The first batch of the Mig Switch flashcarts have made their way into the hands of reviewers. Plenty of initial impressions have gone live, with users showing off how the device works. Just as promised, you can in fact play your "legally owned Nintendo Switch games", across any model of Nintendo Switch. However, there are more questions raised than answered.

For one, it's still uncertain if and when you'll get banned after playing online using the Mig Switch--the team claims so long as you have a valid certificate, card ID set, and card UID, and a fully complete game dump, you'll be able to play online just fine. Whether or not Nintendo can notice and take action is something that will take time to see. In order to obtain updates and DLCs for games, you'll need to be online to download them, as the Mig Switch can't load those files itself.

This leads into another quandary. The three aforementioned aspects--the certificates and IDs--come from a backed up copy of a Nintendo Switch game. If someone were to illicitly share their certificate online, there could be dozens or hundreds of users using the same cert for multiple games, across multiple systems, at the same time. Since you can obtain a certificate from a physical game, there's growing concern as to how it could affect pre-owned backed up copies of games that might have had their certificates used and banned. We know for a fact that Nintendo has banned gamecart certificates in the past, as found by scene memeber SciresM back in 2018.

If you're interested in seeing the Mig Switch in action, there are a handful of reviews from notable emulation-focused YouTubers.

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So far, what are your thoughts on the Mig Switch? There's plenty of interesting quirks to the device, from its usage, to its mysterious development team. Have you ordered one, either to test out, or for use on trickier to softmod Switch revisions? Or are you staying away from anything to do with this flashcart?

 

[JeepX87]

World politics aside, im frustrated that something like this took so long to finally happen.

Nintendo banning game cards at this point is disheartening, but not surprising. It would be a problem if a banned game card led to having the console banned as well. Which, as I understand it, I fail to see the point, since a banned card id means thw game will be blocked from launching, not necessarily the console it's inserted on.

If someone sell cartridge with certificate banned, so secondhand won't know if it is certificate banned until they attempt to play online.

 

[Jayro]

Well this thread is a few days late...

World politics aside, im frustrated that something like this took so long to finally happen.

Nintendo banning game cards at this point is disheartening, but not surprising. It would be a problem if a banned game card led to having the console banned as well. Which, as I understand it, I fail to see the point, since a banned card id means thw game will be blocked from launching, not necessarily the console it's inserted on.

I think cart bans should just be a soft ban for like 2 weeks, and then lift. And ban the consile permanently istead, since that's another $300 in hardware the banned person now has to by. Win/Win for Nintendo, and it doesn't permanently hurt legit cart players/owners due to some fuckhead pirate also using the cert/ID online. A two-week cooldown is more than fair.

 

[G33ksquad]

Pandora's box is now fully open, so it's time I say what needs to be said before the chaos happens.

Now that this is going to get a crap ton more attention, I advise those who enjoy purchasing games used to be extremely careful now when doing so. It doesn't take much for an idiot to dump cartridge information, sell the original copy, still use said information with their flash device, and or share it with others, and if Nintendo detects two or more instances of the same data being utilized at once, all parties will receive a ban, innocent or not, it's not that they don't care, it's more like they can't really tell who is legit and who isn't because both instances pass with legitimate data, unless they know what to look for via a flaw with the flash device, it's not worth the risk.

As for those that will attempt to dump and sell their original games whilst using the original data for this device, those who think they are absolute geniuses by sharing unique cartridge data around thinking they are preservation heroes or some funky garbage like that, and those using such things so loosely because they simply just can't play by the rules for whatever excuse one wants to come up with, basically piracy related stupidity, sincerely in advance, screw you for ruining the used market and basically throwing anyone wanting to buy used games under risk. Hope the selfish gains are worth it.

Yes, I'm pretty bitter about this even in advance, not because the device exists, but because I know we don't have a lot of intelligent people with standard common sense out there to not be dumb enough to ruin it for everyone else.

I totally agree, their game vouchers are relatively affordable and a lot of titles can be had for $40 or less in the US, if you keep up with sales. Sadly I feel this may justify a digital future, one less thing to worry about on their end, and I feel that inherently goes against preservation. What easier way to protect physical carts than abandoning them altogether sadly. I won’t be shocked if they reference such devices in future calls. But piracy has always been a thing and when possible always will be.

 

[HarveyHouston]

It looks like a device for either piracy or emulation of legally-owned games not intended for the console... but it's a flash cart for legally-obtained Switch games? In that case, why not just use the Switch games' carts themselves?

I'm a bit confused at these Russian developers' intentions. My only guess is for download-only games that, when Switch services are eventually canned, can resurrect the Switch and make these games playable once more without the need of defunct services... but that doesn't make sense either, as it needs you to go online to obtain any missing content, like DLC. What is the true purpose?!?

 

[Blesmore]

Why printing FCC and ce logo on the box? I seriously doubt that this has been certified by the FCC or got a ce certification

 

[noobita029]

Personally waiting for cheap chinese clones. I never go online with my switch while gaming so bans wont be a problem

 

[Rahkeesh]

Why printing FCC and ce logo on the box? I seriously doubt that this has been certified by the FCC or got a ce certification

Why do they pretend to be from Russia, why do they pretend this device isn't intended for piracy? They think in vain it will somehow stave off the legal assault.

 

[tabzer]

Pandora's box is now fully open, so it's time I say what needs to be said before the chaos happens.

Now that this is going to get a crap ton more attention, I advise those who enjoy purchasing games used to be extremely careful now when doing so. It doesn't take much for an idiot to dump cartridge information, sell the original copy, still use said information with their flash device, and or share it with others, and if Nintendo detects two or more instances of the same data being utilized at once, all parties will receive a ban, innocent or not, it's not that they don't care, it's more like they can't really tell who is legit and who isn't because both instances pass with legitimate data, unless they know what to look for via a flaw with the flash device, it's not worth the risk.

As for those that will attempt to dump and sell their original games whilst using the original data for this device, those who think they are absolute geniuses by sharing unique cartridge data around thinking they are preservation heroes or some funky garbage like that, and those using such things so loosely because they simply just can't play by the rules for whatever excuse one wants to come up with, basically piracy related stupidity, sincerely in advance, screw you for ruining the used market and basically throwing anyone wanting to buy used games under risk. Hope the selfish gains are worth it.

Yes, I'm pretty bitter about this even in advance, not because the device exists, but because I know we don't have a lot of intelligent people with standard common sense out there to not be dumb enough to ruin it for everyone else.

The thing is that someone cannot tell a game cert has been ripped or not. It could have been ripped and not currently in use. I don’t doubt that there are already people stockpiling certs wherever they can get their hands on them. If Nintendo resorts to banning certs instead of flat-out breaking Mig’s operation in another way, people will be trading/selling certs just like they were with PS console IDs to circumvent console bans (and you know that you aren’t the only one getting the same cert). Nintendo’s reaction will determine if the second-hand market is safe. For now, I consider it riskier than ever.

 

[Subtle Demise]

Through these reviews, I finally got confirmation of what I already suspected. You just use existing certs and game ID and you can play the existing ROM dumps.

Boo. I was hoping repacked XCIs would work.

Wondering if custom XCI would work. I had a load of ones I'd made with updates and DLC.

They should as long as you use valid certs and IDs from legitimate games.

 

[Hassal]

Personally waiting for cheap chinese clones. I never go online with my switch while gaming so bans wont be a problem

I really don't understand these people, they are like criminals put on patrol they know they are screwed yet pretend they are fine. Pathetic. Man up and accept reality if you're doing illegal work.

 

[Metoroid0]

I wonder... if MIG switch, when inserted, acts like a legit game card with the legitimate certificates...
What if you tried to redeem gold points from new games in the flash cart...?

Actually the correct question is: What is the probabilty of getting banned if you try that?

you wont get banned if you use your own cartridge ir at least dont play copied game and original game you copied from on different consoles at the same time, than system at nintendo will detect there are more than tso of the same copies. thats a ban.

Post automatically merged: Jan 22, 2024

Through these reviews, I finally got confirmation of what I already suspected. You just use existing certs and game ID and you can play the existing ROM dumps.




They should as long as you use valid certs and IDs from legitimate games.

at that point he might just have a game itself.

 

[BaamAlex]

Are y'all ready for: "Why my Switch is banned" threads in the following months?

Also... 1 month until chinese clones it.

Count me in. I'm so ready.

 

[Metoroid0]

This card only needs some rudamentary basic OSD for selecting a game and it would be near perfect!

 

[Deleted member 194275]

This card only needs some rudamentary basic OSD for selecting a game and it would be near perfect!

all it needs is a button to cut off the power line for a split second, this way we wont need to eject the card.

 

[AlexMCS]

It seems like a cool alternative for those without CFW or modchips.
Also, us filthy offline pirates do not care about bans.

The only minor inconvenience of the ban is having to manually download the updates.
I maintain the notion that physical media died in 2006 with the PS3 though.

 

[Metoroid0]

all it needs is a button to cut off the power line for a split second, this way we wont need to eject the card.

there is a button. thats why i say it needs an OSD so we dont cycle randomly.

 

[BigOnYa]

Why printing FCC and ce logo on the box? I seriously doubt that this has been certified by the FCC or got a ce certification

Yep, even the barcode on the box is invalid and fake.

 

[G33ksquad]

I noticed yesterday it wasn’t on AliExpress any longer, wonder what the deal is. When an item goes out of stock you can still see it, in this case is looks like it was taken down.

 

[Deleted member 194275]

I noticed yesterday it wasn’t on AliExpress any longer, wonder what the deal is. When an item goes out of stock you can still see it, in this case is looks like it was taken down.

I could not find the product page here either, but yesterday it was there, and sold out.

 

[tabzer]

It seems like a cool alternative for those without CFW or modchips.
Also, us filthy offline pirates do not care about bans.

The only minor inconvenience of the ban is having to manually download the updates.
I maintain the notion that physical media died in 2006 with the PS3 though.

It's persistently on life support.

If game devs would allow people to trade and re-sell their digital games, or essentially own their own games, I'd have no more resistance. I don't like the idea of paying money only for a non-transferable, very conditional, license.