Mig Flash V2 shown working on Nintendo Switch 2 — could pave the way for Switch 1 games on latest console

The MIG Flash (formerly MIG-Switch) flash cart has been demonstrated to be compatible with the Nintendo Switch 2, backed by a small teaser from the team at X and the official listing explicitly stating: "Compatible with Switch 2". The company hasn't detailed how they got the flash cart working despite initial failures, but a firmware update is the likely enabler.

The MIG Flash was unveiled last year, serving as a flash cart that allows Nintendo Switch owners to play game backups from a microSD card. It effectively cosplays as an official Nintendo Switch game cartridge, tricking the console into recognizing and running dumped ROMs stored on the microSD card. Though intended for legitimate owners to easily maintain personal game backups, or for aspiring game developers hoping to make games for the Switch 2, the MIG Flash has, one way or another, found its way into the hands of pirates as well.

While the MIG Flash was initially deemed incompatible at launch, it now seemingly works with the Switch 2, suggesting the team has somehow cracked Nintendo's built-in protections for the new system. In a recent demo on X, they managed to boot The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, directly from the MIG Flash, though the load time was painfully slow. Better yet, the company now advertises the MIG Flash V2 to be compatible with the Switch 2 on their official website, touting a seamless experience: "Simply plug & play!"

This was likely achieved through a firmware update, allowing it to circumvent new checks introduced by Nintendo for the Switch 2 that prevented it from booting or loading games previously. Still, don't expect it to run backups for Switch 2 games as dumping those ROMs is currently not possible, not to mention the illegality of such an act. There have been whispers of a userland exploit on the Switch 2, but its functionality and scope are extremely limited.

Let's address the elephant in the room. While the MIG Flash can theoretically enable pirates to play titles from the original Switch on Switch 2 hardware, it carries a very high risk of getting your console banned. Each Switch cartridge carries a unique identifier. Nintendo has sophisticated systems in place to detect if multiple consoles share the same cartridge ID and flag this as piracy, leading to an account ban, a console ban, or, at worst, a bricked console.

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