Nintendo Bans MIG Switch Cartridges on Switch 2 Amid Ongoing Anti-Piracy Efforts

Published on: June 17, 2025

Nintendo has moved to reinforce its longstanding anti-piracy position with the recent Nintendo Switch 2 console launch, as reports surface of users facing bans after utilizing the MIG Switch cartridge—a flashcart that allows the loading of game ROMs onto the hardware.

The flashcart’s functionality, long considered a gray area due to its uses for both legal game backups and illegal ROM distribution, has once again drawn the attention of Nintendo’s security and legal teams. According to a new report from Kotaku, the situation escalated following the debut of the Switch 2 a few weeks ago.

Nintendo engineered the new console with firmware safeguards specifically targeting the use of unauthorized devices like the MIG Switch cartridge.

Initially, owners found that the hardware would not boot games via the flashcart, but this was short-lived: the makers of the MIG Switch quickly released a firmware update that circumvented Nintendo’s restrictions, restoring functionality for both original Switch titles and new Switch 2 releases. Nintendo responded swiftly.

Users began to receive notifications that online functionality on their Switch 2 consoles had been restricted by Nintendo, effectively banning hardware accounts while leaving Nintendo user accounts intact.

In a rewritten statement representative of user experience, one MIG Switch user noted, "After testing my Switch 2 with perfectly legitimate game backups using the MIG Switch cartridge, my console was banned.

It’s clear that Nintendo has implemented detection measures, and now others are sharing similar stories." Similar reports have emerged on online forums such as Reddit, where users recount console bans tied to the use of MIG Switch cartridges.

The method of detection remains technically undisclosed, but affected users report that some form of telemetry or activity data is stored on the console, and once it connects to the Nintendo Network, the system is flagged for unauthorized activity.

Importantly, the punishment is limited to the hardware itself—affected users maintain access to their Nintendo accounts on other devices. Nintendo’s tough stance on Switch 2 piracy follows its history of combating unauthorized game distribution and hacking.

The original Nintendo Switch, now the third best-selling console in history, was hampered early on by a hardware vulnerability that allowed rampant piracy.

Nintendo responded by patching later models and engaging in legal battles against emulators and hardware mod resellers, including targeting the creators of the MIG Switch cartridge. With the Switch 2’s launch, Nintendo has made it unmistakably clear: measures are in place to deter piracy, and using devices like the MIG Switch flashcart will risk permanent console bans.

This serves as a warning to the community that Nintendo intends to protect its games and intellectual property with aggressive, proactive actions in the ongoing battle against software piracy.