Aiming to find out just how widespread the Nintendo Switch’s hardware crack issue is, Nintendo Life conducted a poll. The publication asked “Does your Switch have any cracks on its casing that haven’t been caused by accidental damage?” and received 1,189 votes on the matter, of which 20% of respondents (or 1 in 5 people) said that they had experienced these cracks.
According to social media posts highlighted by the publication, the most common places where the cracks form is near the power button, in the right-hand corner by the screw and by the exhaust point. There is some speculation that these cracks are caused by heat as the console expands and contracts, which would explain why so many people seem to have pieces falling off near the fan area in particular. Some have also suggested that since the issue is so apparent, it’s likely that Nintendo has changed the Switch’s design and addressed the problems with iterations of the console released since.
In the comments, several readers say that they have contacted Nintendo UK regarding repairs for their console. The quotes range from £130 (equivalent to $172) and as much as £175 (equivalent to $230) which is almost half the price of buying a Nintendo Switch brand new. Affected players also say that they have found their own replacement parts for close to $10, making the quoted price from Nintendo UK seem especially high.
Nintendo Switch owners in the UK and Europe argue that this is patently false and that the issue is common but it shows that Nintendo is unwilling to do anything about it. It’s possible that Nintendo will reevaluate and renege on this statement, instead vowing to replace consoles for free, but few Switch owners are counting on it.
Source: Nintendo Life
Image credit: YouTube - Ninjatoine
