Nintendo has asserted its authority to disable your Switch if it suspects game piracy.
According to a revision to Nintendo’s EULA, Switch users’ Nintendo Online accounts and devices can be “permanently unusable in whole or in part” for various activities. Additionally, Switch users in their new user agreement are assured that they can still brick their devices when they use emulators or mods.
This isn’t the first time the company has spoken out against hacked consoles and software, but it is one of the most forthright things it has done so far. Now that fans may lose access to customized Switches and other Nintendo systems indefinitely, they should probably be careful.
Many individuals and businesses have felt Big N’s wrath against emulators and mods. Nintendo recently sued a Switch modification firm, citing concerns about piracy. With the imminent release of the Switch 2, Nintendo seems extra concerned about preventing the exploitation of its software and hardware intellectual property.
According to a revision to Nintendo’s EULA discovered by Game File, players may find their Nintendo Online accounts and devices “permanently unusable in whole or in part” for various activities. This encompasses modifying hardware to function in a manner inconsistent with its original purpose, copying or reverse engineering Nintendo software, and so on.
According to the second part, players could potentially damage their computers in an attempt to retrieve ROMs. Considering the potential for hardware incompatibility, it may not have been surprising for Nintendo to sue the developers of a popular Switch emulator in 2024.
Nintendo is well-known for its anti-emulator stance, which has largely manifested itself in legal battles or DMCA strikes. The response is substantial, and the new policy makes it easier to target individuals rather than just companies or famous websites.
A banned account or bricked console is no laughing matter when the $450 Switch 2 could become even more expensive on the road. Although it may not seem like much, players may end up spending hundreds of dollars right now to run a customized Switch or extract a ROM.
Despite Nintendo’s track record of strongly opposing what it terms “piracy,” the extent to which the company will implement the updated EULA is anyone’s guess. However, turning off a Wii U or Switch isn’t the worst possible consequence of this kind of behavior.
A Japanese individual was apprehended in December 2024 for allegedly selling infected Pokémon Sun saves and may face lengthy prison terms. Now that Nintendo is cracking down, there is no reason to put yourself in harm’s way by playing illegal games or tampering with hardware.
