Nintendo Switch With Dead Pixels? It's Not A Defect, Claims Nintendo

And just like that, Breath Of The Wild's perfect scores became Nintendo's own Icarus' wings.

What was considered a defect in 2004 is now considered normal in 2017.

Dead already?!! Hmm, sounds dubious.

@BenAV What was wrong with your Pro Controller? (So that I can double check mine.)

What with this, dead pixels, potential to scratch the screen when removing from dock, flimsy kickstand, inability to charge when using kickstand, possibility of attaching Joy Con straps incorrectly, left Joy Con sync issues...

It's as if Nintendo rushed the Switch to market without sufficient product testing to hit FY2017 and appease shareholders.

If only they'd spent as much time polishing the hardware as they did the software. (1-2 Switch does count here as it's a polished turd.)

Mine's crystal clear, and it should stay that way.

They screwed up. A dead pixel is a problem

PSA: Sometimes a dead pixel isn't completely dead; rather, it is a stuck pixel. Applying light pressure with a rounded pencil eraser and rolling it over the pixel can sometimes get it going again.

My screen is fine, though Nintendo should be professional about addressing the hardware issues coming up.

It's all normal. Next

Funny how they've changed their tune. A few years back my 3DS developed a few dead pixels, sent it in to Nintendo and they fixed it for me.

I don't really like what Nintendo is turning into.

I always check them. There's a 14 day legal return date on products you don't think match your criteria. You don;t like it, return it. Order a new one next.

No dead pixels on mine though, so

That kind of attitude isn't going to help sell units Nintendo!

A dead pixel isn't a defect.

A bunch of dead pixels is.There is a threshold.

No dead pixels on my Switch, but could pixels 'die' in the future?

@BenAV Cheers. I'll check later when I can escape the real world for my daily BotW fix.

@BenAV I had this problem myself too, although
I managed to fix it with the calibration option in settings. Had to do it 3 times tho.

Yeah, after all the kerfuffle with Nintendo Store on Friday, on Sunday I noticed a dead pixel. After I'd already spent a lot of times playing games. Consequently even if I got a replacement, there goes a lot of hours of saves. Sigh. I just don't seem to catch a break.

I am no expert in such matters but I do have eyes.

I have never encountered dead pixels during the years I have owned and used many different phones and tablets at home and work.

Is Nintendo using substandard display tech in comparison to even the cheapest smartphone and tablets?

Nintendo are trying to be like Apple. When one of their iPhones had issues Apple said to "hold it differently" which annoyed many but at least they fixed the issue.

@BenAV Let me guess, the one where you had to turn the stick 3 times? I got stuck on that one too the first 2 try's. 3th time was(in this case) the charm.

@Hotfusion I mean a lot of phones/tablets these days have very large resolutions, consequently an individual pixel is so small that you might not even notice a dead pixel even if you had one.

The difference with a Switch is, it's only 720p, so you can still very much notice ones existence.

Doomed.

Samsung has told me the same, it has to be a cluster of dead pixels before it's considered a manufacturing defect. This is normal.

@Musashiden it's not normal, the switch is advertised as 720p, which means so it should have the relevant number of pixels, if anyone is unhappy with their device in the UK they can legally return it with just 1 x dead pixel (in warranty period).

Take good care of your gear, plain & simple, and the likelihood of dead pixels, screen scratches, and broken whatevers will be greatly reduced.

My original Phat Ds had a couple of dead pixels. I brought it back to the small independent game shop where I bought it and they gave me another and apologised. I forgave them

As far as I'm concerned it's a fault.

"It's not a defect, it's an unannounced feature", right Nintendo? :3

I think it depends also where on the screen it is. A dead pixel right in the center of the screen is more noticable and worth a return from my perspective.

ISO 13406-2 standard for Class 2 displays (most common) allow for 2 dead pixels per million. And a 720p screen is roughly 1 million pixels (just a tad shy). A 1080p screen would be allowed 4 (there's also subpixels allowed to be out as well).

Companies' policies vary, and usually it's a "no more than this total number of pixels and subpixels, dark or dead in a certain square area". Some have better policies than others but all at least adhere to ISO.

That said, my display is perfect. Joycons were perfect. Had zero issues whatsoever. Been smooth sailing for me.

Well, a dead pixel on a DS screen would have a larger impact (the resolution is smaller afterall, the pixels are huge too).

Edit: we actualy have a dead pixel on a GBA SP screen. I can't stop starring at it

I think I posted this in the forums over the weekend, definitely posted it elsewhere. It is a defect. End of discussion. Thankfully Nintendo will replace the Switch if you ask them.

@Julien This seems to apply to so many things. Bad behavior comes to mind.

Let's see...

Pricey DLC? Check.
Rushed games? Check.
Pay-to-win? Check.
Paid online? Check.
No backwards compatibility? Check.

And now this.
Nintendo's just not the same anymore.

2 years guarantee over here so no problem if something is not good.

And this is why I never buy consoles within the first couple of months..

Hm...
I wonder what factor that cause dead pixel on LCD screen...
Pushing too hard on screen ? Flaw from beginning ? Temperature ? Electricity ?
I have 3DS XL for almost 4 years and no dead pixel at all.

Dead pixels happen all the time on all kinds of LCD displays, they are usually just never noticed, since they are so small (especially not on phones with the usual insane resolutions and tvs where you just sit to far away from)

Still, dead pixels can be everywhere, no matter how good the display, just a matter of luck how many.
Why people just start to notice that now suddenly on Switch is beyond me.
Maybe it's because everyone only looks at said phone and tv screens.

A word of warning though: Never search for dead pixels! Even if you have them on your Switch, it is likely you will never notice. But if you found one once, you can never unsee it.

Maybe that is the problem right now, someone noticed a dead pixel and now everyone is searching..

Nintendo release a product with higher production values than the Wii and Wii U and people still complain.
Seriously, the stand snaps off if people don't think and just push it into the dock, forward thinking, but no, it's flimsy people complain.
They produce one of the best screens they ever have on a handheld and home console, people complain of dead pixels, or 1 dead pixel.
I've bought new tablets that have had the same problem.

These things are massed produced, Sony and MS have the same issues, RROD, with my Xbox, I replaced 3 PS2' because they were made to break.

It happens, it's not right, but it happens.

@Kirgo That is the problem, yes.

They're fine until you notice them. People have probably had them before but didn't see it. Someone seeing an article is more likely to make them go looking for them.

I had a stuck pixel on my PSP which was rather annoying. I spent ages trying to fix it with those flashing applications. I don't think I actually managed to fix it in the end, probably just lived with it.

Since my Switch is new and within the first days of ownership I'll probably get a replacement though since I should be able to. (UK's rules generally allow you to return stuff in the first 14 days without much of a reason due to distance selling regulations)

I don't care what anyone claims or says, 1 dead pixel means the product is defect. I need all pixels alive and in perfect state, not stuck or dead. Thankfully my Switch seems to have no defects so far, but if a single one shows up within 14 days of purchase, that poopy poop poop is going right back to where I bought it, in return for a free replacement.

Just a weekend after launch and there appears to be more negative news articles about the Switch Console than there are positive. 😕
Controllers disconnecting; skins damaging controllers due to the material they are made from; Scratched screen caused by dock; screen protectors not working due to running temperature and Dead/stuck pixels. What the next Switch disaster story?

Excuses, excuses... My PS4 didn't come with any dead pixels

Most LCD companies require three or more dead pixels for the LCD to be considered faulty.

Meh.

@KageMaru Yeah, the more I think about it the more obvious it gets...
What annoys me is that this again produces bad PR for Nintendo even though they can't even do much about it and it can happen on every single LCD screen on any device.

It's the same with the whole "the Dock is producing scratches" business. Look inside the Dock, there is nothing that could possibly scratch the screen that way. People probably just carelessly hit the top of the dock, because they put it in diagonaly with one hand and used a bit of force to top it of.

Haters seem to spread the word on every little thing that is even the users fault and make everyone else worried.
Mission successful I guess...

The definition of defect is "a shortcoming, imperfection, or lack."

Since dead pixels aren't on every console they are definitely an imperfection and therefore unarguably a defect.

Basically they are saying they know it happens and are unable to stop it, and therefore unwilling to replace systems for it.

Which is fair enough but to say it isn't a defect is pretty dishonest.

I had one on my 3DS that was barely noticeable due to the location, didn't have one on my Wii U at all, and had one on my original DS that was incredibly annoying to play. It was so distracting in some games that I wouldn't bother. So it all depends on the size of the pixels in comparison to the screen, and the location of the dead pixel, and even the colour of the dead pixel, I think, in regards to how badly it affects your experience.

But if I paid £270 for a new Nintendo console and had a defective screen that they wouldn't replace, you can bet I'd never buy a Nintendo system again.

Pffttt

100% disagree with this lol

@Kirgo
Well I think there's some stuff to be genuinely annoyed about. If I get a replacement for example, I'm going to lose all the hours I put into Legend of Zelda. All because they we're too afraid of hackers to put in a save back-up system.

The scratching screen thing seems to be that some peoples docks are slightly bent, which is causing the little plastic bit to touch the screen when it shouldn't.

@Julien I agree. Left joy con issue and dock scratching should not exist.

It's 2017. I've never had a dead pixel on any phone or tablet I've purchased in the last five years, and neither to my knowledge have any of my family members. They used to be an issue in big screen TV's, but to me this (and the fact that their screen is plastic) indicates that Nintendo has a very poor source for their screens.

Even searching Google for dead pixel problems generally brings up issues from years ago or, laughably, the Nintendo Switch. And we are talking a system with a resolution barely higher than a Kindle Fire that costs $85.

JDI, who makes them, pretty much thrives on making iPhone displays for Japan and little else. Nintendo would have done much better to buy from Samsung or Sharp, but I'm guessing they were more expensive and Nintendo, as usual, cheaped out. And they're dodging the issue because they probably either don't want to incur replacement costs or they simply don't have enough replacement screens for the number of dead pixel complaints.

I honestly thought dead pixels were a thing of the past. My first experience with them was with my DS, which had a "hot pixel" on the touch screen. Bright red, it was. My brother had similar on his too. Can't remember exactly but I think there may have been one on either my DS Lite or DSi. No problem with my Switch, that I can tell though. My brother hasn't reported one either, so it looks like it might not be such a widespread issue.

But I mean like, while it's annoying, I don't think it would be enough to make me swap it unless there were tons of them.

@Baker1000
Unlike phones, consoles are now collector's items. Buying a system day one for $300 and with no game, I'd expect it to be technically perfect. And it diminishes the resale value if it's not. Some consumers aren't as picky, of course, but it's an extremely expensive product and I'd want my money's worth. I don't blame anyone that wants the issue dealt with.

@KageMaru Sure, there are always things to be genuinly annoyed about, on a device, depending on what is important to you. The Switch isn't some perfect machine without any faults, only someonw blind would believe that.
Still doesn't change the fact that quite a number of those so called "faults" are ridiculous.

I somehow doubt that the scratches really come from bent docks, purely based on where the scratches I have seen are positioned and where not. Well, maybe I am wrong on that.

@KageMaru
I sure hope Nintendo embraces cloud saves eventually. They are always so ridiculously behind the times with their online tools that you have to wonder if anyone at Nintendo even USES the internet. The idea that your saves are locked to the system is ludicrous.

I had a couple of dead pixels on my DS Lite pretty much the day I bought it (plus, it seemed to have a refresh rate issue or something along those lines out of the box, as any movement looked like a badly deinterlaced DVD). I know this wasn't normal because my original launch DS did not have this problem nor has any other DS that I have seen. I didn't want to bother going through warranty and having the unit sent over to Nintendo so I just learned to live with it.

On another note, the bottom screen of my newly purchased Animal Crossing New 3DS XL is very easily scratched, and they are permanent. I haven't had this problem with either of my previous 3DS XLs so I'm going to assume that Nintendo opted to use cheaper parts for this particular unit, which is especially disheartening considering that it is a limited edition console that I paid full price for (even though I had seen it on clearance some months ago for $70 cheaper, which have since been sold out).

Just venting. First world issues that I'm not willing to kick up a stink for, but it is disappointing that I company I so associate with producing quality products lets me down on occasion.

Not a defect. What a load of crap. If I have any issues with my system and Nintendo doesn't honor their warranty, it will be the last Nintendo system I buy. Period. I honestly regret buying the Switch. They did an excellent job of hyping the gaming on the go/hybrid nature of the system, but honestly the 'magic' wore off after a day of using it docked and handheld. It's a decent feature, it just doesn't feel revolutionary.

I think the biggest take away of this post is just how far Nintendo fandom will go to defend them and even excuse their idiocy. The only devices I have ever had a dead pixel on were both Nintendo systems. Not a defect? WTH? And blaming people for scratching their systems in the dock it so insanely stupid and ignorant. The dock is a cheap piece of crap and no attempt whatsoever was made to protect the system's screen when docking. The action of docking itself is lame. No guides to seat it properly and the contacts look like they'll wear pretty easily. I was surprised when I held it too. it feels more like an $80 knock-off android tablet than a $300 video game system. The screen surface is a sad joke. There's no reason why - especially with all of the docking and undocking that is expected to happen - that screen shouldn't been a strong glass. This screen can be easily scuffed and scratched.

Honestly, I love Nintendo's games but I have severe buyer's remorse for the Switch. I wish I could have made it to one of the events. I never would have bought it if I had the chance to hold it and see the build first-hand. Hearing them punt on quality and build issues makes it even worse.

No, Nintendo, it's a defect.

I returned my iPhone 4 a couple of times for replacements back in the day when I noticed one or two dead pixels on the screens of the ones I got—and I absolutely wasn't going to stop doing so until I got a model with zero dead pixels.

When you're paying hundreds of dollars/pounds for a system, there's zero chance you think it having dead pixels is just par for the course.

@Julien Because somebody somewhere decided to accept it as such, and now we all suffer as a result.

See, THIS is why I tell people to make a point of being vocal when they see ANYTHING that doesn't sit right with them about a their system, the firmware, its games, or its services—and it's why I absolutely do when I feel that way.

If we don't make a point of asking for the best—nay, demanding it from these companies—then someone somewhere will be more than happy to give us less than, especially when it involves a large corporation making and/or saving a few bucks here and there.

I fight for the users—and so should we all.

@Tsusasi Warranty doesn't help you if you have dead pixels.
You need to have a certain number of them for you to be able to replace the product (probably depending on the country you live in).

You know why that is the case? Because they are in fact normal faults on lcd screens, one of the big disadvantages lcd screens have.
You can find them on many if not most screens that are sold, usually you won't notice them without a lot of searching though.

Call me a fanboy or anything for this but it doesn't change the facts.

Nintendo should start offering their own weather service....there will be always sunshine....on a rainy day it would go like:

"Guys, its NOT raining, you just look at it the wrong way. Its just little water-drops coming from the sky, but it doesnt mean its rain, it could be anything - just stand 90 degrees on your head staring out of the window with your sunglasses on, and when you focus, you will see a bright star somewhere, thats the sun ...so its sunny, comprende?"

"Small numbers of water drops are a characteristic of a Sunny Day. These are normal and should not be considered rain"

This is from 2010, and it mainly applies to monitors, but here you go:

http://www.tested.com/tech/1337-we-uncover-the-dead-pixel-policies-for-every-major-lcd-maker/

"ISO 13406-2 guidelines specify an “acceptable” number of dead pixels by display category... Class II monitors--the kinds we actually use--are allowed to exhibit two malfunctioning pixels and five malfunctioning sub-pixels per million."

So basically, if you have three or more malfunctioning (not even necessarily dead) pixels, or more than five malfunctioning sub-pixels, contact Customer Service and demand a repair under warranty. That would definitely be a manufacturer's defect. Do not let them try to convince you otherwise with their sweet talk, be assertive about it.

@ironside1911 Actually, the exact opposite is happening. On every console there is a bit of rain some have a bit more, some less.
The weather service, for some reason reports a constant hurricane at Nintendo, even though it is not worse than anywhere else...

It's not a defect, it's a feature!

@Kirgo Again, with all of the tech out there that I have owned, Nintendo is the only company that I have ever had this problem with. I'd say you're more of an apologist than a fanboy. And in your own words: faults. Faults = defects.

@Tsusasi Yes, it is a defect. But a defect that is normal and a screen generally isn't considered faulty for that alone.
If Nintendo really is the only company you had ever had this problems with, you are either extremly lucky with other products or you just didn't notice them (if we are talking about dead pixels alone, I am 99% sure it is the later). Dead pixels can literally be found on any lcd display if you are just a tiny bit unlucky, no matter who manufactored it and how great the quality is.
I am writing this while looking on an LG monitor with about 7 dead pixels I have noticed and believe me, this is not the only screen I have in my house where I noticed them.
Ever since I learned what dead pixels are I tend to find them everywhere and I hate it.

You can also call me an apologist if you think that is what I am. The thing is, I just really HATE double standards. Not only when it comes to Nintendo.

@Mogster That is where you are wrong. One dead pixel IS considered a working condition as can be read in ISO 13406-2 some already have postet as comments here.

If you live in some country where the rules are different you are lucky, in that case you can make the funny game of searching for dead pixels on every screen you ever buy and get a replacement when possible. If you have good enough eyes, you should be able get around one replacements on average per device you buy.

@Kirgo Funny thing about that... You can very easily tell if you have a malfunctioning or dead pixel by doing a simple full screen color test, at www.doihaveadeadpixel.com. Too bad Nintendo didn't include a web browser on the NS at launch, so that anyone who wanted to be certain about potential pixel issues, which are apparently normal and accounted for, to assess for themselves if... If...

........

Oh... OOOOOH.... NOW we know why Nintendo didn't include a web browser at launch...

And Mogster did say "a few," not just one, so they did the right thing in that case. If it were only one or two, then it would not be covered under warranty.

Hopefully all of the issues with the system will be fixed by April. I may be hyped for the console, but I'm not wasting $300 on a defective unit

@PlywoodStick Maybe that really is it. They know as well that dead pixels are more noticable with a 720p screen of that size so close to your eyes in comparison to most other devices on the market.

This might become the newest conspiracy theory

'Dead pixels can literally be found on any lcd display if you are just a tiny bit unlucky' - That is quite literally a false statement, or there would exist no screens without defect... and that's just not true on any level. I don't even know where to begin with your double standards statement, as I have no idea what you are talking about.

I currently have 7 LCD TVs of various sizes, 2 iMacs, 2 Mac Books, a PC laptop, 3 Samsung phones in the house, 3 Kindle Fires, a PSP, a coupe of iPods, Gameboys of all generations, 2 DSs, 3 3DSs (2 are XL), and 2 'new' 3DSxls... only two of the 3DSs have pixel issues.

The industry and manufacturers are always going to try to cover their asses and trying to force the notion of a sub-optimal product being 'just fine' regardless of defect is part of that insanity.

ps. I think my first stuck pixel may have actually been a web phone... back in 2000. So oops. Add that charming tech to the list of pixel defects I have encountered.

Edit: I also have reiterate my assertion that there is no responsible reason why the screen should not have been constructed of of better, more scratch and scuff resistant material. Honestly it should have been glass, period given the way they've positioned the unit to be played in every location/situation possible including parties and competitive gaming and constantly being moved in and out of the dock. It makes no sense that not only is it not a more resilient material, preferably glass... but that it is instead not only plastic, but cheap, easily scuffed and scratched plastic. It's borderline negligent to launch the first hybrid, on the go system with this physical build.

@Tsusasi Oh geez.
I didn't mean that every display has them, but every device CAN have them if you are a bit unlucky.

Also congratulations, of all your devices you noticed dead pixels only on the ones with a far lower resolution that are close to your eyes, where you can therefore see them far more easily.
That absolutely doesn't mean your other devices don't have them as well though.

@Tsusasi For what it's worth, I work at a place where we've tested literally thousands of monitors over the years. And in all my time of being there, the amount of times I've seen cracked or damaged screens has numbered into the hundreds... But how many screens had at least one dead or malfunctioning pixel, while being without such damage? No more than an amount one could count on their fingers. Even for 10+ year old monitors, it is an amazingly rare occurrence to see malfunctioning or dead pixels across a wide range of monitors.

So when such an occurrence does happen, it is not "the norm." It is almost certainly related to manufacturer's defects on a particular display model. In other words... Early adopters got cranked!!!

Oh wait... That's not funny...

@PlywoodStick 2-3? Something tells me that spec is either obsolete or applied for industrial/precision use only. Most monitors and TVs (costing WAAAAY more than a Switch) have a 5-7 pixel policy. Newegg has an 8 dead/stuck pixel policy for RMA. NEC (fairly premium monitors at a premium price) has I believe a 5 pixel policy. The only one I've ever seen with a zero or 1 policy is LaCie, which individually unpacks every monitor before shipment and examines it for dead pixels. They also start at over $1000 for that reason (among others), they are professional displays for graphics and CAD/CAM professionals who will pay any price because their job demands perfection.

Modern high res displays can get away with bad pixels a lot more easily than old low res onces. The higher the PPI the less noticeable dead pixels are. Switch isn't "Retina", but it's pretty dense.

I'm trying to think of the last display I had that had a stuck green pixel....annoying.

What brands/types of displays did your company test, and in what years? I remember a time when dead/stuck pixels were VERY "normal" (back when displays were lower res). Consumer TN panels had it often. Acer, ViewSonic, etc had them OFTEN. If you were seeing mostly NEC, LacIE, Planar, Sony, etc, yeah, the quality was a bit different on pro/industrial displays.

First, the crap plastic screen, now this. Great Nintendo, your hardware is as good as your software, but not.

@NEStalgia Well, that policy states "more than 2 pixels per million," not just 2 pixels period. For a newer and/or larger display that would have a couple million pixels or more, then yes, that would be increased to more than 4 dead or malfunctioning pixels per display (not million, woops lol), which is what NEC did. (Newegg has lower standards due to being an online retailer, go figure.) So the same standard still applies. Laws are very slow to update when it comes to technology, remember that we're still using telecommunications acts from the 20th century to regulate internet usage...

@KageMaru
Yes, you are 100% correct. Phones and tablets do use higher resolutions these days.

That's why I made it clear that my observations are over a number of years. Actually since my post I remembered that the only device I ever noticed a dead pixel on was a Pocket PC from HP circa 2004.

Obviously I am not including computer screens or TVs.

Well that is a normal policy actually. It sucks for the users but a certain amount of dead pixels are considered acceptable. I had a line of them on my vita and sony told me flat out they wouldn't replace it (and my game stop sold out of the original model). Hopeful once stock improves they can find a way to accommodate users.

"My Switch is on fire! What do I do?!" Nintendo: "That is normal and should not be considered a defect."

@PlywoodStick Well, that is interesting.
My experience with monitors and displays in general is very different.

Quite a few of my devices have faulty pixels and none of them were exactly cheap (not expenisve either, but definitly not cheap) and I didn't do anything unnormal with them either, before anyone asks.

But if you really tested so many displays and dead pixels were so rare I'd tend to believe that. It is very strange though. Or did I misunderstand you in any way?

I would still say, that one dead pixel is not really a big deal and one mostly wouldn't even notice it without searching.
If there are multiple, so that they fall under warranty, things are different of course.

@Waluigifan if your Switch is on fire you should dunk it in your aquarium...oh wait never mind we got rid of the aquarium because it messes with the left joy con xD

@Yhdekskymmenen Hold up.

Pricey DLC? Are you referring to Breath of the Wild? Considering that the DLC pass includes an original story later in the year, I wouldn't consider $20 too pricey. Then again, it remains to be seen, but let's reserve judgement.

Rushed games? I have no idea what you're referring to, but the fact that Breath of the Wild was delayed by over a year and a half makes me think that you have Nintendo confused with somebody else. More than any other company, Nintendo is infamous for taking their time on their games and delaying them over and over again. Care to give me at least one example of what you're talking about?

Pay to win? Wait, what? Care to elaborate? I don't know any console games produced by Nintendo that fall under this category. The only examples I can think of are Fire Emblem on smart devices and Pokémon Shuffle, both of which are easily avoidable and only a very, very small fraction of how Nintendo operates. In fact they could have easily nickel and dimed us on Mario Run, but they made us pay a flat fee to access everything at once, instead of slowly draining wallets through micro transactions, which I consider to be the higher road.

Paid online? You mean like every other company? And based on Nintendo's comments, their online subscription is going to be substantially cheaper than Sony's or Microsoft's. Granted, I'm not too crazy about this, but if they can deliver a decent online service, they are well within their rights to charge for it, especially since literally everyone else already does and has been doing so for years.

No backwards compatibility? Complaining about this really doesn't make any sense. There is physically no way that the Switch could be backwards compatible with the Wii U. It would be impossible to fit a spinning disk drive into the Switch without making it massive and draining its battery in minutes. Plus, you can't properly emulate Wii U games without a second screen, which the Switch does not have. Backwards compatibility is not only impractical in this case, but completely impossible given The portability of the Switch.

Don't give me wrong, Nintendo makes its fair share of mistakes, and they annoy me sometimes, but you seem to be picking apart all the wrong things.

@Ryu_Niiyama Eew. The OLED panels in those things were doomed from the start, over the long haul, but they were too beautiful to pass up. Mine still works fine (even after taking yet ANOTHER fall while setting up the Switch. After it's 5th lifetime trip to the floor (banging against a TV rack and random power packs) I finally decided to just leave the Vita on the floor forever, and the Switch now stole its home on the table. Those cradles were not designed well at ALL. Now that I have Switch, it might be time to box up that Vita anyway...it's not like I have any unforgettable games for it.

@Switch81tch Since LCD panels first came on the market as affordable (enough) CRT replacements 15 years or so ago? "Dead pixel policy" is one of the first things a savvy (read nerdy) TV/Monitor buyer has done all the while.

It's also no different than DS/3DS policy, they just didn't make a big internet fanfare about it.

@PlywoodStick Yeah. That also doesn't take display size into account. A 62" 720p display is going to notice those pixels a LOT more than a 6.2" 720p display.

Yeah, "the internet is a phone company/telegraph line!"

Ultimately I hate this kind of article though since it yields most comments not from people with defective displays but from people without the device who never miss a moment to say "see they're all defective the product is terrible!"

Doomed. Dooooooomed i say!

@NEStalgia Lol, I just use my Vita TV at this point anyway. The Vita is for long workshifts on my weekend job or if I am traveling and not driving...although I have a feeling the Switch is going to take over at least one of those jobs. I don't mind the dead pixels at this point. My eye has adjusted that they sorta "fade" for me and I don't notice unless I'm looking for it. The back touch screen that scratched even though I have a case however... People talk about the Wiiu but I still say the Vita was the product that had too much useless tech and no real audience. If the vita tv had come out first I would have just bought that.

Your Vita needs a case, stat!

Edit: BINGO!

happens with every LCD, moving on...

Yet it will returned to the store anyway because of it. So deal with it tough guy Nintendo.

Seriously though its a launch system. What do people expect. We have had faults and defects with every system under the sun. I remember when critics "reported" that the lid of the ps1 system wouldnt close, thus stopping you from loading up a game cd, and people were going mental taking the system back and demanding refunds. I actually encountered a dead pixel on my first day of owning the original 3ds. Yes it was a pain but i just ignored it.
I know its not exactly fair but the first systems that get released at the launch of a new console are very much the beta systems, and we as consumers have to pay the price for any faults that render their ugly heads. Dont like that? Well heres a simple solution. Dont buy a system at launch. Wait it out and wait for the inevitable upgrade.

Man this and having to save to console are terrible, their indifference is concerning. Glad I got a best buy replacement plan

@Mogster This is just a personal opinion but I think Nintendo has gone more "corporate" since Iwata-san passed away.

On the dead pixel note, luckily nothing is wrong with my Switch...yet. knock on wood

I picked up a PSP years ago and it had a few, exchanged it same day it was very distracting.

Guys a dead pixel on a ds is way different than a dead pixel on a 720p display. Just saying.

@DarthFoxMcCloud More "corporate" in image, maybe, but they were always plenty "corporate" in terms of policy and service. I think the WiiU era was probably their most amateur-identity oriented era. The were certainly corporate in the Wii era (and prior, hard to get more corporate than Yamauchi!)

@Ryu_Niiyama That's an understatement about the Vita's useless tech. The back touch screen looked bad from the start. Watching the stage demo with the guy climbing the rope with Uncharted: Golden Abyss should have been their indicator that it had to go. Making it double for shoulder R1/L1/R3/L3 in RP is just painful.

I have that awesome 4G model, that weighs more, and has the AT&T 3G (3G!) locked modem where for the full price of a mobile tablet plan, I can look at leaderboards on the go!

I admit the OLED display is beautiful. And I commend Vita for STILL somehow being the only handheld with Bluetooth audio.... I love that feature, latency and all. But yeah, they shoved so much stuff in there nobody wanted. Not sure how Sony always gets a pass on this stuff and Nintendo gets chewed up and spit out whenever they add something unique. I used the Pro Controller yesterday....I just didn't know how to use it without a bright blue light on the top! (/sarc) Or a giant rectangular "push for map" trackpad.

I actually have a case for the Vita, the nice launch day one no less! But I like keeping all my devices on cradles (I imported an N3DS charging cradle before they were available in the US!), and Sony's cradle is a disaster. It's top-heavy, angles the unit back, and its own wire is heavier than the cradle itself. So any nudge to the cable, and the whole thing topples over off the edge of the table. It's happened so many times. I needed somewhere flat to put the Switch, and while moving some cables the Vita took a spill again...and I figured (it was, like 11:00PM at this point and I REALLY wanted to open ...ehm..er....a game...starting with the letter Z....*cough.....so I figured "forget it, the Vita's staying there forever now, it can stay upside down for all I care, the Switch is taking its spot!"

@thesilverbrick Super Smash Bros. and a couple of other games have very high-priced DLC. Also amiibo disc locked content.

Rushed games include but are no way limited to Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash, Mario Party: Star Rush (no pun intended) and New Super Mario Bros. 2.

Pay-to-win model (the capability of buying more power in a game) first appeared in Steel Diver: Sub Wars as "remodelling": Pay 1€ and the individual sub becomes more powerful. Now it's going to be included in Mario Sports Superstars as amiibo cards. I think it was also in Metroid Blast Ball.

Considering that Nintendo advertised itself as the "free online" company in the past makes their new decision to abandon the PC style seem very bad.

And when it comes to backwards compatibility, I was referring to digital and controller compatibility that could've easily been done.

There goes that word again DEAD

@Yhdekskymmenen

I will agree that the Smash Bros. DLC was quite expensive. I believe the bundle for the Wii U that included everything amounted to over $40 by the end of the DLC cycle, which, I will agree, was a bit steep. That said, I definitely would call that an isolated case, as games like Mario Kart 8 had some very reasonably-priced DLC that could have been far more expensive, considering it gave you 50% more tracks, six characters, etc. and it only cost $12. You make it sound like because Nintendo had one game with expensive DLC (which anyone could ignore, or just pick and choose what to buy), they're trending that way in all their games. Consider a game like Animal Crossing or Pokemon, where Nintendo could easily fill the games with micro-transactions and paid DLC, but they didn't. And remember that all the DLC on Nintendo games was developed after the fact, unlike other developers, who offer day 1 DLC that could have been included with the final product, but is instead held back intentionally and fed to customers bit by bit as a cash grab. The DLC characters in Smash took many hours of development and balancing time well after the main game was completed, and weren't ready to go when the game launched. And as far as amiibo-locked content, very little of it has any substance whatsoever, most of it being aesthetics, like the costumes in Mario Kart. You can easily enjoy complete games without it, and honestly, it's not even all that common.

Sure, there have been some rushed games to fill release schedules, but for every "rushed" game (and none of the ones you listed were flagship, important titles), Nintendo pours tons of effort into its major titles and we get all kinds of delays. Breath of the Wild is one example, but think of how long it took to get DKC: Tropical Freeze, Smash Bros, Mario Kart 8, Pikmin 3, etc. We knew about those games for years before we finally got to play them, and many of them experienced delays. Let's face it: games like Mario Tennis and Mario Party (while occasionally fun) aren't exactly the games people remember for years and revisit again and again, so a shorter development cycle for them totally makes sense. Not every game gets a AAA budget or development staff, and if they did, we'd have nothing to play for months and months while waiting for the next major Zelda or Mario game.

The pay-to-win model only exists in free-to-start titles. And while they're not my favorite way to buy a game, paywalls make sense in that type of game, since otherwise, they'd be giving away the title for absolutely free, and nobody can sustain a business like that. Plus, at least Nintendo's games with microtransactions have limits as to how much you can spend. You reach a point in Rusty's Real Deal Baseball and Steel Diver where once you pay a certain amount, there's nothing else to buy, and you've only essentially paid $15 or so at most for the entire game, which is pretty reasonable. And if you don't want to pay anything, there's that option, too. Smart device games like Candy Crush can drain your wallet indefinitely and you'll never reach a cap on what you spend. Nintendo doesn't do that. And how many free-to-start games has NIntendo published, anyway? A half dozen or so? Doesn't seem like they're trending that way at all, considering that paywall games are a negligible percentage of what they produce. And for the record, there are no microtransactons in Metroid Prime: Federation Force or Blast Ball.

When has Nintendo advertised themselves as the "free online" company? I never remember seeing that. People have perceived them that way, but I've never seen that in their advertisements. Remember, Sony offered free online on the PS2 and then jumped to a paid service later on. At least Nintendo is giving people a chance to try out the online servers for most of this year before offering a paid subscription service, which is slated to be far cheaper than their competitors.

Digital Wii U games can't be offered on Switch, either. Not only is the console's architecture different in terms of game development, but most Wii U games (even the download ones) use the second screen, which the Switch, again, does not have. And as for controllers, Wii remotes lack the clickable analog sticks (and two extra face buttons) that the Joy-Con have, and the Wii U Pro Controller is missing the gyroscope, which is used in many games. Again, a limitation of the hardware that makes your request impossible.

Again, I'll admit Nintendo is far from perfect and there are things to complain about, but your issues seem so minor (or non-existent) in comparison to the real issues, like, for example, a tiny launch lineup, very expensive controllers, lack of Virtual Console, etc.

Well no dead pixels on mines, at least that I can see.

I understand Nintendo put that on the site to cover their tracks legally, but it's like one of those things that makes you wonder.

That's not surprising seeing that the whole device is a big defect.
No seriously, they're leaving out crucial features on purpose and introduce unnecessary hindrances, so it's no surprise that they don't dead pixels as a defect.

In Nintendo's eyes, a dead pixel is probably a feature that sets them apart from the competition. 😆

@jefflemon That may be true under certain retailers or UK consumer laws, but manufacturers don't usually hold themselves accountable for one pixel across 921,600 of them.

@Yhdekskymmenen

Back in the day, we didn't have any DLC, what you initially paid for, you got, games weren't rushed, pay-to-win and Nintendo did not mix, we never had to pay for online because Nintendo was special like that, and we could play our GameCube or Wii games on our new systems.

I think the Wii U really was the last "All Nintendo" system. Mostly, anyway.

Or maybe just overreactive fluff, I suppose. Not sure.

One thing is clear though, a new piece of Nintendo should not have these problems.

@thesilverbrick The reason why these "limited cases" matter is that they may very well become the new norm. First, Nintendo made Steel Diver: Sub Wars pay-to-win in an update (the max amount of money you can currently spend in the game is about 50-60€; "premium" game 10€ + a couple of purchasable subs 5 - 20€ or so + 1€ per sub = about 30€ remodelling). Then, they made Blast Ball pay-to-win with the amiibo. Now they're making a relatively notable Mario game pay-to-win with amiibo cards. What's next, Mario Kart? Smash Bros.? Remember, pay-to-win means that you can purchase better chances to win.

Nintendo's been locking content away from the main game since Mario Golf: World Tour. Breath of the Wild is way too similar: once again players are told in advance that parts of the game will be locked behind a paywall.

The reason why rushed games matter, too, is because people used to be able to think "Hey, this is a Nintendo game, it must be high-quality". Now those days are long gone.

Nintendo has also said that by making online play free, they have removed one of the biggest barriers that kept people from playing online. What a joke.

Your PS4 doesn't have any dead pixels, but neither can it ever leave the house.

And let's not pretend the PS4 had no issues at all at launch.

@Kirgo Because when it comes to Nintendo related things, there's never a bad reason to complaint

"Black (dark) pixels and continuously lit pixels may appear in certain locations on the screen. The appearance of such spots is a normal occurrence associated with screens and is not a sign of a system malfunction. Screens are made using highly precise technology."

Sony. PS Vita official safety guide.

Go to the Screen section on Page 7 of the offical online PDF file.

@SfaFreak yeah good luck with that

@Mogster "I don't really like what Nintendo is turning into."

Welcome to the club, brother. Beware, certain NDFers still lurk these parts.

@Yhdekskymmenen I'm really not at liberty to critique Steel Diver, seeing as I only tried it out for a bit before giving up on it, but it seems to me that it's an isolated case. One game that's considered "pay-to-win" that was produced two years ago with no follow up is hardly worrying to me. It's not a trend, it never became popular and the concept has essentially been abandoned. It's certainly not enough to arbitrarily label Nintendo as a company that produces "pay-to-win" games. And Blast Ball's amiibo support is only costumes. It's not "pay-to-win". The amiibo add an aesthetic change that doesn't change gameplay, nothing more. It's entirely optional, and people who don't have the amiibo aren't missing anything important.

Mario Golf: World Tour is the only first-party Nintendo game I can think of that had day 1 DLC. One game that was released three years ago. One game. Not enough to label the entire company as one that releases day 1 DLC, especially since all their other DLC practices in dozens of games are all developed post-release.

And no content in Breath of the Wild is locked behind a paywall. The upcoming DLC doesn't even exist yet. It's still in development, and BoTW is a complete game without it. Releasing more content several months from now for a reasonable cost isn't at all shady and offers a chance for players of the game to find more to enjoy long after they've finished the already massive game, while funding the development of the DLC, which takes resources and can't be given away for free. Those who don't want to pay more don't have to, and they still got a phenomenally complete Zelda game.

Nintendo has always had AAA titles and at the same time titles that were lower budget, or "rushed," if you will. Mario Party has been a nearly annualized series since 1999 and has had short development cycles with reused assets. Nothing has changed. If anything, Star Rush had more effort put into it than say, Mario Party 2. It's just the way game studios operate. Look back at the NES and see that Nintendo had AAA Mario and Zelda titles, while at the same time producing shorter, simpler games like Clu Clu Land, Ice Climber and Balloon Fight. One could argue that the latter three games were "rushed" compared to say, Mario 3 or the first Zelda. Nothing has changed. And of the examples you mentioned (Mario Tennis Ultra Smash, Star Rush and New Super Mario Bros. 2), those games, while lighter on content, had some pretty nice production values. Mario Tennis looked pretty sharp, despite lacking features. Star Rush was heavily featured, with more game modes than any previous Mario Party. And New Super Mario Bros. 2's only real flaw was that it was just more of the same. It still looked and played great. I'd dare say all three of those titles were of high quality, even if they weren't as good as previous entries in their respective series. Far higher quality than some budget first-party efforts on older Nintendo consoles.

And you keep quoting Nintendo about their stance on free online without providing a source. And even if they did offer free online in the past, why is it fair for other developers to charge for it and not Nintendo (assuming they augment the quality of their service)? Nobody is upset with Sony for ditching their free online stance when they released the PS3.

@Ryu_Niiyama yep, this is gold...

@NEStalgia Conversely, this type of article also yields a number of sarcastic comments, pretending that absolutely nothing is wrong, and implying that anyone who says otherwise is more or less clinically insane...

@PlywoodStick True, but it's also just weird the way Nintendo is always accused of wrongdoing and that they should "get with the times" and when they're 100% inline with industry standard, no matter how sucky that standard is, somehow its as though Nintendo is uniquely setting these policies. The save file thing is pure Nintendo bad policy and they need to be made to fix that. Screen scratches may be extreme hyperbole, or a legit problem, that needs to be found out. The dead pixels thing is identical to every other LCD screen ever, and its being treated as new unique policy.

I haven't noticed any dead pixels on my Switch's screen, so far.

@Julien consoles have issues at launch. Next. (Also, a few people complaining on the internet doesn't equal everyone who got the console).

@InternetBowser I love watching internet drama queens. Continue please.

Lol such a bad greedy company nintendo has become.. I had a psp long time a go and i had a dead pixel and they replaced it but i dont think nintendo will replace theirs... Not only did they overprice the console they even used the cheapest materials possible.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cb-srOfRqNc check how many people have problems with the console.. So little sold and so many problems already...

@Julien Don't worry, that's what the Switch XL/New Switch/Lite/Whatever is for.

LOL if your new system is 3 days old and suffering any kind of problem not the result of misuse, it's a defect.

As for Nintendo having a good track record lately with these things, the Wii U had a number of problems and defects, and the cost of repair was often shifted to the consumer, which is crap.

@SfaFreak Is this true or just a rumor? I thought death was the end.

@KageMaru Could be that people are saying that by using a magnifying glass they can see a dead pixel and Nintendo are responding by saying they'll only fix it if there's enough that it's a problem to the naked eye.

@Lizuka everybody could have one or two and just not be able to see them, hence not a defect.

No dead pixels, but my wrist straps got stuck to my Joy-cons, and not because they were on backwards. They were legitimately stuck even though they were on properly. I had them unlocked and was doing everything in my power to remove them. Finally I called Nintendo to see if there was some trick I was missing and they were stumped too, so they offered to have me send my Joy-cons in for repair. I said, "No way! I want to play Zelda!" and then said I was going to go get a screwdriver. The poor guy on the phone was like, "Ma'am! We don't recomm-" "Got 'em off!" Anyway he noted the serial number of my console. It's worth noting that I didn't have to force the straps off with the screwdriver, just get enough of an initial shove that the sliding off that they were supposed to do on their own would start.

So, to recap: No repair for stuck pixels, yes repair for stuck wrist-straps, provided you weren't boneheaded and put them on wrong and they actually ARE stuck.

@CartoonDan Well the difference is sometimes a pixel isn't dead, but stuck (There are differences in what causes the pixel to not change color between the two). On PC, programs exist that can often unstick these pixels, but we don't have that luxury on the Switch. So, we have to use the less consistent method of the applying pressure. If a pixel is dead however, no amount of pressure or program will work.

LCD screens sometimes have dead pixels. And sometimes that can be annoying, if they are in certain places. If Nintendo doesn't want to replace it, you are screwed!

As soon as I saw this article I rushed to check my screen in the bright white home screen...

Thankfully it's all clear, but it would have driven me crazy if I had found a permanent black or bright pink or green pixel in my display.

I can't accept blemishes like that. I'm very OCD about these things.

My switch is defective as it doesn't have any dead pixels and my left con works fine. I all seriousness though I use the Joy Cons within a couple of feet from the system though.

@SfaFreak Indeed they can. Mine came with one stuck pixel that appeared to be bright green all the time. After a little time working that spot with a cotton bud it has come good.

@MadAdam81 I mean on a 720p 6.2" screen you certainly don't need a magnifying glass to see it.

My Switch works perfectly

@Jeremyjones12992 Thanks Dad!

@Angelic_Lapras_King Exactly! The original DS to DS Lite upgrade is perhaps the best example of cosmetic improvements, whereas GBA to GBA SP offered significant hardware improvements.

I think the Switch looks beautiful already but seems like Nintendo cut a few corners on the components and design to keep the cost down.

@WiltonRoots Somebody is going to have to start handing out prizes.

@Ryu_Niiyama https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2017/03/nintendo_confirms_switch_save_data_is_tied_to_the_console_and_cannot_be_transferred#comment3861035

Doesn't matter whether Nintendo considers it a defect or not, you can always return it within a set period of time for any reason you want.

Every time I have called Nintendo customer service they have been extremely nice and professional. Only had to twice and had my product fixed for free not even shipping and handling.

If they decline help customers with this problem I would be surprised , but like the switch games It Would leave a bitter taste!

@Julien Well, the Lite still had that problem of cracking and breaking hinges so it was far from perfect, but at least the DSi eliminated the problem and offered even more.

I haven't bought one yet, but my XL has been replaced TWICE for dead pixels. If this thing gets one dead black dot in the middle of what should be a beautiful clear Breath of the Wild sky, I will have no problem with making it "defective" for them to replace by any means.

@Kirgo It's not an issue of the dock having something inside it that will scratch the screen and not an issue of people slamming their console into the dock(at least not all of them) the reports about the dock scratching the screen are from docks that were warped and bulging inwards making contact with the screen where contact should not be happening.