Is it illegal to use a Nintendo Switch emulator?

While emulators are not inherently illegal, their obvious uses for playing games which are copied and distributed without permission or pay to the game developer (also called pirated games) still raises significant legal concerns.
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Is it illegal to play on an emulator?

On its own, the possibility of playing older games in whichever environment you please sounds like a nice option to have. But while emulators are free and legal, ROMs are not.
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Is it illegal to mod Nintendo Switch games?

It is illegal to import, market, sell or distribute circumvention devices (such as game copiers, USB piracy sticks and mod chips). Nintendo has obtained many decisions from criminal and civil courts across the world that confirms this.
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Why doesn't Nintendo sue emulators?

Emulators themselves are entirely legal; where it gets murky is when unauthorized copies of software are brought into the mix. That doesn't just refer to games; the BIOS for a console qualifies as copyrighted software, as well.
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Is it legal to play Switch games on PC?

Is It Legal to Use Nintendo Switch Emulators? The simple answer is yes—downloading and using any emulator is legal. However, downloading and sharing copyrighted ROMs (digital copies of video games) is illegal, even if you own the game digitally or physically.
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I Bought the “$7” Nintendo Switch from TEMU...

Is Yuzu switch emulator illegal?

The Court effectively ruled that an emulator which reverse-engineers functional aspects of a game console is not, in and of itself, illegal.
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Why did Yuzu get banned?

Yuzu, the popular Switch emulator for the PC, is shutting down, a week after Nintendo filed a lawsuit in the US, accusing its developers of facilitating piracy.
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Is emulation legal on Nintendo?

Therefore, the copyrights of games are valid even if the games are not found on store shelves, and using, copying and/or distributing those games is a copyright infringement. While we recognize the passion that players have for classic games, supporting emulation also supports the illegal piracy of our products.
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Can emulators get you in trouble?

Emulators are legal to download and use, however, sharing copyrighted ROMs online is illegal. There is no legal precedent for ripping and downloading ROMs for games you own, though an argument could be made for fair use.
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Has anyone been sued for emulation?

There have been a handful of emulator lawsuits; described below are three emulator-related legal incidents, one of which is highly significant in that it may finally be the case that sets the precedent for all such cases to follow.
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Is Switch piracy illegal?

Online piracy and counterfeiting of Nintendo's video game products is illegal. We hope to enlist your support for intellectual property protection and, with your help, reduce video game piracy worldwide. We appreciate your support in the battle against piracy.
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Will I get banned if I mod my Switch?

Modding a Nintendo Switch is the primary reason most consoles get banned, so you should definitely think twice before jailbreaking your Switch. However, if you're buying a banned console, you should know what you're getting into, and there's plenty to experiment with a modded Switch.
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Can Nintendo sue for mods?

As a result, Nintendo filed a lawsuit with a federal court in Seattle, Washington seeking an immediate closure of Modded Hardware and damages. It is only because of products and services such as those sold by Defendant that illegal marketplaces distributing pirated games exist and thrive.
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Can you go to jail for emulation?

So basically Emulation is completely legal, Roms can be legal but usually aren't.
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Is emulating a crime?

Although emulating a game is not explicitly illegal, downloading copyrighted code (in this case, downloading a video game) is, and the many fan-made or parody games that one can play on emulators occupy something of a legal gray zone.
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Why did Nintendo sue Yuzu?

In its legal complaint, Nintendo claimed Yuzu was “facilitating piracy at a colossal scale,” giving users “detailed instructions” on how to “get it running with unlawful copies of Nintendo Switch games,” among other things.
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Is downloading Nintendo ROMs illegal?

Ownership of the Original Software (ROM) - Owning the original software DOES NOT give the user permission under Copyright Law to “Rip” the image for personal use^. THIS IS ILLEGAL you are committing a criminal offence!
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Is emulating a free game illegal?

Emulators are actually not illegal, as they are completely re-made versions of the console they are emulating. The only illegal part of an emulator, is the ROM you are playing. If you take a ROM from a website, and play it. That is called piracy.
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Are Pokemon caught on an emulator legal?

Emulators/ROMs

As long as the original, unaltered code of the game is used, Pokémon obtained via ROMs played on emulators or flash carts are considered legitimate. Using emulator features and codes such as speed-up, item duplication, etc. that do not affect the game's code itself are allowed.
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Why is Nintendo taking down emulators?

The request says the repositories in question “offer and provide access to the yuzu emulator or code,” adding that “yuzu illegally circumvents Nintendo's technological protection measures and runs illegal copies of Nintendo Switch games.” Nintendo argues that Yuzu uses “unauthorized” versions of the cryptographic keys ...
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Why are emulators banned?

Emulators support piracy. Emulation opponents allege that emulators contribute to and encourage software piracy. This is because an emulator is useless if you don't have any software to run on it. What's the point of downloading, say, a Nintendo 64 emulator if you don't have any Nintendo 64 games to use it on?
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Does Nintendo care about emulation?

This emulator illegally circumvents Nintendo's protection measures and runs illegal copies of games. Using illegal emulators or illegal copies of games harms development and ultimately stifles innovation. Nintendo respects the intellectual property rights of other companies, and in turn expects others to do the same”.
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Is Switch emulation illegal?

Yes, emulators are legal. But we all know that the overwhelming use of them is in illegal situations. What percentage of emulators are only used to play homebrewed games or commercial games that an individual has personally backed up? Almost all other uses are illegal.
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Is Yuzu legal in the US?

Marquez explains this aromatic citrus is native to East Asia, and importing it into the United States is illegal, so any yuzu fruits you buy in the U.S. will be grown in California. Yuzu is also available as bottled juice.
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Why is Yuzu not illegal?

Emulation has become the backbone of video game preservation, and is used by Nintendo's own Switch Online service. This type of software in itself is not illegal, but Nintendo's case in this instance may have been strengthened by careless online behaviour by Yuzu's developers.
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