If you’re booting up a shiny new Nintendo Switch 2 and thinking about saving a few bucks with used games, you might want to think again. One unlucky player has learned the hard way that Nintendo’s anti-piracy systems are more than just aggressive — they’re actively nuking accounts over second-hand carts.
Reddit user dmanthey shared that their Switch 2 was banned after installing four used Switch 1 games bought via Facebook Marketplace. No hacking. No modding. Just regular old physical games — the kind you’re supposed to be able to play. The ban didn’t just block online play; it locked the user out of the eShop, including access to games they’d already purchased digitally. Their crime? Using game cartridges previously flagged as pirated.
This wasn’t a fluke. Nintendo recently updated its user agreement to allow permanent console bans if it suspects violations, including use of unauthorized software, hardware mods, or pirated content — even unintentionally. The fine print is brutal. You’re now explicitly acknowledging that Nintendo can “render the device permanently unusable in whole or in part” if it feels you broke the rules. Whether that decision is accurate, proportional, or even reviewable? That’s a different story.
In this case, the ban was reversed after dmanthey contacted support and provided proof of purchase. According to their post, Nintendo support was quick, helpful, and got them back online without hassle — which, to be fair, is more than you can usually expect from console support lines. But it still raises a larger problem: how many people even can provide receipts for second-hand games? And how many are about to learn the hard way that Nintendo’s DRM doesn’t care?
The Switch 2 is Nintendo’s fastest-selling console to date, but it’s also arriving in a world where gamers are more cautious than ever about ownership. Between Nintendo’s push to kill off emulation, DRM-heavy design, and a growing reliance on its subscription service for retro titles, it’s becoming clearer with each policy change that players aren’t buying games — they’re leasing access.
And the irony? If you do get banned for touching the wrong cart, you’ll have to go online to fix it — the same online access you just lost. The only workaround: contacting Nintendo support through their live chat system, which thankfully seems to be staffed by actual humans and not just a chatbot with Mario’s mustache slapped on.
Bottom line: If you’re buying second-hand Switch 1 games for your Switch 2, you’re rolling the dice. Unless you know exactly where the cart came from, or you’re fine with chasing down receipts, it might be safer to skip the Facebook Marketplace deals and stick with first-party sources.
Otherwise, you might find yourself locked out of your console — not because you broke the rules, but because someone else did.
