Nintendo grants itself the power to brick Switches with pirated games

Nintendo updated its user agreement, granting the company the right to permanently disable or "brick" Switch consoles found using pirated games or modifications. The updated language explicitly prohibits circumventing Nintendo's security measures. Previously, the agreement focused on account modifications; now, it directly addresses console tampering. Nintendo can render affected Switches unusable as a consequence of violating the agreement. This action follows Nintendo's aggressive stance against emulation. The company recently sued the Yuzu emulator developers and negotiated the closure of Ryujinx. The updated agreement coincides with the anticipated release of the Nintendo Switch 2. This move is a strong measure against piracy and unauthorized modifications. Nintendo's aim is to protect its intellectual property and maintain a controlled gaming environment.