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Nintendo Switch

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Revision as of 12:04, 19 June 2025 by JamesTDG (talk | contribs) (→Bricking consoles post-launch (June 2025 - Now): Trimming for the sake of brevity; all relevant info is covered in the main article)
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Nintendo Switch
Basic Information
Short description A series of portable gaming consoles released by Nintendo
Release Year 2025
Product Type Game Console
In Production Yes
Official Website Nintendoswitch2.com

The Nintendo Switch is a series of hybrid portable/home game consoles released by Nintendo since 2017 with the original Nintendo Switch. The most recent model in the series is the Nintendo Switch 2.

Consumer impact summary[edit | edit source]

  • User Freedom: - Content is locked behind a subscription wall (Nintendo Switch Online) - A recent privacy policy[1] change has reserved Nintendo the right to brick the console within the United States.[2] - The Switch 2 requires an internet connection in order to install a patch, which halted early adopters from playing on the system before launch.[3] - Switch 2 consoles can ban users from accessing online services if tampering is detected, such as MIG Switch cartridges.[4]
  • User Privacy: Unknown.
  • Business Model: Game sales, Nintendo Switch Online subscriptions
  • Market Control: Competing against Xbox, PlayStation, Valve's Steam Deck, among other smaller gaming handhelds.

Incidents[edit | edit source]

This is a list of all consumer protection incidents related to this product line. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the Nintendo Switch category.

Incidents affecting all of the company's products can be found in the company article: Nintendo

Bricking consoles before launch (May 2025)[edit | edit source]

Before the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo intentionally made Switch 2 consoles functionally useless for playing games until the June 5th release date.[3] This harms consumers who paid for the Switch 2 early from businesses that have ignored the official release date, and also requires that the console connect to the internet to be functional. It is unknown whether or not this online requirement will be retained for new Switch 2 consoles manufactured after the launch.

Additionally, Nintendo has been attempting to bury footage collected by these early users covering this, using the antipiracy firm Web Capio's assistance.[5][6]

Bricking consoles post-launch (June 2025 - Now)[edit | edit source]

Main article: Nintendo Switch bans

Discovered by owners of the Nintendo Switch 2, the console is capable of detecting when the console is being tampered with. Previous reports on GBATemp[7] were seen as questionable from the community,[citation needed] such as a voltage detection mechanism, however they did successfully predict that the MIG Switch cartridge can cause Nintendo Switch 2 consoles to be incapable of accessing online services,[4] including but not limited to the Nintendo eShop.

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

This has brought up concerns from the community[8] as banned consoles will be incapable of playing a majority of physically released titles. A significant portion of Nintendo Switch 2 software releases that are physical are only available via Game-Key Cards,[9] especially 3rd-party releases. These cards require access to the Nintendo eShop to be capable of installing the game, meaning consoles that are banned from online services from Nintendo are effectively incapable of playing most releases for the console.[4]

Requiring an online connection to set up Switch 2 consoles[edit | edit source]

As part of a measure to stop piracy, Nintendo requires that the console is connected online,[3][5] however, roughly 21% of the US population (72 million) individuals in the US lack at least home broadband, meaning that these users cannot use the Switch 2 if they wished to purchase it.[10] There are also concerns from consumers who live in sanctioned countries such as Russia,[11] as they may be unable to play the console in general, potentially risking a console ban,[11] with the internet setup restrictions.

Products[edit | edit source]

Consoles[edit | edit source]

  • Nintendo Switch
  • Nintendo Switch Lite
  • Nintendo Switch OLED
  • Nintendo Switch 2

Peripherals[edit | edit source]

  • Joy-cons
  • Pro Controller
  • Switch 2 Camera

Other[edit | edit source]

See also[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ "Nintendo Privacy Policy". Nintendo Accounts. Retrieved May 15, 2025.
  2. ↑ Run N Game Entertainment (May 13, 2025). "Is Nintendo breaking the law?". YouTube. Retrieved May 14, 2025.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Alleexxi (May 27, 2025). "The Nintendo Switch 2 is already in end users' hands. | Switch Locked behind Day 1 Patch". Reddit. Archived from the original on May 27, 2025. Retrieved May 28, 2025.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Scattered Brain (Jun 16, 2025). "Soo... Nintendo banned my Switch 2 (Don't try the MIG Switch!)". YouTube. Retrieved Jun 18, 2025.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Hernandez, Patricia (May 28, 2025). "After years of intense leaks, Nintendo's got the Switch 2 launch on lockdown". Polygon. Retrieved May 29, 2025.
  6. ↑ Gach, Ethan (May 27, 2025). "Tweet from @ethangach". X (formerly Twitter). Retrieved May 29, 2025.
  7. ↑ LagunaLoire88 (May 29, 2025). "Post from LagunaLoire88". GBATemp. Retrieved Jun 18, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  8. ↑ FritangaPlays (Jun 18, 2025). "Switch 2 Brick Situation JUST GOT WORSE Nintendo Screws Over ANOTHER User". YouTube. Retrieved Jun 18, 2025.
  9. ↑ Cohen, Jason (Jun 5, 2025). "Buying Physical? Watch Out For the Switch 2's Game-Key Cards". PC Mag. Retrieved Jun 18, 2025.
  10. ↑ Researchers at Pew Research (Nov 13, 2024). "Internet, Broadband Fact Sheet". Pew Research Center. Retrieved May 29, 2025.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 wirantoos (May 28, 2025). "Nintendo Switch 2 - leaked first boot!". Reddit. Retrieved May 29, 2025.
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