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Nintendo’s case against Yuzu was not a court ruling that all emulators are illegal. In its February 2024 U.S. complaint, Nintendo alleged that Yuzu used cryptographic keys to decrypt Switch games and that its distribution and related guidance enabled circumvention and copyright infringement. In 2025, Nintendo attorney Koji Nishiura was reported as saying an emulator is not automatically illegal, though its use can make it so. Those statements concern different legal contexts: the complaint invoked U.S. law, while Nishiura’s remarks were translated from a lecture about Japanese law.
What did Nintendo allege Yuzu did?
Nintendo of America filed its complaint against Tropic Haze LLC, the entity behind the Yuzu emulator, on February 26, 2024. The complaint alleged that Nintendo Switch games are encrypted and that Yuzu dynamically decrypts game files while running, using cryptographic keys commonly called “prod.keys.” Nintendo argued that this made Yuzu more than a tool for running software: in its account, the emulator’s operation and distribution involved circumvention of technological protection measures.
Nintendo also alleged that Yuzu’s website explained how to obtain keys and make game copies. It said users needed an emulator, an unauthorized copy of a game, and the keys to play pirated Switch games. Based on those allegations, Nintendo pleaded claims under the U.S. Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), including anti-circumvention and anti-trafficking provisions, and argued that Yuzu contributed to copyright infringement. These are claims Nintendo made in its complaint, not findings from a contested trial. Read Nintendo’s February 26, 2024 complaint.
The piracy figure Nintendo cited
Nintendo’s complaint said that leaked copies of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom had been successfully downloaded more than one million times before the game’s lawful release on May 12, 2023. Nintendo also said another million downloads had been attempted. Those figures are Nintendo’s claims about data it said it tracked; they are not an independently audited piracy estimate or a court finding.
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#1 Best Overall
- The next evolution of Nintendo Switch
- One system, three play modes: TV, Tabletop, and Handheld
- Larger, vivid, 7.9” LCD touch screen with support for HDR and up to 120 fps
- Dock that supports 4K when connected to a compatible TV*
- GameChat** lets you voice chat, share your game screen, and connect via video chat as you play
Does Nintendo say every emulator is illegal?
No. Nintendo Life reported on January 15, 2025, that Nintendo attorney Koji Nishiura said: “While you can’t immediately claim that an emulator is illegal in itself, it can become illegal depending on how it’s used”. The report identifies Nishiura as a deputy general manager in Nintendo’s intellectual property division and a patent attorney. It says the English wording is translated from a lecture hosted by Japan’s Association of Copyright for Computer Software. His remarks concern Japanese law; they should not be treated as a ruling on U.S. law or as a complete statement of either country’s law. Read Nintendo Life’s report on Nishiura’s remarks.
The distinction is between emulation software in the abstract and the specific acts around a particular emulator. Ars Technica’s contemporaneous analysis of the Yuzu complaint noted that Nintendo’s theory could be read broadly, while distinguishing the allegations about Yuzu’s conduct from a settled rule against emulator software generally. The complaint’s technical and legal case focused on alleged decryption, distribution, and assistance with unauthorized game copies—not merely on the fact that Yuzu emulated a console. Read Ars Technica’s analysis of Nintendo’s Yuzu case.
Rank #2
- 6.2” LCD screen
- Three play modes: TV, tabletop, and handheld
- Local co-op, online, and local wireless multiplayer
- Detachable Joy-Con controllers
- Nintendo Switch is the home of Mario & friends
How the legal theories differ
Nintendo’s complaint invoked related but distinct theories. Copyright infringement concerns unauthorized copying or use of protected works; the DMCA’s anti-circumvention and anti-trafficking provisions address bypassing technological protection measures and dealing in tools or services connected to that circumvention. Nintendo’s position was that Yuzu’s alleged decryption and the conduct surrounding its distribution implicated those DMCA rules, while the emulator’s role in enabling unauthorized game copies also supported its infringement allegations.
That framing matters: the complaint did not establish that every emulator, or every use of one, violates copyright or the DMCA. Whether conduct is unlawful depends on the applicable jurisdiction, the technology and acts involved, and the evidence. Ars Technica’s analysis likewise treated Nintendo’s arguments as claims to assess, not as a universal legal rule.
Rank #3
- Play your way with the Nintendo Switch gaming system. Whether you’re at home or on the go, solo or with friends, the Nintendo Switch system is designed to fit your life. Dock your Nintendo Switch to enjoy HD gaming on your TV. Heading out? Just undock your console and keep playing in handheld mode
- This model includes battery life of approximately 4.5 to 9 hours
- The battery life will depend on the games you play. For instance, the battery will last approximately 5.5 hours for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (games sold separately)
- Model number HAC 001(01)
What happened after the Yuzu complaint?
A later Nintendo motion in the separate case Nintendo of America Inc. v. Keighin referred to a judgment and injunction concerning Yuzu, describing that earlier result as holding that trafficking in the Switch emulator violated DMCA section 1201. Nintendo filed the motion seeking default judgment against a different defendant. The filing is Nintendo’s account of the Yuzu result and the posture of the separate case; it should not be confused with the 2024 complaint or treated as a complete update on Keighin’s ultimate status. See the Keighin case filing.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Nintendo’s stated position on piracy
Nintendo’s official UK page says, “Video game piracy is illegal.” It also says the company opposes unlawful commercial exploitation of game developers’ work and that legitimate sales matter to developers and publishers. This is Nintendo’s own position statement, not an exhaustive explanation of copyright or anti-circumvention law in every country. Read Nintendo UK’s statement on video-game piracy.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- This pre-owned product is not Apple certified, but has been professionally inspected, tested and cleaned by Amazon-qualified suppliers.
- 6.2” LCD screen.
- Three play modes: TV, tabletop, and handheld
- Local co-op, online, and local wireless multiplayer
- Detachable Joy-Con controllers
Rank #4
- Play your way with the Nintendo Switch gaming system. Whether you’re at home or on the go, solo or with friends, the Nintendo Switch system is designed to fit your life. Dock your Nintendo Switch to enjoy HD gaming on your TV. Heading out? Just undock your console and keep playing in handheld mode
- This model includes battery life of approximately 4.5 - 9 hours.
- The battery life will depend on the games you play. For instance, the battery will last approximately 5.5 hours for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (games sold separately)
- Model number HAC 001( 01)
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