Nintendo Switch bans

With the release of the Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo has already exercised rights it reserved back in early May 2025. 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 their agreements to 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, and force users seeking legal recourse into forced arbitration.

This update has brought severe concerns from both consumers and the media, as they expected that Nintendo would enforce the totality of these terms.

Effective bricking via banning

A screenshot from a video by Scattered Brain, displaying his Switch 2 console being bricked

In June of 2025, 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, and as he discovered, a significant portion of the console's functionality depends on these online services. The following is a non-exhaustive list of the services that a banned Nintendo Switch 2 is incapable of accessing:

• Nintendo eShop - This service is required for installing games from game-key cards, which a majority of physical third-party releases are distributed on. Nintendo Switch 1 compatibility is additionally at risk due to bans, since the Switch 2 does not fully support the legacy library, 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.
• 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:

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 Community Guidelines

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.

Banned consoles circulating the market

Only days after initial reports of MIG Switch cartridges causing effective bricks due to Nintendo, predictions surrounding the console circulating the market have become true. Not only has the standard 2nd-hand market for the console already put consumers at risk of accidentally purchasing these systems, but consoles being returned to retail stores such as Walmart are also at risk of being repackaged on shelves. Retail returns in particular cannot reliably test for bans, as the console requires access to the internet to inform the user that the console is bricked.

Additional methods of bans

Archived screenshot of a user who got banned over their username

In June 2025, Switch 2 users reported receiving console bans due to usernames that go against Nintendo's policies. The user "Twink Link" caused her family's Switch 2 console to receive a swift ban from Nintendo, which the username was reported from support to have been the reason why the console was flagged and thus banned by Nintendo. They were told by Nintendo support initially that the ban couldn't be undone. In an update to the post from the same user however, a different agent informed them that the username was not the cause of the system ban, and some unknown element flagged the console to cause it to be banned, and the device is reported to soon be unbanned.

The fact that this false flag occurred without Nintendo support understanding how it could have happened has brought concern from consumers, as consumers receive no warnings or prior notices to getting banned, and thus being unable to interact with mandatory online services.^{[citation needed - Needs more sources]}

Consumer response

Consumers are outraged at Nintendo for this enforcement, and it has faced coverage from numerous outlets such as Ars Technica, Android Authority, Nintendo Life, and IGN. A key concern discussed from consumers are how these banned consoles could easily circulate around markets, 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.