“Although users own the hardware, the software that’s needed to run it is subject to a license agreement,” attorney Jon Loiterman told Ars. “If you violate the license terms, Nintendo has the right to revoke your access to that software. It’s less common for software makers to revoke access to software in a way that disables hardware you bought from them, but the principle is the same.”

Another reason not to buy a console.

I haven’t bought proper electronics in decades. Honestly impressive how utterly disconnected I am from society at this point. It still feels to me like it’s 1995 because all tools I ever buy need to be good at their use and the corporate internet is mostly being ignored by me, same with its electronics and walls and laws and gags. I never in my life owned a console that would even be capable of accessing the internet, much less needs to. So all I ever owned was mine to do with what I pleased. If I want my super Nintendo or N64 to stream music while doubling as a washing bowl, I’ll bloody well modify it as needed and I see fit.