However, we’ve seen pirates and modders arrested, forced to serve prison time and fork over six-figure fines to Nintendo and other companies.
#Jailbreaker game install#
If you install custom firmware and play pirated games or homebrew software on an actively supported system like the Nintendo Switch or PlayStation 4, the most likely consequence is an account ban and revoked access to any games you own on the system (along with a voided warranty). What happens if you jailbreak a console and get caught? The point is: Jailbreaking your consoles is illegal, and the distinctions between owning hardware and licensing firmware/software give companies legal grounds for litigation, especially in matters of piracy. Some might wonder how this affects emulation, which uses software (or in some cases, third-party hardware) to run the game code rather than a physical console - but that’s its own legal grey area we’ll have to cover another time. If suddenly the code is no longer accessible - say, due to an online store shutting down or a company deciding to remove a game for download - there’s nothing you can do about it, as your rights expired with the licence.
That also means you do not own the digital-only games you download you’re just buying the licence to access the software for personal use. Similar distinctions exist for physical games: You own the material disc, but merely licence the code written on it.
#Jailbreaker game mods#
It’s also illegal to distribute any mods or exploits others can use. This includes using third-party tools to circumvent security protections, installing alternative operating systems, or making physical alterations to certain parts. Doing so violates the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), and is therefore illegal.
What is illegal, is altering (or even accessing) the firmware and other proprietary code present in the console’s chipset. Doing this to new consoles is a little trickier since opening the case can void your warranty, but while voiding the warranty locks you out of free repairs and even possible replacements covered by said warranty, it’s not illegal. You can gut your old PlayStation and turn it into a minicomputer, or morph your Gamecube into an ersatz handheld gaming device. Because of that, there are clear distinctions between what you can and cannot do with your gaming hardware.įor example, it is entirely legal to physically modify your gaming consoles as long as whatever you do does not alter or tamper with the console’s firmware’s code or circumvent any security measures. law, while you own the physical hardware, you are only licensing the code contained within the system - it’s not yours to alter.
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