Consumer Rights Wiki - User contributions [en]

Nintendo Switch bans

2025-06-20T17:16:42Z

BE243: more coherent lead

With the release of the [[Nintendo Switch|''Nintendo Switch 2'']], ''[[Nintendo]]'' has already exercised rights it reserved back in early May 2025.<ref name="EULAMain">{{Cite web |title=Nintendo Account User Agreement |url=https://accounts.nintendo.com/term/eula/US?lang=en-US |access-date=May 15, 2025 |website=Nintendo Accounts}}</ref><ref name="PrivacyPolicyMain">{{Cite web |title=Nintendo Privacy Policy |url=https://accounts.nintendo.com/term/privacy_policy/US?lang=en-US |access-date=May 15, 2025 |website=Nintendo Accounts}}</ref><ref name="PrivacyPolicySummaryChanges">{{Cite web |title=Nintendo Privacy Policy - What's Changed? |url=https://www.nintendo.com/us/privacy-policy/whats-changed/ |access-date=May 15, 2025 |website=Nintendo}}</ref> Nintendo blocking online services on certain Switch 2 devices effectively bricks them, as they are essential to make full use of the device and play third-party products bought in stores, which often contain game-key cards. So far, these bans seem to be irreversible, sparking concerns about bricked consoles making their way onto second-hand markets.

==Background==
In May 2025, [[Nintendo]] [[Retroactively amended purchase|retroactively amended their agreements]]<ref name="EULAMain" /><ref name="PrivacyPolicyMain" /><ref name="PrivacyPolicySummaryChanges" /> to [[Nintendo's May 2025 Policy Updates|enforce new policies that harm consumers]] who purchased the [[Nintendo Switch]], and any who would purchase the [[Nintendo Switch 2]]. In summary, the agreements provide [[Nintendo]] the right to brick consoles,<ref name="GameSpotBrickingQuote">{{Cite web |last=Bonthuys |first=Darryn |date=May 9, 2025 |title=Breaking This New Nintendo Clause Could Make Your Switch 2 "Unusable" |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/breaking-this-new-nintendo-clause-could-make-your-switch-2-unusable/1100-6531421/ |access-date=May 15, 2025 |website=GameSpot}}</ref><ref name="HotHardwareBrickingQuote">{{Cite web |date=May 12, 2025 |title=Nintendo Can Brick Your Switch And Skirt Lawsuits In Outrageous EULA Update |url=https://hothardware.com/news/nintendo-eula-update-brick-consoles-arbitration |access-date=May 15, 2025 |website=HotHardware}}</ref> and force users seeking legal recourse into [[forced arbitration]].

This update has brought severe concerns from both consumers and the media,<ref name="GameSpotBrickingQuote" /><ref name="HotHardwareBrickingQuote" /> as they expected that ''[[Nintendo]]'' would enforce the totality of these terms.

==Effective bricking via banning==
[[File:Bricked_Switch_2.png|thumb|A screenshot from a [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExgYTA18_vo&t=656s video by Scattered Brain], displaying his Switch 2 console being bricked]]
In June of 2025, [[Nintendo Switch|''Nintendo Switch 2'']] owner ''Scattered Brain'' inserted a ''MIG Switch cartridge'' into his console. After an unknown amount of time, his console was banned from accessing all online ''[[Nintendo]]'' services,<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Scattered Brain |date=Jun 16, 2025 |title=Soo... Nintendo banned my Switch 2 (Don't try the MIG Switch!) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExgYTA18_vo&t=656s |access-date=Jun 18, 2025 |website=[[YouTube]]}}</ref> and as he discovered, a significant portion of the console's functionality depends on these online services.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Orland |first=Kyle |date=Jun 17, 2025 |title=Switch 2 users report online console bans after running personal game “backups” |url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2025/06/playing-personal-game-backups-could-get-your-switch-2-banned-by-nintendo/ |access-date=Jun 19, 2025 |work=Ars Technica}}</ref> The following is a non-exhaustive list of the services that a banned [[Nintendo Switch|''Nintendo Switch 2'']] is incapable of accessing:

*Nintendo eShop - This service is required for installing games from [[Nintendo Switch 2 Game-Key Card|game-key cards]], which a majority of physical third-party releases are distributed on.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Cohen |first=Jason |date=Jun 5, 2025 |title=Buying Physical? Watch Out For the Switch 2's Game-Key Cards |url=https://www.pcmag.com/explainers/nintendo-switch-2-game-cards-vs-game-key-cards-vs-downloads-whats-the-difference |access-date=Jun 18, 2025 |work=PC Mag}}</ref> [[Nintendo Switch]] 1 compatibility is additionally at risk due to bans, since the Switch 2 does not fully support the legacy library,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Nintendo BRICKS MIG Flash user's Switch 2 - The Difference between banning a Switch and BRICKING it |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rn4969P2RIA |website=YouTube}}</ref> and thus requires access to online services to expand compatibility.
*Factory resetting - Demonstrated by ''Scattered Brain'', the console is incapable of being factory reset by the consumer.<ref name=":3" />
*Account management - The removal of accounts, and the linking of new ''[[Nintendo]] accounts'', is impossible while banned.

===Nintendo's response===
When a banned console attempts to use online services for any purpose, the user is given an error code, either '''2124-4508''' or '''2124-4007''', which relates to the following:<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nintendo |title=Error Codes: 2124-4007, 2124-4508 |url=https://en-americas-support.nintendo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/28046/~/error-codes%3A-2124-4007%2C-2124-4508 |access-date=Jun 18, 2025 |website=Nintendo Support}}</ref><blockquote>Information when you try to connect to an online service on ''Nintendo Switch 2'' or ''Nintendo Switch'' but you receive the error code 2124-4007 or 2124-4508 along with the message, "The use of online services on this console is currently restricted by ''[[Nintendo]]''."

'''Information'''

This error code indicates the ''Nintendo Switch 2'' or ''Nintendo Switch'' console you are using has been permanently banned from connecting online due to a breach of the user agreements.

A breach of user agreements may include, but is not limited to, activities such as:

- Fraudulent or unauthorized transactions

- Violation of our [https://www.nintendo.com/code-of-conduct/ Community Guidelines]</blockquote>Beyond this vague error code description, the company has refused to provide consumers with an equitable recourse if their device is banned, such as methods for reversal. This puts unnecessary risk for consumers purchasing the device, since banned consoles are capable of circulating within markets, especially via 2nd-hand markets such as [[eBay]].

==Consumer response==

Consumers are outraged at Nintendo for this enforcement,<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=FritangaPlays |date=Jun 18, 2025 |title=Switch 2 Brick Situation JUST GOT WORSE Nintendo Screws Over ANOTHER User |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Tk8ycQKWqo |access-date=Jun 18, 2025 |website=[[YouTube]]}}</ref> and it has faced coverage from numerous outlets such as Ars Technica,<ref name=":0" /> Android Authority,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Fernandez |first=Nick |date=Jun 17, 2025 |title=Nintendo is banning Switch 2 users for piracy, even if they're just backing up their games |url=https://www.androidauthority.com/switch-2-piracy-ban-mig-cart-3568200/ |access-date=Jun 19, 2025 |work=Android Authority}}</ref> Nintendo Life,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Doolan |first=Liam |date=Jun 16, 2025 |title=Nintendo Reportedly Banning Switch 2's Using MIG Cartridges |url=https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2025/06/nintendo-reportedly-banning-switch-2s-using-mig-cartridges?s=09 |access-date=Jun 19, 2025 |work=Nintendo Life}}</ref> and IGN.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Phillips |first=Tom |date=Jun 17, 2025 |title=Nintendo Launches Opening Salvo in War Against Switch 2 Game Pirates, as MIG Switch Users Report Online Service Bans |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/nintendo-launches-opening-salvo-in-war-against-switch-2-game-pirates-as-mig-switch-users-report-online-service-bans |access-date=Jun 19, 2025 |work=IGN}}</ref> A key concern discussed from consumers are how these banned consoles could easily circulate around markets,<ref name=":1" /> either through 2nd-hand transactions, or stores accepting refunds for these devices.

The core Nintendo community has instead shown general toxicity towards users who broke the agreements.<ref>{{Cite web |last=u/_SquareSphere |date=Jun 18, 2025 |title=You can’t do a system reset on a banned NS2 console. Nintendo has bricked a part of my console! |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/NintendoSwitch2/comments/1lejns8/you_cant_do_a_system_reset_on_a_banned_ns2/ |access-date=Jun 19, 2025 |website=[[Reddit]]}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Nintendo]]

User:BE243

2025-06-10T14:38:28Z

BE243: create UP with enwiki link

Mainly active on Wikipedia, [[wikipedia:User:BE243|under the same username]].

Kernel level anti-cheats

2025-06-10T12:05:48Z

BE243: /* Security Concerns */ clarify concerns, copyedit, provide sources

{{Stub}}Kernel-level anti-cheat is a subset of anti-cheat dedicated towards running above the user level. These types of anti-cheat, such as [[Easy Anti-Cheat|Easy Anticheat]] (EAC), have grown in popularity among large developers for their online multiplayer games.{{Citation needed}} Alongside this rise in popularity is additionally an increasing concern from both consumers regarding their privacy with the use of this software,{{Citation needed}} and from security professionals who recognize the significant risks of kernel-level software being breached.{{Citation needed}}

==How it works==
Kernel level anti-cheats run at the kernel level; the deepest and most authoritative level of the computer. In layman's terms, this essentially means the software is capable of tracking every process occurring on a computer, and additionally exhibit control if necessary. This is contrary to previous anti-cheats, which only had permissions so high as the user-level, which some cheating software exhibited forms of circumvention.

==Why it is a problem==
===Privacy Concerns===
Kernel-level anti-cheat has access to every process that runs on a computer, from a simple video running in the background, to processes that may be more private for the user. As this software is designed to run on startup,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rigney |first=Ryan K. |date=23 Feb 2024 |title=The Gamers Do Not Understand Anti-Cheat |url=https://www.pushtotalk.gg/p/the-gamers-do-not-understand-anti-cheat |access-date=2025-06-10 |website=Push To Talk}}</ref> this means even if the intended game the software was installed for is not currently running, it retains the capability to track the user's behaviors. This can range from gathering data that could be sold to advertisers, or if the software itself is hijacked by a malicious actor, the harvesting of sensitive personal information.

===Security Concerns===
Kernel-level software holds the highest authorization on the hardware of a user,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Litchfield |first=Ted |date=27 Feb 2024 |title=According to experts on kernel level anticheat, two things are abundantly clear: 1) It's not perfect and 2) It's not going anywhere |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/according-to-experts-on-kernel-level-anticheat-two-things-are-abundantly-clear-1-its-not-perfect-and-2-its-not-going-anywhere/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250406200223/https://www.pcgamer.com/according-to-experts-on-kernel-level-anticheat-two-things-are-abundantly-clear-1-its-not-perfect-and-2-its-not-going-anywhere/ |archive-date=2025-04-06 |access-date=2025-06-10 |website=PC Gamer}}</ref> this is favorable towards malicious actors.

If a malicious actor was to discover a security issue in a kernel level anti-cheat significant enough to allow them to hijack the software, they would be able to directly execute code at its level of access, allowing them to bypass security measures put in place by the operating system and anti-virus software.

This is not a purely hypothetical scenario; it has already taken place in an incident with the popular MMORPG [[Genshin Impact|''Genshin Impact'']], where the game's anti-cheat '''mhyprot2.sys''<nowiki/>' was hijacked by malicious actors to disable users' Antivirus software, with the intent of distributing ransomware.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Soliven |first=Ryan |last2=Kimura |first2=Hitomi |date=2022-08-24 |title=Ransomware Actor Abuses Genshin Impact Anti-Cheat Driver to Kill Antivirus |url=https://www.trendmicro.com/en_us/research/22/h/ransomware-actor-abuses-genshin-impact-anti-cheat-driver-to-kill-antivirus.html}}</ref>

==Examples==
*[[Electronic Arts|EA]] has a history of using anti-cheats such as [[Easy anti-cheat|EAC]], and recently switched to [[EA moves to in-house kernel-level anti-cheat on PC after purchase|an in-house developed kernel-level anti-cheat]].
*[[Rockstar Games|Rockstar]]'s ''Grand Theft Auto V'' [[GTA 5 moves to kernel-level anti-cheat on PC after purchase|moved to Kernel Level Anti-Cheats.]]
*[[Hoyoverse]]'s [[Genshin Impact|''Genshin Impact'']] has used a kernel-level anti-cheat since launch.

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Common terms]]