The techs over at iFixit have completed their teardown of the Nintendo Switch 2, which launched this week. After completing a thorough analysis of the newest Nintendo console, it appears this generation of Switch is even harder to repair than its predecessor. iFixit has assigned the Switch 2 a repairability score of three out of 10. This represents an even lower score than the retroactive four out of 10 they awarded to the original model.
A substantial consideration in iFixit’s scoring system is the availability of repair parts from the manufacturer for the device in question. While there was some hope that Nintendo would have to comply with Right to Repair laws, sufficiently stringent versions of these regulations have yet to materialize, and OEM parts are almost impossible to come by.
Further complicating the repairability is that the charge ports, main storage and a game card reader that are all soldered to the board. The USB-C charge ports are a particular pain point here, as disconnecting and reconnecting the charging cable wears on the charge port over time. A bad yank on the charging cable or a fall while it’s connected could damage the charge port, which would require re-soldering a new one.
iFixit found that the battery was also frustratingly difficult to remove — another major detractor to repairability, as batteries by their nature degrade over time. Beyond being difficult to access without the proper tools, it’s held down with strong adhesive that requires a lot of effort (and isopropyl alcohol) to remove.
So if you happen to get your hands on a Switch 2, buy a case and baby that battery, because if it needs any repairs you’ll likely be shipping it to Nintendo and paying a pretty penny.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/you-probably-wont-be-fixing-your-own-nintendo-switch-2-180833765.html?src=rss https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/you-probably-wont-be-fixing-your-own-nintendo-switch-2-180833765.html?src=rssLogin to add comment
Other posts in this group
SpaceX's massive Starship rocket is scheduled to lift off from the company's Texas launch site as soon as this evening for its 10th flight. The launch window opens at 7:30PM ET (6:30PM CT). As alwa
">Unhinged as Grok may be, it's now open source. xAI'
Known for its premium ha
The back-to-school season isn't only a good time to save on things like a new laptop. Case in point: Sonos' bac
Anker makes some of our favorite charging gear, and now you can save on a bunch of wireless power accessories from the brand. Whether you're going back to school soon or want a new charging station
Labor Day marks the unofficial end to summer as the weather starts to get crisper and students head back to school f
