The original Nintendo Switch faced significant piracy challenges, with hackers often accessing new first-party titles weeks before their official release. Following the launch of the Switch 2 in early June, there has been speculation about potential vulnerabilities, but initial reports indicate that Nintendo has effectively countered common hacking techniques associated with its handheld devices.
On various social media platforms, hackers have begun sharing their experiences of attempting to modify the Switch 2, only to find themselves banned from online functionalities. This ban restricts access to services like the eShop and prevents participation in online multiplayer games, including popular titles like Mario Kart World.
“Must be some new detection Nintendo has on these,” commented one Reddit user in a discussion regarding their ban. “Pretty dumb of me to go online with it. That’s on me.”
This user mentioned using a flash cartridge—a method popular among hackers of the original Switch—that allows users to download and load games onto essentially an SD card. Some users endeavored to insert this cartridge into the Switch 2 to see if it would work. Initially, it appeared that it didn’t. One user reported that their cartridge failed to load past the title screen after trying to install an update. Subsequently, they stated that their entire console seemed to be banned, and upon contacting Nintendo customer support, they were informed that nothing could be done.
“I don’t pirate games, I back-up my legitimate games I own on cartridges,” they said. “Piracy is shit, I work in software development.”
Nintendo has not responded to requests for comment regarding these incidents.