Nintendo user agreement tweak threatens to brick your Switch 2 and Nintendo Account if you mod or use “unauthorized” games

Nintendo released an updated version of its Nintendo User Agreement last night. While this may not seem very exciting, some of the changes and additions in the fine print could have serious consequences for those who try to tamper with the Switch 2 and its games and services.

Reported by Stephen Totilo at Game File, the updates seem to target individuals who enjoy modifying Nintendo hardware, particularly those who hack consoles for emulation purposes. The consequences of such actions could now result in the permanent unusability of Nintendo Account Services and/or the relevant Nintendo device.

The previous clause in the User Agreement stated: “You are not allowed to lease, rent, sublicense, publish, copy, modify, adapt, translate, reverse engineer, decompile or disassemble all or any portion of the Nintendo Account Services without Nintendo’s written consent, or unless otherwise expressly permitted by applicable law.” The recent additions expand on the actions that violate the user agreement and the corresponding penalties.

It now explicitly states that “distributing, offering for sale, or creating derivative works” is a breach of the agreement, targeting emulator creators directly.

Furthermore, the User Agreement prohibits users from various activities such as bypassing, modifying, decrypting, tampering with, or circumventing the functions or protections of the Nintendo Account Services. It also restricts the use of unauthorized copies of Nintendo Account Services and exploiting them in any way not intended by Nintendo.

In simpler terms, any modification of Nintendo hardware or software that deviates from its intended purpose is now against the rules and could result in the permanent nonfunctionality of Nintendo games and/or consoles.

For regular users who simply purchase consoles and games, these changes may not have much impact. However, for those who engage in jailbreaking or unauthorized modifications, the risks have increased. This could also make future emulation attempts more challenging, hindering efforts towards game preservation.

What are your thoughts on these updates? Share your opinions below!