Nintendo has intensified its anti-piracy measures with the Switch 2, including new terms in its End User License Agreement that permit the company to disable consoles if unauthorized use is detected. Following the Switch 2 launch, many owners have reported losing all online functionality after attempting to use MiG carts, a popular piracy tool. Now, some of these disabled consoles are being resold to unsuspecting buyers.
A Reddit user, Bimmytung, shared their experience purchasing a second-hand Switch 2 Mario Kart edition at Walmart. Though the console was listed as an open-box return and inspected in-store, they encountered Error Code 2124-4508 during setup, which effectively disables online features. The user was able to return the device to Walmart, but the issue raises concerns for buyers who purchase used consoles from less flexible outlets such as online marketplaces.
MiG carts, which mimic standard Switch cartridges but allow loading individual game files via a PC, became widely used on the original Switch for piracy without jailbreaking. The Switch 2 supports backward compatibility with these carts, but an update enables the console to detect their use and restrict online functions accordingly. This prevents game downloads, store access, multiplayer, updates, and certain account-related checks, severely limiting the console’s usability.
While there are legitimate uses for MiG carts, such as running homebrew games, Nintendo’s aggressive blocking of any detected use raises potential legal questions in the future.
For buyers, the immediate concern is the challenge of identifying bricked consoles in the resale market, especially given the Switch 2’s limited availability from official retailers. Since reselling does not benefit Nintendo, the company is unlikely to prioritize solutions for this issue, potentially complicating the used console market throughout the Switch 2’s lifecycle.