Nintendo will take your Switch 2 offline forever if you use a Mig flash cartridge

Some Switch 2 owners have received the error code 2134-4508, which results in their consoles being permanently banned from accessing any of its online services, as spotted by IGN. It’s not a ban hammer from sucking at Mario Kart World, thankfully for me, but one that’s targeting consoles that have used a Mig – a microSD card-equipped Switch cartridge that can be filled with copies of games.

Running games on the Mig requires you to download them from others who have dumped files off of cartridges, or dump the games yourself with something like the Mig Dumper, then load them onto a microSD card. Whether you’ve used one to play pirated games, or to play copies of games that you own, Nintendo’s stance on the matter is broad: It considers both to be violations of its user agreements.

The makers of the Mig cartridge have taken reasonable efforts to distance itself from what a majority of buyers will likely do with it, which is play pirated games. The cartridge’s product page notes that it “serves as a backup and development device solely supporting gaming using personal game backups. [...] To maintain the Mig Flash warranty during online play, it’s essential to utilize self-dumped backups with authentic Certificate, UID, and Card Set ID.”

Nintendo isn’t bricking the consoles of offenders, at least, not immediately. YouTube creator Scattered Brain posted a video about their banned Switch 2 in which they tried to find a way around the ban. Attempting to visit the eShop wasn’t possible, nor was unlinking an account from the console, since both activities require the internet. They were able to unlink Virtual Game Cards from their Switch 2 from Nintendo’s account management site and load them onto a Switch OLED, suggesting that the ban is limited to the hardware and not the account. However, a factory reset essentially bricked their Switch 2, as it no longer allowed signing into any Nintendo Account. This is something that Nintendo reserves the right to do per its updated account services user agreement and privacy policy.

No one, but especially Mig users, should be surprised about this ban. Nintendo has a rich history of aggressively pursuing those who pirate its games, as well as those who build emulators that can run pirated copies of games originally made for its platforms. Considering that the Switch 2 is the fastest-selling console of all time, Nintendo’s clearly throwing everything it’s got at making sure gamers are playing by its rules.