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 run pirated games.

According to NTV News, a 58-year-old man was arrested on January 15th for violating Japan's Trademark Act. The individual allegedly altered used Switch consoles by soldering modified components onto their circuit boards, enabling the execution of illegally obtained software. Each modified console, pre-loaded with 27 pirated games, was reportedly sold for ¥28,000 (approximately $180).

The suspect has confessed to the charges, and police are investigating potential further offenses.

This arrest highlights the ongoing battle between game publishers and piracy. Nintendo, a frequent target, launched a takedown request in May 2024 affecting 8,500 copies of the Yuzu Switch emulator, following its shutdown two months earlier. Their earlier lawsuit against Yuzu's creator, Tropic Haze, cited over one million pirated copies of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom before its official release.

Legal action against piracy is escalating. Previous successful cases include lawsuits against RomUniverse, resulting in $2.1 million in damages to Nintendo in 2021 and over $12 million in 2018. These actions also impacted the Dolphin GameCube and Wii emulator's availability on Steam.

Recently, a Nintendo patent lawyer shed light on the company's anti-piracy strategy, emphasizing the link between emulator proliferation and software piracy. Koji Nishiura, Assistant Manager of Nintendo's Intellectual Property Division, noted the ongoing debate surrounding emulator legality, clarifying that while emulators themselves aren't inherently illegal, their use can become unlawful depending on the context.