Nintendo is facing yet more problems with the Switch, the latest console in its illustrious career.

De-Syncing Issues

Initial pre-reviews cast doubt over the hardware, specifically de-syncing issues surrounding the left joy-con. If the remote was at a distance of 2 meters or more from the docking station, and being obstructed by anything, then the controls would cease to work, often resulting in gameplay being severely hampered. After a day-one patch was considered by some to solve the problem, many found it to be reoccurring.

Nintendo released a statement listing all of the objects that could be causing the de-syncing, including human bodies, metal objects, and fish tanks. Among the other, more unavoidable suggestions, were to not have your Switch behind the television, near a wireless access point – such as an internet router – or laptops and tablets.

The situation has understandably been met with uproar by fans, with new issues continuing to arise on a daily basis.

Dead Pixels

Dead pixels, those which do not react to light and so are black at all times, have been appearing on the LCD screens of many Switch users, who took to Reddit in a 2,000-comment post to vent their frustration. In response, Nintendo released a statement clarifying that these deal pixels are ‘characteristic of LCD screens’, and how ‘these are normal and should not be considered a defect.’

Whilst Nintendo has addressed the aforementioned issues with its new system, other, less widespread problems include poor internet connectivity, loud screeching noises coming from the console, scratching of the LCD screen when being slotted in and out of the docking station, as well as complete system crashes.

Problems at console launch are common, and in introducing a brand new hybrid system to the market, Nintendo was always likely to bring a few problems along with it. Yet its unwillingness to address the issues is surprising, especially with the Kyoto giant’s history of dealing with faulty hardware soon after a console launch; after becoming aware of a problem in one of the NES’ chips, Nintendo CEO at the time Hiroshi Yamauchi decided to recall all 500,000 systems sold in its initial 1983 Japan release. It seems the times, and business ethics, have changed.

Our Experience

It is important to note that the staff here at Game Addik have only had slight de-syncing issues with the left-joy con, which is a frustrating fault but not game-breaking. Our opinion and expectation for the console are high, and so it is a shame to see so many issues arise. At £280, the Nintendo Switch has launched with a high asking price already, let alone for a system with a short shelf life.

For those interested, YouTube user CrowbCat has put together a 12 minute compilation of Switch misfortunes: