Nintendo Switch 2: Running second-hand games can render the console almost unusable

The Nintendo Switch 2 can also play first-gen Switch games. Now, a user on Reddit is reporting that his Nintendo Switch 2 was banned because he attempted to run a second-hand Nintendo Switch game on the Nintendo Switch 2. In the Reddit thread, the user speaks extensively about the issue, also praising Nintendo Support. We would like to expressly point out that this is an isolated incident so far and not one publicly confirmed by Nintendo itself. If the description is accurate, the risk of being affected by this issue when purchasing a second-hand game is relatively low, but cannot be completely ruled out.

According to the user's own statements, he purchased several second-hand titles for the Nintendo Switch via Facebook Marketplace, inserted them and installed the necessary patches. The following day, the console reported that access to online services was restricted, and thereafter confirmed the console's ban. Upon request, the user then sent photos of the Facebook Marketplace listing and the cartridges to Nintendo, after which his account was unlocked. Blocking the console also makes it impossible to access updates or DLC, and the use of game key cards becomes impossible.

Nintendo also explained to the user how the ban came about: Apparently, the previous owner of the cartridges had created a disk image, which Nintendo detected (for example, through the use of a MiG card with the online function enabled and through the cartridge serial numbers) and subsequently initiated a blocking of the account(s).