Nintendo Switch Consoles Are Reportedly Warping When Docked (independent.co.uk)

When the Nintendo Switch was launched in early March, some users complained about dead or stuck pixels, which Nintendo later dismissed as being "normal." We're now approaching the one-month mark and some users are reporting that the console can warp when it's been docked for an extended period of gaming. The Independent reports: [Reddit] User _NSR has posted a picture of a bent Switch online, alongside a message reading, "The Nintendo Switch is starting to warp while only being in dock mode." _NSR expanded on the issue in further comments, explaining, "It does get very hot, considering how small the system is and it is outputting Breath of the Wild for long periods of time on a big screen, it may be too much for it to handle. I'm wondering if it being docked is the problem though, most of my time has been on the dock, and it has to work harder to output to a larger screen. Luckily it hasn't affected the way that it plays, the lack of disc drive is definitely a good thing here." Fellow Reddit users have offered multiple possible explanations for the warp, with battery issues and thermal expansion being suggested. Another Switch user, Magnaha23, backed up _NSR's claim, commenting, "I actually checked my Switch after seeing this. It's starting to do the exact same thing just not as bad as yours yet. I called Nintendo and got a repair set up in like 10 minutes. "I got a prepaid label for overnight shipping. Once they get it it takes a few days to process and repair. If they can repair the unit, which if the whole thing is warped they probably can't, they will send back. Otherwise, they will transfer my data over to a new unit and send that back. They said 6-8 business days once they get my Switch. We shall see..." Other people on the thread, however, say they haven't noticed any warping despite using it for lengthy gaming sessions while docked.

Comments

Re: Misreading titles is fun

[Kkloe]

I wonder what warp speed they can achieve

Be careful of your data

[PhunkySchtuff]

Be careful of your data. Other people have reported having to get their Switch repaired and their savegames getting wiped.
https://arstechnica.com/gaming...

Re: Be careful of your data

[LordKronos]

That's pointless advise, because there's no way to be careful with your data. You can't copy save games to a flash card, and there is no online save functionality either. So the person who is "careful" with their data is equally as susceptible as the person who doesn't give it a single thought.

Not too surprising

[wierd_w]

The console outputs fewer pixels in handheld mode (720p) than in docked mode (1080P), so the system SHOULD generate less heat.

ABS, which is most likely what the shell is made of, has a melting point someplace around 220C, but gets kinda flexible/bendy much lower than that. The heat of the system running balls to the walls for extended periods could well be sufficient for things to get saggier than titties at a 5th wave bra burning convention.

Sounds like there is a market for aftermarket clip on turbofan coolers, like there was for original build XBOX 360s. (the ones that got so hot due to poor ventilation design that they would spontaneously delaminate their surface mount chips.)

Better get that Nintendo seal of approval though. They are about as bitchy about aftermarket devices as Apple is.

Re:Not too surprising

[AmiMoJo]

People used to wrap their XBOX 360s in towels to make them fail and get them replaced under warranty until Microsoft sent them a properly fixed unit. Nintendo needs to be careful - if they just swap units out for identical ones which will fail in the same way the return rate could shoot up.

Re:Not too surprising

[jimbolauski]

The switch should have no problem with 1080p, it is using the Tegra X1 chip, which is capable of 4k at 60fps. Using 1/4 or an 1/8th of the GPU capability would not be causing overheating. I suspect something else, Nintendo released a patch a few days ago which seemed to fix frame rates dropping below 20, the details of the patch were "Adjustments have been made to make for a more pleasant gaming experience." so I can only speculate. My guess is that there were severe inefficiencies in how the GPU was rendering which the patch fixed causing the GPU to run much cooler.

Re:Not too surprising

[Immerman]

Being capable of updating the screen at 4k and 60fps is a world apart from being able to render complex 3D scenes at that speed. The former just requires bandwidth, while the latter requires extensive processing power as well. Displaying a spreadsheet at 4k&60fps is nothing special.

 

Re:Not too surprising

[EndlessNameless]

The switch should have no problem with 1080p, it is using the Tegra X1 chip, which is capable of 4k at 60fps.

This is so painfully wrong that I have to correct it. The Tegra has a hardware decoder that can handle 4K video. It specifically supports the H.265 and VP9 codecs, which are widely used for streaming.

I would be absolutely shocked if the Tegra can render 3D scenes at 4K and 60 Hz, given that high end desktop GPUs pulling 200W have trouble with it. In fact, the Tegra X1 has only 40% of the power of an outdated mid-level GeForce card. The Tegra X1 has 256 CUDA cores compared to the 640 cores in the GeForce 750 Ti.

And Nintendo's patch notes are so vague as to be meaningless. You can speculate on what they did all you want. But based on your gross misunderstanding of the SOC's capabilities, I do not assign much credibility to your speculation.

Really?

[UncleRage]

I have no horse in this race; beyond setting up a RetroPie build that includes a few NES/SNES games, Nintendo hasn't been on my radar in over twenty years.

That said... A Reddit post from yesterday consisting of a "Hey, Reddit... look at this shit!" with a "Yeah, me too!" in the comments now constitutes a discussion on Slashdot? Is this really where we're going?

Fuck the signal, let's just pump noise! Good job, BeauHD.

So you're saying...

[magusxxx]

The console is moving to the left? Or moving to the right? Which makes you impatiently move your hips. As you hold the unit out with both hands tight. And you give it to the repairman with a thrust As his confused look really drives you insane...

Had to sell it

[cerberusss]

I'm sure there are some problems but in general, the Switch is freaking awesome. I bought it with Zelda, and it's the first time in FIFTEEN years that I'm at work and then think to myself: "oh boy, in an hour or two I can go home and play Zelda!" It's that amazing.

I did have to sell it though. My RSI started acting up and I really really can't risk any problems since I'm self-employed. Damn shame.

Re:Had to sell it

[RogueyWon]

The Switch is an ergonomic nightmare. I've got mild RSI and I have to be very, very careful about using it undocked, or via the joycons attached to the grip. Fortunately, the Pro Controller, while expensive, is fine in terms of its ergonomics (though the lack of analogue shoulder triggers reduces its quality as a controller).

But the Switch itself is about as bad as you can get. In undocked mode, the control inputs are right on the very outer edge of the unit. If you have normal-sized hands, the only way to hold it is via "pinching" the edges. Your hand is entirely unsupported and will slip into a cramped posture by default. The same problem is also present with the joycons when using them undocked.

Modern video game controllers have "wings" for a reason, even though they are generally just hollow plastic. They fill the palm of your hand during play and prevent you from cramping up your hand. This is both more comfortable in immediate terms, and less likely to lead to problems with your hands over prolonged use. Nintendo have completely ignored two decades of ergonomic progress with the Switch. A lot of people will be happily using their units right now and not (yet) feeling any ill effects, but storing up all kinds of problems with their hands for later in life.

If you want to play Zelda, then go ahead. It's not really my cup of tea, but some people seem to like it a lot. But for the love of god, get a Pro Controller if you're going to do so. No game is worth inflicting long-term pain on yourself.

Re: Misreading titles is fun

[Anonymous Coward]

The Federation requests that starships undock before attempting warp speed.

Nintendo, please read

[zifn4b]

I won't buy one of your new consoles until you fix the launch issues. These are design flaws and/or failure rate issues with parts from other distributors. If you want me to buy a Switch, fix it. I can play Breath of the Wild on the WiiU until then. Marketing spin doesn't make products better. k thx bai.

Adios, nintendo

[drinkypoo]

Nintendo built their reputation on quality. Now they're just throwing that away? You could beat all the old consoles and their controllers up all day and have them still work. What's this fragile garbage?

Re:Adios, nintendo

[thegarbz]

The core problem is people. Nintendo is suffering like a lot of corporations with quality control issues that are primarily caused by one post on reddit being considered as a representative sample of millions of users.

What's this fragile garbage?

To answer that you first need to submit to an MRI. Only then can we tell why the average person's brain is so fragile.

Headline sounds a lot better

[Chrisq]

Nintendo Switch Consoles Are Reportedly Warping When Docked

The headline sounds a lot better if you replace "Nintendo Switch Consoles" with "Federation Starships

Federation Starships Are Reportedly Warping When Docked