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GoNintendo Thought: How's your Switch holding up?

Like new or old and busted?
by rawmeatcowboy
31 July 2020
GN Version 5.0

This should be a fun and interesting piece! Looking forward to what you guys have to share, and I hope it's good news! As always, thanks for reading.

It's hard to believe that the Switch has been out for nearly 3 and a half years now. Time sure flies when you're having fun, and that's exactly what I've been having with the Switch. While the system still has years to go, I would definitely put it in my upper echelon of Nintendo platforms. The system has been a phenomenal portal to new games and titles I missed out on, and its been fantastic for the local multiplayer fan in me. I obviously can't offer my final word on the system until it rides off in the sun, but so far so good when it comes to entertainment!

While the Switch has been top-notch in offering gaming goodness, some other aspects of the system haven't been as high-quality. There have been numerous complaints over the years of some hardware hiccups and issues, with some users having a really rough time of things. Obviously the biggest complaint over the years has been the dreaded Joy-Con drift, which Nintendo themselves have acknowledged, and are currently in the middle of a class-action lawsuit over. That's another story with its ending yet to be written, but there's no doubt the problem exists.

With the Switch having a decent amount of time under its belt, I thought now would be a good time to check in with those who've grabbed the platform and put some time in with it. Obviously I'm more interested in hearing from those who picked up a Switch in its first year, but all are welcome to share their stories. I'm out to see how the hardware is holding up for everyone, and if any major issues have cropped up. Of course, it's only fair that I kick things off by sharing input on how my own Switch is hanging in there.

I've had my Switch since the system launched back in March of 2017, so I've definitely put in ample time with it. There hasn't been a week where I don't fire the Switch up at least for a little bit. More often than not, its seen heavy usage over the 3+ year span that I've had it. Thankfully, I can say that I haven't experienced any Joy-Con drift issues. I used the Joy-Con heavily for a long time there, but then I switched over to a Switch Pro Controller, and that's been my go-to for most of the time since. Joy-Con are passed off to others for multiplayer, and they've definitely gotten a fair share of action, but remain perfectly fine for the time being.

While the Joy-Con are good, there are definitely some other minor issues that have cropped up throughout the years. Nothing that impacts my use of the system in any way, but stuff that is definitely worth bringing up. I'm curious if anyone else out there has experienced these issues.

First up is a problem that I'm sure a few Switch owners have dealt with. My Switch kickstand has pretty much given up on life. While it can still hold the system just fine and I play somewhat often with the Switch propped up on my desk, the kickstand itself loves to jump off the Switch when I touch it. That never happens when in use, but if I ever go to pull the kickstand out or push it back in, it usually just falls off in my hand. I can snap it back into place and it'll stay there until the next time I go to fuss with it. It's clear that the little nubs that hold it in place have been worn down, and they aren't doing their job anymore. Considering I switch out microSD cards multiple times each week, I'm guessing my kickstand sees more use than most. I can understand why its become so loose, but that doesn't make the situation enjoyable.

Then there's the much bigger issue with my Switch. Again, it hasn't caused any problems and the system still functions just fine, but it's scary nonetheless.

One day I went to power on my Switch and I noticed that a small chunk of plastic was missing from around the power button. I looked on my desk and found it sitting next to my dock. I'm not sure how it happened, but part of the 'shell' of the Switch decided to expel itself from the unit. That gives me a bird's eye view down into the Switch and its inner workings. Not exactly something I want left open to the outside world! Just seeing that happen has had me worried that the rest of the shell is going to start to flake off, but so far so good. I just used the piece of scotch tape you see in the image above to hold the plastic in place, and all's well.

If I had to guess, this issue probably popped up because of how I use the Switch. I never put my Switch to sleep. I always go for a complete shutdown, which has me holding the power button for 8 seconds. The Switch is almost always in its dock when I'm doing this, so I'm using a considerable amount of pressure to hold the button down. After three and a half years of doing that, I would imagine that I ended up weakening the plastic around that spot on the Switch. Obviously things shouldn't be this way, and I wish the Switch was a bit sturdier at this point. That said, I can see how my repeated strain might have lead to the issue. Again, something I understand, but I'm not happy about.

Outside of those two issues, my Switch is alive and kicking. It works just like it did on day one, the Joy-Con still slide on and off without issue, and everything else is in tip-top shape. I'm thinking that's how things will continue on from here on out, as long as I haven't jinxed myself by saying that!

What issues have you had with your Switch? Has it been in pristine shape since day one, or have you been plagued with issues? Share your stories and let's see how things are holding up!