Video Game Piracy Enters New Era as Japan Arrests Its First Alleged Modder of Nintendo Switch Consoles

Japanese authorities have made a landmark arrest in the fight against video game piracy. For the first time, a suspect has been apprehended for modifying Nintendo Switch consoles to play pirated games.

According to NTV News, a 58-year-old man was arrested on January 15th, accused of violating Japan's Trademark Act. The individual allegedly altered used Switch consoles by soldering modified components onto the circuit boards, enabling them to run illegally copied games. Authorities claim he pre-loaded 27 pirated titles onto each console before selling them for approximately ¥28,000 ($180 USD).

The suspect has reportedly confessed to the charges. Further investigations are underway to determine if other violations occurred.

This arrest highlights the ongoing battle between video game publishers and piracy. Nintendo, in particular, has aggressively pursued legal action against piracy, including a 2024 takedown of 8,500 copies of the Yuzu Switch emulator, following the emulator's own shutdown two months prior. Their initial lawsuit against the emulator's creator, Tropic Haze, cited the unauthorized distribution of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom over one million times before its official release.

This latest arrest follows a pattern of successful legal action against piracy. Previous cases include significant financial penalties against RomUniverse, a game file-sharing website, totaling over $14 million in damages. Nintendo also successfully prevented the release of the Dolphin GameCube and Wii emulator on the Steam platform.

Recently, a Nintendo patent lawyer shed light on the company's anti-piracy strategy. Koji Nishiura, Assistant Manager of the Intellectual Property Division, clarified that while emulators themselves aren't inherently illegal, their use for piracy constitutes a violation.