Nintendo is again showing it has no tolerance for piracy. This time, the company is showing rapid action when it comes to its newest game system, the Nintendo Switch 2.
The company has started banning devices utilizing the notorious MIG Switch cartridge emulator, which has sparked discussion throughout the gaming world.
What Is the MIG Switch Emulator?
The MIG Switch is a cartridge emulator that allows users to load Nintendo Switch titles either from backups of legally purchased games or, more controversially, from pirated sources. While it initially didn't function with the Switch 2, a recent firmware update made it compatible. That compatibility, however, has come at a price.
Nintendo Switch 2 Bans Roll Out
There have been reports that said that Nintendo has started to ban consoles employing the MIG Switch on Switch 2. The bans don't seem to target the Nintendo accounts themselves, so players won't be losing their digital libraries or online subscriptions, according to Kotaku.
The consoles are, however, banned from online services altogether, which renders them incapable of playing any kind of online play, updates, or downloads.
The warning appearing on the affected consoles says:
"The use of online services on this console is currently restricted by Nintendo."
This is a hardware-based prohibition that is hard to lift, essentially turning the console into a single-player game system.
Nintendo's History of Fighting Piracy
Nintendo has long had a reputation for zealously defending its intellectual property. The company has always taken legal and technical measures to combat piracy threats, particularly during the Nintendo Switch period.
Only a year ago, Nintendo sued a number of individuals and organizations engaged in piracy. One of these was a lawsuit requiring Modded Hardware to stop selling mod chips and MIG Switch devices.
Hackers In Sight as Switch 2 Grows Up
Although the Switch 2 is just beginning its lifecycle, Nintendo is already keeping a close eye on the hacking community. At this point, no major advances have been made regarding full system hacks or widespread piracy software, but the bans on MIG Switch users indicate that Nintendo is willing to move quickly if any vulnerabilities are uncovered.
On Reddit, one user complained, "My NS2 has been console banned and I have absolutely no idea why! The only thing I can think of what has happened is that I tried my Mig switch in my NS2 once."
Another Nintendo Switch 2 owner from X has quite a similar problem:
My Switch 2 test has been banned, after using the mig switch with perfectly legal dumps of my own cartridges, so it would seem that Nintendo can detect something
— SwitchTools (@SwitchTools) June 16, 2025
Similar reports on reddit are starting to come in.https://t.co/nbPMlRWSaPhttps://t.co/3eq6dkbFMi
I strongly... pic.twitter.com/btzjQYJzE4
Play It Safe or Get Locked Out
Gamers who are tempted to try emulation or unofficial mods on their Nintendo Switch 2 are advised to go with utmost caution. With Nintendo actively screening for unauthorized devices and giving out console bans, the disadvantages decidedly outweigh the perceived gain.
Our lone advice? Be legal and online because Nintendo isn't playing around.
