The Nintendo Switch is a console like no other: While your Playstation or Xbox will probably stay under the TV or next to your desk most of the time, the Switch also likes to travel with you or be taken along for the long train journey. Of course, the portable console is then exposed to a wide variety of weather conditions. From sub-zero temperatures in winter to sweaty sauna temperatures in midsummer, everything is there. The console manufacturer has now issued a warning on Nintendo’s Japanese Twitter support account, which you should definitely pay attention to in winter, when your switch has been exposed to freezing temperatures for too long and is then moved back into the warm room.
Condensation problems can damage Switch
Specifically, it’s about the problem that the Nintendo Switch (buy now €339.00 ) can be damaged or even broken by extreme temperature fluctuations. We all know it: when driving in the winter or after a hot shower, condensation forms on the windshield or the shower glass.
The same can happen to the Switch screen if you expose the console to extreme temperature changes. The water, which then slowly becomes liquid again, can not only damage the screen, but also potentially penetrate the interior of the handheld console.
And you can certainly imagine what happens when electronics and water come together. In any case, the two will not become lovers.
You can do that if your switch is already affected
The condensation issue was first mentioned on Nintendo’s Japanese Twitter support account. And the support also gives valuable tips on what to do if something does happen and condensation has formed on the screen.
If you notice condensation on the screen or, even worse, already inside the console, definitely turn off the console completely first. With a mix of water and electronics, this is always advisable.
After that, you should let the Switch dry in a warm room until no more drops of water can be seen. However, judging by the comments below the tweet and other reports, the Switch’s condensation problem is probably not too common.
Because the temperature differences have to be extreme for this problem to occur. By the way: It is easy to explain why it affects the screen and the electronics of the switch, but not your smartphone, for example:
The switch only has splash water protection, but is not IP-certified. So let’s hope that this problem will never affect you. Because when it’s working, the Switch has a lot more to offer, doesn’t it? Coming soon, for example, the new The Legend of Zelda, for which we have already written an analysis here.
