Oh boy, you wouldn’t believe what happened to this guy with his shiny new Nintendo Switch 2. So, he picks up a few second-hand Switch 1 games from, you won’t believe this, Facebook Marketplace. Classic move, right? Puts them in his Switch 2, gets ‘em all patched up — feeling like Christmas morning, I bet. Next day, bam! A notice pops up like an unwanted guest that says he’s been banned from Nintendo’s online club. Can’t even download his own games. Seriously, ouch.
This fella, dmanthey or something, jumps into action, heads over to Nintendo Support. Turns out, it was pirated game vibes throwing off his groove. But here’s the kicker — he’s innocent. Shows off those Facebook listings, sends a couple of pics of his game stash, and boom, he’s back in the game. Apparently, this was a smoother ride than dealing with, say, Microsoft or Sony. Can’t say I’m surprised; tech support can be a rollercoaster. Side note: others say it doesn’t always go this smoothly. Buyer beware, huh?
Now, Nintendo does not mess around when it comes to their stuff. Heard of folks getting the boot for using some Mig Flash? Yeah, even with their ROMs. And while the ban isn’t exactly turning your Switch 2 into a brick, you’re looking at a pretty limited experience without online access. Talk about restrictive.
You’d think buying used games is all sunshine and rainbows, but one dodgy seller and you’re in hot water. They’ve probably cloned the games onto another card — sold the original cartridge as used. Cheeky! Nintendo has a bird’s eye view and if they see two of the same game doing the rounds, uh oh, they rope in the console that got duped. It’s like a game of cat and mouse. And guess what? You’re the mouse.
But hey, if you can show you got straight-up tricked, Nintendo might just let you off the hook. Though, who knows if you’ll still get to play those old cartridges? Feels like walking on thin ice if you ask me.
For a steady stream of tech twists and turns, keep Tom’s Hardware on your radar. They’ve got the lowdown straight to your feed.
