Early unlocks for pre-orders (like for Xenoblade Chronicles 3 next week)?

[purzer0]

I have a modded switch but I'm thinking of pre-ordering Xenoblade Chronicles 3 the normal & legal way, through the eShop, and I believe it will start the download a week a early. But the game itself will stay locked until release date. However, I've heard with some bigger games like that one, people find out how to unlock it early. Is this site/category the best place to watch for stuff like that? Does anyone know how the early unlock is applied in cases where it's made possible? (If you have an example post of it happening with a prior Switch game that's fine too, I couldn't find one)

 

[HalfScoper]

However, I've heard with some bigger games like that one, people find out how to unlock it early.

That's a lie.
There aren't eShop leaks (aside from accidentally released and then pulled titles, like RedOut 2), only cartridge dumps that exist because one of the early testers for reviews or alike (or someone working for a game shop getting the game early and so on) was naughty and shared that dump with certain sites/people.

 

[MasterJ360]

I mean at this point you might aswell just get yourself a leaked copy of the game instead of trying to tamper with legal eshop content. But ofcourse this site is not the place for that. Im getting a physical copy myself from work, but will still get a leak one just for emulation play since xbc1&2 runs pretty well on ryujinx . Id wager trying to workaround "timegated downloads" could get you banned from eshop. Its something ppl wont risk trying to figure out.

 

[purzer0]

There aren't eShop leaks (aside from accidentally released and then pulled titles, like RedOut 2), only cartridge dumps

Just wanted to be sure we're talking about the same thing:
I'm referring to, when you order the game early and it downloads for you (and everyone else who did, on normal consoles) a week early and installs, but it's simply locked (won't let you open the game) until a certain date. The question is about getting around the lock; the download itself wouldn't be an issue, as that'd happen for everyone digitally who got it early.

 

[HalfScoper]

Just wanted to be sure we're talking about the same thing:
I'm referring to, when you order the game early and it downloads for you (and everyone else who did, on normal consoles) a week early and installs, but it's simply locked (won't let you open the game) until a certain date. The question is about getting around the lock; the download itself wouldn't be an issue, as that'd happen for everyone digitally who got it early.

But you see how I quoted what you said right?

However, I've heard with some bigger games like that one, people find out how to unlock it early.

That's a lie.
There aren't eShop leaks (aside from accidentally released and then pulled titles, like RedOut 2), only cartridge dumps that exist because one of the early testers for reviews or alike (or someone working for a game shop getting the game early and so on) was naughty and shared that dump with certain sites/people.

No way to unlock them early. If you find an early copy in the wild it's a cartridge dump (or a converted one to NSP) (other than for the example case I named with RedOut 2) (EDIT: or a NSP due to a reviewer eShop code).

 

[hippy dave]

You won't get your legit download unlocked early, without Nintendo unlocking it for you (not happening). The only way to play it early would be to install a pirated copy instead if it gets dumped early.
As above, most early dumps are from cartridges in the retail supply chain. There actually have been early eshop dumps from people who had review codes, but they're much more rare.

 

[HalfScoper]

There actually have been early eshop dumps from people who had review codes, but they're much more rare.

Now that you mention it I remember the 3 weeks early Famicom Detective Club, which happened because of such review code.

 

[CompSciOrBust]

There actually have been early eshop dumps from people who had review codes, but they're much more rare.

If what I have been told and my understanding is accurate once a reviewer uses their review code their Switch is able to pull the unlock key from the CDN, but every preloaded copy of that game uses the same key, so if that key is used on another modded console the game will just work without sig patches or anything. I don't know if that has been used publicly though or if it has only been used by warez groups. Either way it smells like ban bait so I wouldn't use it on an unbanned console.