Switch 2 user unexpectedly has his account banned by Nintendo after buying an old game cartridge

According to Engadget , the newly launched Nintendo Switch 2 with backward compatibility for games from the old system is great news. However, a recent incident shows that buying used game cartridges, a cost-saving habit of many gamers, has the potential to cause your Nintendo account to be banned without you knowing.

PHOTO: SCREENSHOT

A Story from a Switch 2 User

A Reddit user named dmanthey shared his story. After purchasing a few used Switch 1 cartridges on Facebook Marketplace, he inserted them into his new Switch 2 to download patches. Everything seemed normal until the next day, when he discovered he couldn’t access online services.

After contacting Nintendo support, he was confirmed that his account had been banned. Fortunately, after providing proof of purchase, he was quickly unbanned. However, the incident has raised alarm bells about a dangerous precedent.

Loopholes from anti-piracy mechanism

The root cause of this is Nintendo’s approach to piracy. Each physical game cartridge contains unique code. Hackers can copy all the game data and that code onto a copying device (like the MIG Flash), then resell the original cartridge on the secondhand market.

PHOTO: PRINTABLES SCREENSHOT

The problem occurs when both the pirate and you (the original game buyer) are online at the same time. Nintendo’s system will detect that two devices are using the same code and it will automatically ban all related accounts to prevent it. As a result, the legitimate but unlucky buyer becomes the unlucky victim.

Nintendo's "iron fist" policy

Nintendo is known for its tough stance against piracy. They even recently updated their user agreement to give them the right to “brick” a Switch that’s caught running pirated games. This suggests that Nintendo isn’t going to hold back, and their automated mechanism may get even stricter in the future.

While dmanthey’s case was resolved, it’s a clear warning. Buying used cartridges, especially from shady sources, puts your account at risk. Consider the potential for saving a little money versus the risk of getting your account banned.