Nintendo Switch bans

With the release of the Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo has already exercised rights it reserved back in early May 2025. Seen from these bans is that from blocking online services to the Nintendo Switch 2, they are effectively bricked, as features consumers take for granted, such as the Nintendo eShop or account management, require access to said online services offered by Nintendo.

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.

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.
• Factory resetting - Demonstrated by Scattered Brain, the console is incapable of being factory reset.
• 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.

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, especially as consumers are incapable of reversing these bans themselves.

The core Nintendo community has instead shown general toxicity towards users who broke the agreements.