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…
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
One week later, this is what still surprises me most about Nintendo Switch 2
Mario Kart World appears on a Nintendo Switch 2 screen.

Last week, Nintendo gave us a whole wealth of Nintendo Switch 2 details. We learned about its games, its mysterious C-button, and got more details on how its mouse controllers worked. It was a presentation filled with surprises too, from a shocking Kirby Air Riders reveal to the announcement that GameCube games are coming to Nintendo Switch Online. I experienced some real shockers of my own when I went hands-on with the Switch 2 and found myself enamored with its new control scheme.

I've had a lot of time to process all the news since then, and even changed my tune on things I was initially critical of, like GameChat. Sitting down to reflect, there's one thing that still surprises me more than anything: just how next-gen the system actually feels.

Read more