UnlockSwitch flashcart prototypes are already in the hands of some reviewers (video)

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Youtuber Nick Moses has showcased a prototype of the UnlockSwitch (review video below), an upcoming competitor for the MIG Switch flashcart. Review copies of the device were allegedly sent to 50 people this past week.

As confirmed by Nick in his video, the UnlockSwitch works as expected, and, in its current state, acts like an exact clone of the MIG Switch. A teardown shows that this looks like a very close clone of the MIG Switch.

Important Update: Nick Moses and team are now worried this could actually be a semi-elaborate scam, using Youtube reviewers as “bait” with reskinned MIG Switch flashcarts, to bring preorders for a non existing product. See below for details

What are MIG Switch and UnlockSwitch?

The MIG Switch (and the UnlockSwitch) looks and feels like a regular Nintendo Switch cartridge, but allows you to load multiple games in an embedded SD Card. Switch between games is done by ejecting, then re-inserting the flashcart into the device.

The youtuber confirmed the UnlockSwitch works as of Nintendo Switch Firmware 18.0.0.

The MIG Switch (and now, its clones) is advertised as a backup and development device for the Nintendo Switch, but its practical use case is probably going to be piracy for the most part. For people looking to pirate games, the system might be more convenient than existing modchip solutions, as it doesn’t require hacking the console, or soldering any modchip. It is, however, very limited in scope in my opinion, allowing only for piracy, but none of the more “legit” hacking use cases such as homebrew, plugins, custom firmwares, etc…

UnlockSwitch – How is it different from the MIG Switch?

Differences between the MIG Switch and UnlockSwitch, based on Nick Moses’s initial review, are mostly cosmetic. The UnlockSwitch looks and feels more like some official Nintendo product, shipping in a box that is the same size as Nintendo Switch games. The cartridge itself is apparently a bit thicker (also longer), and in his tests, Nick mentioned having to apply a bit more pressure to insert the UnlockSwitch.

The review units are apparently not the final product though, and UnlockSwitch have claimed they will be able to differentiate their product’s functionality from Mig Switch, for example by including a button that would allow switching between games without having to eject the cartridge every single time. People have shown concerns that the operating mode of having to constantly eject and re-insert the MIG Switch to cycle through games could induce some wear and tear on the console.

As for now, legit folks on the scene such as Nick have started confirming the UnlockSwitch is a legit product. I still personally feel that the concept of the MIG Switch in itself is a flawed idea, compared to fully hacking your console. However, at the right price point, this might be an ok accessory, and it seems like the UnlockSwitch could bring the pricing of these devices down (they claim the product will sell for $39, compared to the $60+ of the MIG Switch). This could be a problem for the MIG Switch’s reputation, as not everyone has even received their units (ordered several months ago) yet.

An important update: MIG Switch team react – say UnlockSwitch is a scam

Deadspecimen posted an updated video, including a response from MIG Switch. (video below)

MIG Switch team claim that the UnlockSwitch is not a clone, but actually an old production batch of the MIG Switch itself, that has been reskinned by scammers. They say UnlockSwitch don’t actually have a product, but just sent that small batch of re-skinned MIG Switch flashcarts to a select group of reviewers, in order to build hype for preorders. According to MIG Switch team, people who preorder the UnlockSwitch will not receive anything. Of course, as accurately mentioned by DeadSpecimen on his video, MIG Switch have vested interest in talking their competition down, but what they’re stating is also a likely possibility (they did send a verification tool to DeadSpecimen and Nick Moses, which allegedly confirmed that the chips are actually MIG Switch chips. Nobody except MIG Switch can actually confirm if this is true, so that’s no proof for anybody else).

From MIG Switch to Nick Moses & team:

“We will email customers this week, to warn them to not purchase, or they will get scammed. After, if they don’t listen, their problem, we warned them.”

Personally, I’ll stand by what I’ve said above: I don’t think these products are really worth it, compared to actually hacking your console with a proven, cheap modchip such as the picofly. In any case, be careful where you spend your money.

Thanks to DeadSpecimen for the tip!