Days after an alleged visit by Nintendo lawyers at CES 2025, where the third-party accessory maker… Showcasing a mockup of the rumored Switch 2 console, and now there’s been a Switch-related arrest.

A Japanese man was arrested To modify Nintendo Switch consoles and then sell them.

Modifying controllers has been a common practice for years, dating back to cheat devices like the GameShark for the original PlayStation. Over time, enthusiasts and gamers have developed methods to jailbreak consoles, enabling them to play pirated games or perform tasks beyond their intended capabilities.

Japan strongly opposes such activities, and now another individual faces legal consequences for engaging in these practices.

According to local media, a 58-year-old man has been arrested on charges of violating trademark law by altering and selling modified Nintendo Switch systems.

Reports suggest that he altered the consoles’ circuit boards, soldering modified components onto them to allow pirated games to run. Each modded console was sold with 27 pirated games included.

He used pre-owned Nintendo Switch consoles to make his modifications and sold them for about $180 each.

While modifying a personal gaming system often escapes legal scrutiny, selling modified consoles or games usually results in serious consequences in Japan. In the past, similar cases have arisen, such as individuals being arrested for altering Pokemon games by adding creatures that players had not earned.

Another incident occurred in 2020 when a 44-year-old man was arrested for modifying a PlayStation 3 to burn game discs, allowing the originals to be returned or resold.