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Subscribe to the world's #1 PC gaming mag Try a single issue or save on a subscription Issues delivered straight to your door or device From£35.99Subscribe now Essential Hardware Dune: Awakening PC Gaming Show Recommended reading Nintendo banned a Switch 2 user for playing second-hand games and only reinstated after providing proof of purchase Gaming Industry PC gaming remains undefeated: Nintendo now says it has the right to brick your Switch if it thinks you're pirating games or modifying the console Nintendo is trying to force Discord to give up the identity of the person behind last year's massive Pokémon leak Gaming Industry The 'Stop Killing Games' initiative is close to its final deadline, and after that, its leader is understandably done: 'Either the frog hops out of the pot, or it's dead' Gaming Industry Commodore's been bought by a YouTuber who's re-assembling key execs and already teasing new hardware Netherlands takes Sony to court over digital-only walled garden allegedly costing 1.7m citizens 435 million euros since 2013 Honkai: Star Rail publisher sues player for streaming a new character on Discord before its official release Retro gaming YouTuber faces criminal charges and possible jail time for reviewing handheld consoles that shipped with pre-loaded ROMs Andy Chalk 17 July 2025 Italian YouTuber Francesco Salicini, who streams as Once Were Nerd, says police confiscated more than 30 consoles back in April. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Once Were Nerd) An Italian YouTuber who specializes in retro gaming says he's facing criminal charges and a possible jail sentence as a result of reviewing retro gaming consoles on his channel, some of which came with pre-loaded ROMs. Francesco Salicini, who streams as Once Were Nerd, said in a video posted on July 14 (via Android Authority) that the ordeal began on April 15 when Italy's Guardia di Finanza, a law enforcement agency that focuses on financial crimes, showed up at his mother's house with a search warrant. Believing he'd done nothing wrong, Salicini opted to fully cooperate on the spot: He invited the police to his studio, where they seized more than 30 consoles, along with his mobile phone, which they held for more than a month. Related Articles Nintendo banned a Switch 2 user for playing second-hand games and only reinstated after providing proof of purchase PC gaming remains undefeated: Nintendo now says it has the right to brick your Switch if it thinks you're pirating games or modifying the console Nintendo is trying to force Discord to give up the identity of the person behind last year's massive Pokémon leak Salicini said in his machine-translated video that he's accused of violating article 171 of Italy's copyright law, which he believes is because some of the consoles he reviews on his channel ship with microSD cards filled with games. In a GoFundMe page (Google translated) raising money for his legal defense, Salicini said the problem appears to be his "sponsorship" of those consoles—presumably a reference to sponsored promotional reviews. "While I've always insisted that these consoles can only be used if you have, as I do, the original copy of the game, and that they're also available for sale on Amazon, eBay, and various other stores, I've never 'sponsored' them, but rather 'reviewed' them with the utmost objectivity, citing both the pros and cons of each device," Salicini wrote. MI HANNO DENUNCIATO. ADDIO o ARRIVEDERCI?... - YouTube Salicini isn't entirely certain of what he did to violate the law, he explained, because police aren't required to inform him of specific charges until after the investigation is completed. But the potential penalties are stiff: Article 171 of Italy's copyright law allows for prison terms of between six months and three years, however, and—because the statute was written in 1941—a fine of up to 30 million lira, which works out to a little over €15,000. For now, Salicini's YouTube channel, with more than 220 videos, remains available; he said in his GoFundMe that the Guardia di Finanza has "blocked" his social media channels, although his Instagram and Discord are still up. While it's possible the charges against him will ultimately be dismissed after the investigation is concluded, he said in his GoFundMe that he expects it will ultimately go to trial—and yes, he now has a lawyer. I've reached out to ask for comment and will update if I receive a reply. The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. Social Links Navigation US News Lead Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill. You must confirm your public display name before commenting Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name. Nintendo banned a Switch 2 user for playing second-hand games and only reinstated after providing proof of purchase PC gaming remains undefeated: Nintendo now says it has the right to brick your Switch if it thinks you're pirating games or modifying the console Nintendo is trying to force Discord to give up the identity of the person behind last year's massive Pokémon leak The 'Stop Killing Games' initiative is close to its final deadline, and after that, its leader is understandably done: 'Either the frog hops out of the pot, or it's dead' Commodore's been bought by a YouTuber who's re-assembling key execs and already teasing new hardware Netherlands takes Sony to court over digital-only walled garden allegedly costing 1.7m citizens 435 million euros since 2013 Latest in Hardware Flexispot OC3/BS3 Review If you want to know why graphics cards are still so painfully pricey, you might want to take a look at TSMC's record-high profits which are heading for $50 billion this year OptiScaler has been updated to theoretically support AMD's FSR 4 in all games with upscaling that don't use Vulkan or anti-cheat—which is nice, but why the heck doesn't AMD do this? 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