Nintendo has begun cracking down hard on piracy attempts with its new Switch 2 console, banning users from online services if they use unofficial hardware like the MIG Switch cartridge.
Reports are flooding in from early adopters of the Switch 2, many of whom are finding themselves abruptly locked out of Nintendo’s online ecosystem – including multiplayer features, eShop access, and cloud saves. The common denominator? Use of the MIG Switch cartridge, a controversial flash cart that allows users to load backup games from the original Switch.
While many users claim they’re only playing legal backups of their purchased games, Nintendo doesn’t appear to be making any distinctions. “My Switch 2 got banned even though I only used my own dumps,” lamented one user online. Others echoed similar experiences, noting that bans were issued even when the cartridge failed to fully load a game.
The ban message is unmistakable: “Error Code: 2124-4508. The use of online services on this console is currently restricted by Nintendo.” And it seems there’s no easy workaround – switching accounts doesn’t help, suggesting that the bans are applied at a hardware level.
Popular emulation YouTuber Scattered Brain demonstrated the situation in a recent video, confirming that while banned consoles still function offline, online access is completely revoked. The bans follow a May update to Nintendo’s Account Agreement, which warned that using any unofficial hardware or software could render your device or services unusable.
While some argue that Nintendo is simply enforcing its rules, others warn of deeper implications – such as the risk of buying used consoles unknowingly banned due to prior unauthorized use. “Imagine getting a Switch 2 on eBay only to find it can’t go online because the last owner used a MIG,” one gamer commented.
Meanwhile, the modding and emulation community remains defiant. For some, it’s a challenge: finding the next workaround, the next patch, the next exploit. But for now, the message is loud and clear: use unauthorized devices on the Switch 2, and you’re gambling with your console’s online future.