A Nintendo Switch 2 user was banned by Nintendo after purchasing used Switch 1 games and updating them on his console.
Why was the user banned? The user dmanthey reported on Reddit that he was banned by Nintendo after he wanted to use games on his new Switch 2 that he had bought used for the old Switch 1. He had purchased four used games through the Facebook Marketplace, inserted them, and installed the respective updates.
The next day, when he turned on the console, he received a notification that he was excluded from Nintendo’s online services – he was even unable to download games he had already purchased.
It applies: Only after proof of purchase and ownership of the games can Nintendo lift the ban.
Protection Against Pirates
Why does Nintendo react so strictly? Nintendo is known for its strict DRM system (“Digital Rights Management”), which aims to protect digital content. When a game account is activated on a new console, the system checks whether all titles have been lawfully acquired – especially with digital versions. If games are acquired through used accounts or third parties, Nintendo may regard this as suspicious (via TomsHardware).
Particularly critical in this case: The account was banned before the user could respond or react. There was no warning – nor a direct explanation. For the player, this initially meant a complete loss of access to all content.
The good news: Nintendo support was very easy to reach and lifted the restrictions after the user provided evidence of the possible unintentional piracy purchase.
Do new rules increase the risk of bans? As the magazine GameFile reported back in May, Nintendo updated its online terms of service with the launch of the Switch 2. In it, the company reserves the right to permanently ban user accounts if violations of the agreement are found – without warning. Reasons include, among others, modifying the console, using piracy, or other unauthorized interventions in hardware or software.
Therefore, anyone wanting to use used games from the first Switch generation, like the Reddit user dmanthey, should carefully check their origin – and whether continuous proof is possible. Otherwise, it may become difficult to lift the ban. At the same time, the community is already experimenting with unusual ideas around the new console – such as an attempt to connect a classic Game Boy via USB stick:
