metro
Nintendo can put your Switch 2 permanently offline if you use mods
People are learning the hard way what happens if you try to run modified games on Nintendo Switch 2. The launch of the Nintendo Switch 2 may mark a new era for Nintendo, but one thing that will never change is the company's dislike of pirates and modders. Nintendo is fiercely protective of its hardware and software, which is why it has routinely forced emulators to be shut down. The story of Gary Bowser in 2023 also shows how ruthless the company can be towards those it catches modifying Nintendo hardware. So, it should come as no surprise that Nintendo has been proactive in preventing such activity with the Switch 2, with reports throughout the week revealing that the console can detect pirated or modified software and permanently disable all online connectivity as punishment for using them. Some Switch 2 owners have reported such instances after attempting to use a device called a MIG Switch on the console. The MIG Switch is a cartridge that you can dump Switch games onto, essentially serving as an all-in-one cartridge for your game library. While you can download pirated game files from the internet onto the MIG Switch, some use it as a means of backing up Switch games they've legally bought, though Nintendo clearly doesn't care about that distinction. Since the Switch 2 is backwards compatible, those who own a MIG Switch cartridge decided to see if it works on the new console. Apparently, it should following a firmware update, but it seems Nintendo was one step ahead of them. Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. According to the likes of SwitchTools on X and givemeupvotes on Reddit, using the MIG cartridge will prompt an error message and ban you from accessing Nintendo's online services forever more. It doesn't appear to brick the console entirely, however. As demonstrated in a YouTube video by Scattered Brain, it's still possible to access and play games offline, so it's not as if the ban turns the console into a paperweight. More Trending That said, the ban is believed to be built into the hardware itself, and is independent of your Nintendo account. The ban makes it impossible to unlink the account and virtual game cards from the console and when Scattered Brain attempted a factory reset, that wound up bricking their console entirely. Nintendo's policy is that it warns Switch 2 owners not to mess around with the hardware like this. In fact, ahead of the console's launch, it updated its account services user agreement to say it has the right to 'render the Nintendo Account Services and/or the applicable Nintendo device permanently unusable in whole or in part' if you violate its policy. At least, that's what the US version reads, though we can't imagine there's any more leeway here in the UK since it still states any hardware modifications violate Nintendo's code of conduct. Despite all this, it's unlikely this will put an end to any Nintendo related piracy. People are stubborn and are bound to try and come up with workarounds, regardless of the threat of legal action. Email gamecentral@ leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader's Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. MORE: Switch 2 replica leaker learns why you shouldn't upset Nintendo and their lawyers MORE: Nintendo Switch 2 owner loses 20 years' worth of save data in botched transfer MORE: Nintendo Switch 2 sales numbers smash records in the US and worldwide
The Verge
2 days ago
- The Verge
Nintendo will take your Switch 2 offline forever if you use a Mig flash cartridge
Some Switch 2 owners have received the error code 2134-4508, which results in their consoles being permanently banned from accessing any of its online services, as spotted by IGN. It's not a ban hammer from sucking at Mario Kart World, thankfully for me, but one that's targeting consoles that have used a Mig – a microSD card-equipped Switch cartridge that can be filled with copies of games. Running games on the Mig requires you to download them from others who have dumped files off of cartridges, or dump the games yourself with something like the Mig Dumper, then load them onto a microSD card. Whether you've used one to play pirated games, or to play copies of games that you own, Nintendo's stance on the matter is broad: It considers both to be violations of its user agreements. The makers of the Mig cartridge have taken reasonable efforts to distance itself from what a majority of buyers will likely do with it, which is play pirated games. The cartridge's product page notes that it 'serves as a backup and development device solely supporting gaming using personal game backups. [...] To maintain the Mig Flash warranty during online play, it's essential to utilize self-dumped backups with authentic Certificate, UID, and Card Set ID.' Nintendo isn't bricking the consoles of offenders, at least, not immediately. YouTube creator Scattered Brain posted a video about their banned Switch 2 in which they tried to find a way around the ban. Attempting to visit the eShop wasn't possible, nor was unlinking an account from the console, since both activities require the internet. They were able to unlink Virtual Game Cards from their Switch 2 from Nintendo's account management site and load them onto a Switch OLED, suggesting that the ban is limited to the hardware and not the account. However, a factory reset essentially bricked their Switch 2, as it no longer allowed signing into any Nintendo Account. This is something that Nintendo reserves the right to do per its updated account services user agreement and privacy policy. No one, but especially Mig users, should be surprised about this ban. Nintendo has a rich history of aggressively pursuing those who pirate its games, as well as those who build emulators that can run pirated copies of games originally made for its platforms. Considering that the Switch 2 is the fastest-selling console of all time, Nintendo's clearly throwing everything it's got at making sure gamers are playing by its rules.
