Nintendo Warns of Switch Bricking for Policy Breaches

Nintendo has updated its user agreement, introducing stricter terms for Switch owners who modify their consoles, use emulators, or engage in other unauthorized activities.

Game File reports that users received emails notifying them of revisions to the Nintendo Account Agreement and Privacy Policy. These changes, effective May 7, replace all previous versions and apply to both new and existing accounts. The report indicates approximately 100 modifications between the old and new agreements.

Prior to May 6, the agreement prohibited users from: "leasing, renting, sublicensing, publishing, copying, modifying, adapting, translating, reverse engineering, decompiling, or disassembling any portion of Nintendo Account Services without Nintendo's written consent, except where permitted by law."

The updated U.S. version expands these restrictions significantly:

"You expressly agree not to: (a) publish, copy, modify, reverse engineer, lease, rent, decompile, disassemble, distribute, sell, or create derivative works of Nintendo Account Services; (b) bypass, modify, decrypt, defeat, tamper with, or circumvent any protections; (c) install or use unauthorized copies; or (d) exploit the services beyond their intended purpose. Violations may result in Nintendo disabling your account or hardware functionality without notice, except where prohibited by law."

Nintendo Life notes the UK agreement differs slightly, specifying:

"Digital Products are licensed solely for personal, non-commercial use. Without Nintendo of Europe's permission, you may not lease, rent, sublicense, publish, copy, modify, reverse engineer, or decompile these products beyond legal allowances. Unauthorized use may render products inoperable."

While Nintendo hasn't explicitly defined "unusable," the language implies potential console deactivation for policy violations. Updated privacy terms also authorize Nintendo to monitor online communications to "maintain a safe environment and enforce account agreements."

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These revisions follow Nintendo's ongoing piracy challenges and precede the June 5 launch of the much-anticipated Nintendo Switch 2.

Pre-orders for the $449.99 Switch 2 began April 24 and sold out quickly. Nintendo has cautioned U.S. customers that high demand may delay launch day deliveries. For purchasing details, consult IGN's comprehensive pre-order guide.