A few days after the monumental reveal of a work-in-progress flashcart being made for the Nintendo Switch, more information has been made available. The previously unnamed flashcart is set to be called "Mig Switch", and the initial Twitter user that unveiled the Mig Switch's existence, After Time X, managed to get in contact with the team behind it all. According to them, they were offered a review unit of the Mig Switch, but turned it down, as the After Time X team fears legal repercussions from dealing with "backup loader" hardware.

Another interesting tidbit is that existing dumps of Switch games will NOT be compatible with the Mig Switch, and backups will need to be repacked to function with the flashcart. Games played with the flashcart can be played online, as well.

The Mig Switch currently has a website, where it is seeking distributors to work together with in order to sell initial limited quantities of the Mig Switch device, with the first units to be delivered sometime in January. The team claims that full availability is expected around March/April 2024. It'll come with the Mig Switch card, and the Mig Switch Dumper, with the latter of which allowing you to back up your games using NXdumpTool.

More Details Has Been Uncovered About the First Switch Flashcart

After some digging around by our @AfterTimeX journalists, it was discovered that the “Switch Flashcart” in fact has a name, “Mig Switch” and they agreed to answer a few of our questions about some points that… pic.twitter.com/kQtXdSNg7E

— After Time X (@AfterTimeX) December 27, 2023

Official Website

 

[TomSwitch]

I meant once they are on a migswitch , effectively they have cloned the cart since the mig switch is just a 1:1 backup, and I can see legit people juat thinking screw it I'll sell my collection now I dont need it.

But you do need people to not have those original because otherwise both risk getting banned. You can destroy them in a fire and you will be happy keeping the backups.

 

[tech3475]

Presuming this is true and otherwise undetectable.

The only realistic way they can prevent people selling/renting/borrowing carts and potentially affecting some 'innocent' people would be to have some kind of DRM verification e.g. once every x months you need to insert the cart into the dumper, which obviously isn't going to happen.

The only realistic options to avoid ANY risks are that you either don't buy second hand/rent/borrow games otherwise you have to hope you avoid dumped carts or that Nintendo doesn't ban the game/console/account. That said, if they do mass banning or it becomes a common issue, I wont be surprised if it gets media attention, especially if young kids are involved.

 

[barabanov]

Safety comes first!

A geiger meter is always a smart device to use alongside anything made from Russia... Never know what a hacked Nintendo switch card from Russia might hold

Soon, avaliable from US, comes with a pretty picture of T0m Cruise, called F-somenthing-number

 

[linkinworm]

But you do need people to not have those original because otherwise both risk getting banned. You can destroy them in a fire and you will be happy keeping the backups.

But you only need 10 decent switch games you want to sell and it's an easy £300 or what ever prices are in America. Average switch user likely has way more than that, they ain't just going to throw them away just because they got a flashcart

 

[Wario]

I wonder what the fallout will be with GameFly and other Switch game rental businesses.

 

[TomSwitch]

I wonder what the fallout will be with GameFly and other Switch game rental businesses.

Two possibilities
1 Nintendo take this opportunity to let them die without much blood on their hands, after they die then go after MIG
2 Nintendo help them and don't ban duplicated cards, instead just focus on killing MIG

I think 1 is more likely. I suppose Nintendo hate secondary market for cart. Letting MIG kill it would be very satisfying for them. Maybe they may even let MIG be to maintain the new status quo.

 

[G33ksquad]

someone using a MIG would be likely to have 3 or more cart IDs that show up as cloned, I think there would be an analysis tool to observe behavior that could differentiate between a console with a cart that was played with a duplicate ID but mixed in with non duplicated IDs vs a console that only plays duplicated IDs and is likely using a MIG. They could also keep tabs on game IDs that end up being shared online, and only ban these as I’m sure a lot of pirates will get them from sharing sites once they are available. There are a few ways to differentiate between pirate and someone who has a used game that was cloned.

 

[Draxzelex]

Two possibilities
1 Nintendo take this opportunity to let them die without much blood on their hands, after they die then go after MIG
2 Nintendo help them and don't ban duplicated cards, instead just focus on killing MIG

I think 1 is more likely. I suppose Nintendo hate secondary market for cart. Letting MIG kill it would be very satisfying for them. Maybe they may even let MIG be to maintain the new status quo.

Why not both? Nintendo is a big enough company that they can let the banning division drop the hammer while their ninjas can track down Mig.

 

[SylverReZ]

Why not both? Nintendo is a big enough company that they can let the banning division drop the hammer while their ninjas can track down Mig.

It wouldn't be long until clones will start to appear, much like the SX modchips. Nintendo wouldn't do jack shit in China since piracy is very rampant.

 

[Draxzelex]

It wouldn't be long until clones will start to appear, much like the SX modchips. Nintendo wouldn't do jack shit in China since piracy is very rampant.

True but it certainly won't keep Nintendo from trying. They had people whose jobs were solely to spy on scene hackers. Dispatching a few people to track down Mig Switch doesn't seem that far-fetched of an idea to me if its coming from Nintendo.

 

[SylverReZ]

True but it certainly won't keep Nintendo from trying. They had people whose jobs were solely to spy on scene hackers.

Only scene hackers, but not Chinese bootleggers from making copycat designs of modchips. Nintendo once filed an injunction against XKit for selling the RCM Loader, by now the hardware was cloned soon enough by other manufacturers. So, say what you will, but the MIG Switch will for sure not long be cloned.

 

[Draxzelex]

Only scene hackers, but not Chinese bootleggers from making copycat designs of modchips. Nintendo once filed an injunction against XKit for selling the RCM Loader, by now the hardware was cloned soon enough by other manufacturers. So, say what you will, but the MIG Switch will for sure not long be cloned.

I know, I'm just saying Nintendo is insane and will do whatever they can to protect their IP no matter how fruitless it may be.

 

[Viri]

They had people whose jobs were solely to spy on scene hackers.

That's silly, Nintendo would never do such a thing!

 

[SylverReZ]

Some new information regarding Mig Switch.



Apparently, they're suffering from so-called "production delays" for the dumper tool. What delays? Does that mean that you haven't even made it yet?
I'm getting some major red flags from this.

 

[BigOnYa]

Some new information regarding Mig Switch.



Apparently, they're suffering from so-called "production delays" for the dumper tool. What delays? Does that mean that you haven't even made it yet?
I'm getting some major red flags from this.

I mean at this point it's kinda a meme. - You can use this flash card on any non modded switches, oh btw you must have a modded switch to setup this flash card.

 

[SylverReZ]

You can use this flash card on any non modded switches, oh btw you must have a modded switch to setup this flash card.

I'm not certain if your post is sarcasm or poorly explained. The flash card will surely work on un-modded consoles according to every single article there is out.

 

[BigOnYa]

I'm not certain if your post is sarcasm or poorly explained. The flash card will surely work on un-modded consoles according to every single article there is out.

But to load up the Card at first, you will need a modded Switch to dump your titles/ certs/ id. Until the dumper is released. So anyone who buys this and does not have an already modded Switch, can't do much with it.

 

[SylverReZ]

But to load up the Card at first, you will need a modded Switch to dump your titles/ certs/ id. Until the dumper is released.

Technically yes (in a legal sense). About everyone would pirate the games first.

 

[TheStonedModder]

But to load up the Card at first, you will need a modded Switch to dump your titles/ certs/ id. Until the dumper is released.

Time to start a gbatemp store for selling certs!

The xbox 360 keyvault days are back!

 

[SylverReZ]

Time to start a gbatemp store for selling certs!

The xbox 360 keyvault days are back!

Nintendo ninjas roam on GBAtemp regulary, so better watch out.