Nintendo’s new generation game console, Switch 2, has come to the fore with serious sanctions against pirated content even before it has left its first months on the market. In particular, users who try to load pirated or backup games onto the system using the hardware called MIG Switch are permanently banned from online services by Nintendo.

Nintendo Switch 2 will not compromise on pirated content

MIG Switch technically works as a blank cartridge into which games can be loaded. Users can transfer backup ROM files or pirated versions of physical games to Switch 2 via this device. Nintendo has previously initiated legal proceedings against both the manufacturers and distributors of the cartridges in question.

It was previously announced that various software and hardware measures were taken to prevent such devices from working on Switch 2’s hardware. However, with a newly released firmware update, some users managed to run MIG Switch.

Immediately after this, blockages were detected on devices that access Nintendo Switch Online services. According to user comments shared on Reddit and similar platforms, the bans directly affect the entire device, not just the user account.

Some users who updated their system while the MIG Switch was plugged in reported that their consoles were permanently removed from online services and the system never connected again. Nintendo’s move shows that it continues its long-standing tough line against piracy.

The company previously banned devices that modded the first-generation Switch models using similar methods from online. However, the system that comes with the Switch 2 detects such actions much faster and more directly. It is also stated that these device-level bans cannot be reversed.