Topic: The Nintendo Switch Thread

@NEStalgia Thanks for the information, I think I now have an idea of what is happening with my Switch now, I will update you all if something changes.

@Spoony_Tech I rarely use it docked, although the past few weeks I have been playing Fortnite on it heavily (specifically in handheld only), and while I play Fortnite after a little bit the fan will kick up and be somewhat loud even. Unfortunately I feel like the cracking is probably because of me playing intensive games that have the fan turn on pretty loud for a long time, and on top of it as NEStalgia mentioned, it probably doesn’t help that the screw near the vent is gone.

I’m planning on ordering a replacement screw on eBay so that hopefully there will be no further damage if NEStalgia’s theory proves to be true.

The word is out: gaijin Nintendo fans will reward high-quality Japanese games with great sales.

If that Yakuza dev wants to miss out on the action, then let him: I'll have more than enough to play in the meantime.

@Knuckles-Fajita I mean, their fans aren't on Nintendo consoles because they haven't been releasing their games on Nintendo consoles. You don't just get a starter pack of fans when you start out in the business or something.

But I get what they meant. Falcom is a small company that can't really afford for their games to flop and Nintendo consoles haven't historically been incredibly good platforms for third party developers to release their games on.

Thankfully, NIS' faith in this system is paying off, and if sales are good enough, I'm sure that, if nothing else, Falcom will want them developing more Switch ports of their games going forward.

Wow, that's great news with YS VIII. That really should be a wake up call, not only for Falcom who should've known better to begin with when NIS came knocking on their door with 110% confidence their games would sell if ported, but for every other developer out there. Make a good game and it will sell, with a few exceptions of course, because there are always genres that just don't really appeal to the Switch fanbase. I think Western AAA will always sell less. That said, they can still do well enough to make a profit and make it worthwhile bringing over.

But pretty much every other type of game is outperforming on Switch. Just read about Sonic Mania selling most on Switch, and Mega Man 11 has just been destroying the other versions on Amazon preorders. Even the X Collection. I imagine Dark Souls will sell most also, and Team Sonic Racing, among many others.

Just goes to show, offer people something of real tangible value, like a game that can still be enjoyed on the television but can also be played anywhere as an HD handheld game, as opposed to more frames per second or resolution or whatever incremental minutia they use to sell copies nowadays, and people will buy it. Because that's something people actually care about. People actually care about getting multiple versions of a game in one. That's something that offers real value and it's extremely appealing- hence why so many games are selling so well on Switch.

I think a noticeable influx of 3rd party games is coming. We're already starting to see signs of it picking up pace.

@Knuckles-Fajita at least Japanese 3rd parties. Western 3p is all about theatrical tech demos that aren't a good fit for switch. But Japanese third parties really need to figure out that their customers were on 3ds and psp and are now on switch. They really ought to question why they're messing with ps4 to begin with. It went for the tech demo audience on day 1.

@Ralizah Nintendo handhelds have been bulwharks for jrps for ages though, both home and abroad. Not recognizing that is pure denseness if you're a Japanese company that only makes rpgs ...nis knew reality quite well, thankfully. Falcom really needed a cranial-reveal extraction. This should do the trick

@TheShadowFax No, it's docked or handheld all the way through. Even if the kickstand was good, I'm not going to play like that when I can just hold the screen to my face.

Now local multiplayer, on the other hand... that's a different story. But that's rare for me personally.

@TheShadowFax
Occasionally. It was very useful for Odyssey's motion controls without having to shake the Switch.

@TheShadowFax Yeah. If I'm showing off a game to someone or we're playing multiplayer away from the TV, then tabletop mode is a must.

Also used it a lot for Xenoblade 2 when I was grinding affinity and completing merc missions.

As a Picross fan, I totally agree with everything there.

I've purchased all PicrossE games (and other Picross games) for 3DS, but deliberately didn't buy Picross S because it was so bare bones, added nothing new, and the main reason: it lacked touchscreen control. I spoke with my wallet and will do the same again if they haven't improved/updated anything in S2.

I play my Switch exclusively in handheld mode; for me, no touchscreen control in a Picross game = no buy.

I oftenly play on Tabletop Mode when i eat my meals on Food court / Restaurant. Sometimes i use Tabletop mode at my local game shop to play at that place.

@Deku-Scrub I don't know about you, but since recently discovering similar damage to my Switch, having taken good care of it, it has subconsciously negatively affected the way I perceive my Switch. Feels like a relationship where the trust has suddenly been rocked. Could be coincidence, but my 3DS and Wii U playtime has gone up since I discovered it. Had them a lot longer and neither of them are damaged at all (aside from the scratches to the glossy finish on the Wii U base unit). My Switch feels tainted now.

Little wear on a system won't do any harm. No matter how good I take care of portable systems that I carry with me I always end up with something happening to them. I remember when my 3DS screen scratched because of the way the lid closed on it... at first it frustrated me but then I realized it made it so much easier to just carry with me and not care about keeping it in pristine condition anymore.

My Switch hasn't shown any signs of wear yet, but if it does I don't think I would care too much. It'll probably just end up getting transported to a newer redesigned version a few years down the line anyways. As long as the screen isn't cracked or scratched (tempered glass is a must), buttons are good (which thankfully can be replaced with different Joycon) then I don't really care about the rest.

@JaxonH When it's preventable, ie. screen scratches, dents from drops etc., or just from plain wearing out ie. buttons dying after 1000s of hours, then that's understandable, but the fact my Switch seems like it's prematurely stealth disintegrating... that's different to me. Makes me doubtful.

@gcunit
Ya, I don't think it's going to disintegrate though.

@JaxonH Can only speak from my own experience, but that notch (that a lot of people have reported getting to some degree or another) that appeared in the top corner of the back, near the power button, is not damage from a knock. I'd be certain enough just from my own experience, but seeing how many others have the same thing... it just seems like something has eaten away at it. Really baffles me that one.

I can kind of understand the cracks around the vent, because if you pick the Switch up one handed while it's laying down, gripping it in the middle (where the vent is) is a natural thing to do, and over time, combined with possible heat issues, that thin plastic will (shouldn't do this quickly though) weaken. So I'm annoyed about the vent, and now it's cracked I'm more sensitive to the creaky flexing feeling the whole unit has when handling it, but at least it makes some sense.

The notch in the corner makes much less sense to me. I do use the power button a fair amount, so that might be contributory, but there's still nearly 5mm between my power button and the notch, and it's shape just doesn't seem consistent with that theory.

@gcunit
Ya Idk. Sounds like stress points.

My right blue joycon has small fracture lines in the plastic but the screws, but it doesnt hurt anything so it doesnt bother me.

I'd just ignore it, and if the day ever comes your Switch ever starts falling apart into 1000 pieces, stop using it. In the meantime, it was bought to be played. Just enjoy it, and if the day comes you cant enjoy it any more because its unplayable (which I doubt would happen but you never know) cross that bridge when the day comes.

edit
Fyi, I dont have any damage, but I've always picked up by the sides with the joycon. Might be the root cause... picking it up from the middle. People should maybe avoid doing so as a precaution

Dang, you guys... I can't relate lol

I used to kind of be like that with new things/things I liked. I got a new car a couple years ago and would lose my mind if I thought I scratched it. But as time goes by, you realize "life happens" and stuff gets beat up. It's personality. The way I view it, as long as it still performs its function in a comfortable way, it's just life being life.

When I was younger I treated my consoles much the same way. I'd freak out if my Xbox got scratched or my friends spilled stuff on the controllers and got them all sticky.

I remember when my year-old 360 fell off the top of my dresser (about 4 feet tall) and smashed into the ground. Faceplate cracked and had to be removed. Cracks running all through the plastic. I remember the perforated vents it had were cleanly split in two lol Continued to play just fine for 3-4 more years of college and beyond.

Like most people's, my original Game Boy was all discolored and scratched and would creak. Just the way you would hold it and move your hands as you mashed the buttons would kind of move the plastic casings a bit. It was awesome, though, because it worked just fine.

My opinion: if it still works and is comfortable to hold and play, I wouldn't care. Certainly not to the extent of the console feeling "tainted." People get way too attached to physical things remaining in "perfect" condition when it's just a fact of life that everything ages and changes.

@zitpig Picross s2 can now be found in European eShop as a coming soon title. It seems like they have a new mode called Clip Picross. I'm not sure if I understood it correctly from the description and screenshots but to me it seems like you'll have to solve Picross puzzles and they are themed to create a bigger picture when combined. Reminds me of Picross 3D and its themes. I need a bit more information on the mode but so far it doesn't really seem to be a big change. And sad to say but they have specifically mentioned no touch controls on its eShop page.

@TheShadowFax when not playing in dock mode because the TV is in use I use tabletop mode a lot more comfortable gor me than handheld mode.

@gcunit Yeah, I definetly know what you mean. When I first noticed it literally only yesterday I barely touched it for the day. For the sake of trying to not get it more damaged I probably will be playing with it less, and in the mean time I’ll be working on my backlog elsewhere or on occasion I’ll probably play smaller bursts than previously on my Switch.

While I think wear and tear is a part of life, I think this is bad engineering on Nintendo's part. The problem seems to be that the console expands and therefore cracks the outer casing.

Imho, It is one thing if it is caused by wrong handling, it is a totally different thing when it is handled correctly.