Nintendo Cracks Down on Switch 2 Users Running Mig Cartridges
Nintendo has begun taking swift action against owners of its new Switch 2 console, issuing permanent online service bans to users detected employing the Mig cartridge. This move signals an early and aggressive stance by Nintendo against unauthorized hardware on its latest system, impacting users who may be attempting to play game backups or potentially pirated titles.
Reports from multiple sources, including IGN and Tom’s Hardware, confirm that Switch 2 consoles are receiving Error Code 2134-4508. This specific error indicates a permanent restriction from Nintendo’s online services. Crucially, this ban is tied to the console hardware itself, not the user’s Nintendo Account, though the consequences for the user experience are severe.
What is the Mig Cartridge and Why is Nintendo Banning It?
The Mig, sometimes referred to as Mig Flash or Mig Switch, is a device designed to look and function like a standard Nintendo Switch game cartridge. However, it includes a microSD card slot, allowing users to load multiple game files (ROMs or dumps) onto a single cartridge and switch between them.
Using the Mig typically involves dumping game data from physical cartridges using tools like the Mig Dumper, or acquiring game files from other sources. While the creators of the Mig market it as a “backup and development device” intended for use with “personal game backups” and self-dumped files containing authentic identification data, Nintendo’s policy is far broader.
Nintendo considers the use of unauthorized hardware like the Mig a violation of its user agreements, regardless of whether a user claims to be playing a legitimately owned backup or a pirated copy. Detection methods appear effective enough to flag the use of the device itself, even when users report only attempting to load “perfectly legal dumps” of their own purchased games.
The Impact: What Happens When Your Switch 2 is Banned?
While a console banned for Mig use isn’t completely “bricked” (it can still play offline games), the loss of online services significantly cripples the device’s functionality. Affected users lose access to:
Online multiplayer (e.g., competitive modes in games)
The Nintendo eShop for purchasing digital games or downloading updates
Cloud save data backups
Streaming apps and other internet-dependent features
Demonstrations by users, such as YouTube creator Scattered Brain, show that attempting online activities or even interacting with account features that require internet connectivity on the console becomes impossible. While some account-related actions might still be possible via Nintendo’s website on another device, the banned Switch 2 itself is blocked.
A particularly severe consequence highlighted by user experiences is related to factory resets. Attempting a factory reset on a banned Switch 2 can prevent the console from ever signing into any Nintendo Account again, effectively rendering it incapable of accessing future online services should the ban status ever change (which is unlikely) or potentially limiting functionality tied to account verification.
Nintendo’s History and Updated Policy
Nintendo has a long and well-known history of aggressively pursuing those who pirate its games and create unauthorized devices. The ban on Mig users on the Switch 2 is consistent with this established pattern.
Furthermore, prior to the Switch 2’s launch, Nintendo updated its Nintendo Account Agreement. The revised terms explicitly warned that using “hardware or software that would cause the Nintendo Account Services to operate other than in accordance with its documentation and intended use” could result in the device becoming “permanently unusable in whole or in part.” While the current bans target online functionality rather than a full brick, they align directly with the risks Nintendo outlined.
This rapid response, coming within days or weeks of the Switch 2’s release, underscores Nintendo’s commitment to protecting its platform and revenue streams on the new hardware generation. The message is clear: using unauthorized devices like the Mig cartridge on the Switch 2 carries a high risk of permanent online prohibition.
