Why console makers can legally brick your game console
1 min read
Summary
Following a recent controversy over Nintendo’s new invasive end-user licensing agreement (EULA) for its Switch console, which allows the company to remotely disable any devices suspected of violating its terms, Ars Technica has discovered that other major players in the games console market have included similar provisions in their EULAs.
Sony and Microsoft both claim the right to effectively brick consoles in order to prevent pirating or the use of unauthorised or modified hardware or software, while Sony also asserts the right to terminate users’ access to its PlayStation Network.
While these measures taken by Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft are harsh, attorneys say they are likely well within their legal rights to include such punitive measures in their EULAs.
It is worth noting that while Microsoft and Sony have included such restrictions in their most recent consoles, only Sony included these measures in its PlayStation 4, while Nintendo’s last console, the Wii U, did not have the right to disable devices without user consent.
