YouTuber faces jail for playing retro game consoles

Retro gaming is more popular than ever in 2025, and you only have to look at how Nintendo makes a not-so-small fortune off its Nintendo Switch Online package, giving us games ranging from the Game Boy to the GameCube, to see that we love playing the classics.

There's also a lucrative market in selling old game consoles, and while the record goes to a Nintendo PlayStation Super NES CD-ROM Prototype selling for $360,000, you can still earn a hefty $1,500 for a PlayStation 2.

We've seen a similar uptick in video game sales, but with a sealed copy of the beloved Super Mario 64 fetching a record-breaking $1.56 million at auction, it seems the software is going for far more than the hardware.

You might be tempted to head into the attic and dust off your old gaming collection to see if there's anything worth selling, but while you're up there, you might have a newfound appreciation for your old favorites. Gamer beware, because before you start hankering for a retro gaming session, we've got a major warning.

We've already seen the release of the Switch 2 be hampered by Nintendo's anti-piracy terms and conditions, with innocent gamers being caught out by using MIG Switch cartridges.

There are also horror stories about gamers being banned for playing second-hand games, while the FBI has also taken down a popular website for downloading pirated games.

Keen to show they aren't messing around, the various gaming giants are stepping up their vigilance. Unfortunately for Italian YouTuber Once Were Nerd, he could face time behind bars for playing retro consoles.

As reported by Android Authority, the YouTuber with nearly 50k subscribers finds himself in hot water thanks to a video of him reviewing ANBERNIC devices. The Chinese handheld gaming console company was founded in 2017, offering gamers a chance to play emulated games for the likes of the Sega Genesis, PlayStation, N64, and more.

In the video, Once Were Nerd claims the Guardia di Finanza turned up at his home and office on April 15, boasting a search warrant to investigate an apparent promotion of pirated copyrighted materials.

He says that officials seized a series of ANBERNIC, Powkiddy, and TrimUI devices, with over 30 consoles being taken from him. He supposedly handed over full conversations with handheld manufacturers, while his phone was also apparently taken, but not returned until two months later.

The video states that officials don't have to disclose what charges he's accused of or who brought them against him until the initial investigation is complete. Still, there are mentions of the complaint directly mentioning the reproduction of copyrighted material from Nintendo and Sony. Following the initial investigation, it's a case of whether it's dismissed or things escalate to a full trial.

While Once Were Nerd waits, officials could shut down his YouTube channel even without proof of wrongdoing.

Responding on Reddit, it was clear fellow gamers were very much with the content creator.

One person said: "Gotta say this is a load of horse sh*t. Sue the manufacturers, don't ruin 3 years of some guy’s life when emulation brands will continue to pop up over and over again."

Another added: "I follow him since his early videos and it breaks my heart seeing him in this situation. He is such a good and genuine man."

A third joked: "Someone has to defend the poor and oppressed mega-corporations."