Buying a used Nintendo Switch is a popular option for those who want to enjoy the system more affordably, but these secondhand owners could end up facing some unfortunate consequences as one buyer has explained. The used game market has always carried some risks, but the Switch and its reliance on online connectivity has presented new issues for secondhand owners.
The used game market has always taken up a significant portion of game sales, particularly from those looking to get games on a budget. A 2022 study on the most popular used game consoles shows that previous generation consoles like the PS4 as well as later hardware like the Switch remain popular in the used game market despite both consoles being available at retailers. Nonetheless, buying used game consoles comes with having to contend with how the previous owner treated the console system as some used systems could have cosmetic or software damage.
One owner of a used Switch encountered an unexpected issue and shared their story on the Nintendo Switch subreddit. The buyer, who goes by the username maeday101, purchased a used Switch OLED in August of last year but recently turned it on to get an error code telling them their console had been permanently banned for participating in fraudulent activity. Similar to last year's wave of bans for Splatoon 3 cheaters, this ban keeps the console from connecting online despite maeday101 affirming that they did not hack their system or participate in any fraudulent activity, meaning that it was the fault of the previous owner.
After showing proof of purchase to Nintendo and confirming that the fraudulent activity was not committed by them, maeday101 was told that the ban on their console would not be lifted. They have since brought the case to Nintendo's complaints department and are awaiting a response. They added that they are worried about losing their save data backups which are dependent on Nintendo Switch Online which they can no longer access on their Switch OLED.
Nintendo has a reputation for enforcing how their consoles and games are used whether it be targeting those who use cheats, having lists of banned words in online Switch games, or taking legal action against developers of fan projects. However, this incident shows that some Switch owners could end up being wrongly targeted due to someone else's actions, and there is seemingly nothing in place to protect them. While this is likely not the first time this has happened to a used Switch owner, time will tell if Nintendo will change its policies to prevent future incidents of this nature.