Skip to main content

You may want to think twice before modding the Nintendo Switch 2

Players laugh together as they play Nintendo Switch 2.
Nintendo

Nintendo just updated it’s user agreement and privacy policy, and while almost no one reads those things, this is important: violating the policy could result in Nintendo permanently bricking the console. The updated policy is one more step in Nintendo’s ongoing battle against piracy and emulation, but it’s also worth noting that the phrasing is different depending on where you live.

For US residents, it reads, “You acknowledge that if you fail to comply with the foregoing restrictions Nintendo may render the Nintendo Account Services and/or the applicable Nintendo device permanently unusable in whole or in part.”

Recommended Videos

According to Eurogamer, the UK and European clause reads “Such unauthorised use of a Digital Product may result in the Digital Product becoming unusable.”

Nintendo hasn’t specified exactly what “unusable” means, but it seems like it goes beyond a simple ban. Of course, this isn’t outside the norm; Nintendo is notorious for its aggression towards pirates, modders, and other things it perceives as violations. The ongoing lawsuit against Palworld is just one example, and that has resulted in the publisher changing several elements of the game that are too similar to Nintendo properties.

Many see Nintendo’s actions as an affront to games preservation, but Nintendo sees the moves as necessary to protect its interests.

In addition to its user agreement, Nintendo’s privacy policy has also been updated leading up to the Nintendo Switch 2 launch. It specifically addresses the new Game Chat feature: “Feature-specific communication content such as video and voice chats may be recorded and stored for up to 24 hours on the User Devices of all users participating in a chat. This enables users to report potentially inappropriate interactions that may infringe applicable laws and/or Nintendo Code of Conduct.”

Nintendo can use the recordings to take action against players who violate guidelines. The Switch 2 has a built-in microphone, but the camera accessory is optional. The new policy raises concerns over privacy, especially as the Nintendo Switch 2 is marketed as a family console, but Nintendo claims the recordings are to support a “safe and family-friendly online environment.”

Patrick Hearn
Patrick Hearn writes about smart home technology like Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, smart light bulbs, and more. If it's a…
These are the Nintendo Switch 2 sequels I really want to see
An angry Wiggler ambushes the heroes from behind in Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope.

In the torturously long wait for the Nintendo Switch 2 to arrive, I've been reflecting on its predecessor's deep game library. The Switch has one of the best game collections of any console, if not the best. That's largely thanks to a bevy of high-quality exclusives from Nintendo's biggest franchises. Naturally, I want to see new Fire Emblem and Animal Crossing games on Switch 2, but I've also been considering what smaller games could fit right at home on a console that introduces an entirely new control scheme.

As I put together a true dream list of games that could work with Switch 2's new features, I started to realize that it wasn't the big games I was most excited for. Instead, I started dreaming up sequels to some of the Switch's most niche releases. Those are the games that feel like they could take advantage of mouse controls or camera support the most. I say all that to prepare you for this list of Switch games that I'd like to see get a Switch 2 sequel, because it might confuse you at first glance. It's not that I don't want to see Super Mario Odyssey 2 or any heavy hitters of that nature; I just see a lot of opportunities for Nintendo's B-games to reach their fullest potential here.

Read more
The Nintendo Switch 2’s launch game lineup is more exciting than you think
Donkey Kong punching through a crystallized banana in Donkey Kong Bananza.

The Nintendo Switch 2 was fully unveiled April 2, giving us slew of console details and new game announcements. One of the biggest surprises is that it'll get a brand new 3D Donkey Kong game as one of its first big games. Though rumors of the game's existence had been floating around for years, its confirmation -- especially over that of a heavily predicted Mario game -- has made for a strange and incredibly welcome change of pace.

If it wasn't already clear, I think this switch up rules.

Read more
I need these 10 GameCube games on Nintendo Switch 2 as soon as possible
A Nintendo GameCube sits on a table with Luigi's Mansion.

There are tons of exciting features coming to Nintendo Switch 2, but what's the one thing I'm most excited about? Nintendo GameCube games are coming to Switch Online. I know it's the nostalgia talking, but I can't help it. The Nintendo GameCube was my first real childhood console and I have a lot of warm memories tied to it as a result. I can't wait to jump back into games like F-Zero GX and Soulcalibur 2, two defining games of my childhood, the first chance I get.

My love for the GameCube isn't just about the good memories, though. To this day, I still believe that the GameCube features perhaps the best exclusive video game lineup of any console. It's not a deep catalogue, but it featured some of Nintendo's most experimental swings as well as some oddball third-party exclusives that have rarely been ported to other platforms since. With the Switch Online upgrade, there's now a great opportunity for Nintendo to bring some of those great games back from the grave, just as it's already doing with games like Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance. These are the eight games that I hope to see add in the service's first year (assuming that recently remastered games like Metroid Prime are out of the equation).

Read more