Problems with the Switch

So I'm guessing that everyone has seen the many, many, many videos out there of people having issues with the Switch. And you may have read about the screen having dead pixels or dark spots and having Nintendo flat out refuse to repair or replace the system.

But given that it's very popular to hate on Nintendo and there's always leagues of trolls out there ready to jump on any negative news about the company, I'm having a very hard time sorting out the facts.

I've tried to look up legit news outlets reporting on the problems, but am just coming up empty.

Does anyone know what the failure rate of the system actually is?

Because at this point, I wouldn't put it past haters to go get a Switch and deliberately damage it to make a negative video about it. Or have someone with money and competing interest to fund haters doing it.

Do you have a Switch?

Do you have any problems?

 

Why would several haters buy the Switch and mess it up just to show the flaws of it on a YouTube video or in a stream? note it's not only the dead pixels but a whole lot of other issues too. Based on what I've seen from the stuff I follow the struggle is real.

 

I think it's still too early to tell. I've been keeping an eye on the Japanese-speaking side of the gaming new outlets, but so far nothing.

I just did a quick search in German and a pretty reputable magazine has reported about the dead pixels and the left joy-con causing problems among other things. (Article is from ComputerBild; warning: a video is there that auto-plays.) However, they also said it's still unclear whether those issues are widespread or not.

 

If you've played on it, you'll know that there are a slew of shortcomings. Among the many I felt it had, the biggest were that the ergonomics and actual physical design of the hardware is horrible. Charging port on bottom, tiny flat controllers with buttons in all the wrong places, extremely weak bluetooth on the JoyCon's that constantly feed bad inputs at >5ft away, can't plug HDMI in without the dock (can't take it to a friend's and use his tv without the dock - mega-mobility device?) among other nuisances. I didn't notice any dead pixels or anything out of the box.

Overall, my friend got one because hes a zelda nut and it was really underwhelming as an actual device during the evening we played it. On a technical level its pretty cool in my opinion - the connect/disconnect, take it on the run, decent graphics for a small device, decent battery life, etc all that is pretty cool but the ergonomics and wireless quality was so bad I would not even consider it for a living room device, regardless of how mobile and flexible it is.

 

That's true about the left joycon. Pro-Jared mentioned it in his review and that guy's a self proclaimed fan-boy.

And yeah, the fact that it needs a dock to play on a tv and that it has all the ports on the bottom are obvious design flaws.

And, I myself said that the controller ergonomics looked terrible.

Does anyone know if the carts not loading, games crashing, screens bugging out, or sound bugging out are at all actual problems?

Regardless, I think I may wait for the second gen. And I wonder how this will effect sells in terms of of rather or not it's worth developing for.

 

I think it's always a better idea to wait if you can. Most consoles have problems right at launch that later get ironed out. The price might even drop if it doesn't sell well after the initial Zelda sales boost.

Devkits for the Switch apparently cost 450 USD. That's another reason to wait and see how the console will do.

 

My guess is that these issues are caused by people licking their cartridges.

All in all, I haven't even seen one of the physical devices. Last Nintendo device I owned was a Wii for my kids. I think the charging port located on the bottom of the device is a major design flaw and it seems bizarre that they didn't catch that and think about it in testing.

That being said, I really like what Nintendo is doing here. Rather than implement "novelty" type features, they're differentiating themselves from the competition. It's a first attempt so it's not going to be perfect. I hope it's successful because I think it's a really cool idea and I'd like to see them expound on it.

 

Ive played my Switch (Well, Zelda 90% of the time) nearly every day since launch; train to the office, lunch-time, train to my house, all evening. Other than a few FPS drops in more 'busy' moments of Zelda, I haven't had a single issue!

 

Here's an official statement by Nintendo. As always, Reggie's answers are... diplomatic.

About the joy-cons connectivity issue:

About the screen scratching:

 

My experience is pretty much the same as @Andy-Touch. Been playing it in portable mode during my daily commute and then either docked or portable when I get home. No problems whatsoever. I can sit on my couch 10' away from the console and my JoyCons don't de-sync, even when kids are constantly walking in between me and the screen.

Incidentally, my preferred way to play is with the system docked and a JoyCon in each hand. The right controller's gyroscope can be used for aiming, and I find it preferable to moving the whole controller.

I don't doubt that some people have had issues; however the Internet always amplifies the complainers and can make their experiences sound much more common than they are. This stuff very likely is not representative of the (silent) majority who aren't having any issues.

 

I've not had any of the issues that people have been talking about. After about 40 plus hours in Zelda everything has been smooth. I play both docked and portable, which was amazing for when the power was out for a few days. I'd get 3ish hours of Zelda before the battery was almost dead and I could play nonstop while it charged in the college lounge.

No issues with the joycons though I only used them docked in the controller thing or attached to the Switch. Also do not mind the buttons or the layout as I thought I would. Currently there is a flimsy screen protector on it that came with a case bundle but should be getting my glass protector today so no screen scratching. Not sure why people wouldn't put a screen protector on it. They're cheap and worth it. If we've learned anything from cell phone screens it's that glass breaks pretty easy if dropped a few times so I feel Nintendo was right to not use one.

As others have said it's early in its the life and what console hasn't had launch issues.

 

I got my Switch on launch day and have used it every single day since. While it is difficult to separate my love for Zelda BotW from the feelings for the console itself, I do objectively love the hardware as well.

The complaints about the charging port on the bottom just confuses me... Where else should it be? If it was on the top, you'd have to dock it upside down. The only drawback to having it on the bottom is that you can't charge while in tabletop mode, a mode that should be considered 'portable' and not a charging mode. If you want to charge while using in tabletop mode, get a stand that allows this for a measley $12. Nintendo shouldn't design the hardware around this one use case.

I've used it a ton in every configuration: handheld, tabletop, and docked. I haven't had syncing issues with either JoyCon and I have no scratches on the device front or back. I can't comment on the conditions that caused others to experience these problems, but I'm guessing some people have more interference in their playing spaces, and maybe some people got bent docks that scratched their screens. Like I said, I've had zero issues and have seen hundreds on the Switch subreddit that have said the same. You tend to see these kind of things from the very vocal minority, which doesn't make them non-issues, but does mean you should take the reports for what they are and not guaranteed issues with the hardware.

I have decently-sized hands and don't have a problem with the comfort of the JoyCon. Are they the best controllers I've ever used? Nah. But the amount of tech packed into those little things, the ease of use attached to the console, a grip, or held separately (either one in each hand or used as an impromptu 2 player setup) and the fact that it gives me a full console experience on the go more than makes up for any complaints I have. They're not perfect, but they're a perfect compromise that achieves everything the system sets out to do.

The thing I see happening is that there's this huge group of people who were NES/SNES era fans of Nintendo. They've wanted the company to make a super powerful system for the last few generations now, and instead Nintendo is doing their own thing: innovating and focusing on the experiences instead of raw power. If you wanted the NX/Switch to be a hugely powerful home gaming console, you will be disappointed with the Switch. But if you, like me, love the idea of having a console that doubles as a handheld and your big TV system, that you can take with you anywhere and have the same experience, that you can set up for a same-screen multiplayer session in the break room at work... then you may find a lot to love here.

It's still super early, and the system isn't much more than a Zelda box right now. But I love it already and am satisfied in my purchase even if I never get another game for it. But with the slew of indie games being released with added multiplayer modes and Nintendo's famous IP making its way over the next year or so, my wallet won't be so lucky.

Additionally, the system has inspired me to pick up work again on an abandoned project of mine, which I think I'll talk about more in another post.

Schneider's Buying Guide

1. If you have fond memories of the Zelda series but always hated the Water Temple in OoT, go to item 2.
2. If you own a WiiU, buy BotW for that. If not, buy a Switch and also BotW.
3. If you love open world games and a feeling of adventure, go to item 1.
4. If you love the idea of reviving same-screen multiplayer and console-on-the-go experiences, but don't necessarily want a system for Zelda alone (or don't like Zelda because you're broken inside) stay tuned to the Switch's coming titles but probably hold off for now.
5. If you're here, you escaped the infinite loop somehow.

 

Were you referring to this stand by any chance? Because the price you mentioned was very close.

https://www.amazon.com/Compact-Playstand-Nintendo-Switch-Officially-Licensed/dp/B01N9RTMWS

 

I wanted to get that one, but went with the Orzly one because it was even cheaper, included a cable, and wasn't sold out. That was before it had the two crummy reviews indicating it was garbage... Said it shipped March 6th, but no sign of it yet.

I'll probably end up getting the HORI one anyway!

 

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing.

 

They could have a second charging port somewhere so you could have an alternative way to charge when it wasn't docked.

Or it could have a very differently designed dock that didn't require the port at the bottom.

 

I mean, come on. Two USB-C ports? How logical is that? Maybe my phone should have a 3.5mm jack on each side so I can plug my headphones in whatever way I want. Or my car should have all the driving controls on the passenger side in case I want to drive sitting on the right. There are certain compromises that need to be made with any hardware, and this is such a minor issue that is so blown out of proportion it's bordering on ridiculous.

I've used the Switch in tabletop mode quite a bit. Each time when I go to take a break, I just lay it down and plug the charger in. When I come back, I unplug and stand it back up. This works perfectly. If you're in a situation where you want to be playing for more than a few hours at a time and you're away from your TV (but have a charger), just play in handheld mode. It's such a non-issue.

Again, I don't see how this would work. If the port was at the top, you'd have to dock the thing upside down. Then the JoyCon wouldn't be attachable/detachable while docked, and people would complain about that. If the port was on the back of the device, you'd have to slide it in and snap it over or something, which now sounds like a bunch of moving parts. All to try and work around something that people were complaining about before even having used the thing.

I'm not defending Nintendo here because they're Nintendo. I got that the Wii was a big success, though I barely used mine. The Wii U was a marketing disaster and never interested me. I briefly owned and quickly sold several of their recent handhelds because they didn't interest me as much as I thought they would. But I love the Switch as a piece of hardware. According to my profile I've used it for over 100 hours, and I have no complaints.

 

hmm.. I don't have it yet,
but I will definitely.

 

Personally I think the whole idea of docks are kind of silly.

If the thing is so portable why can't I charge it like a phone and plug in an HDMI cable or have something like chomecast to put it on the TV?

What does a plastic stand add to the console?

Oh, well.

 

I don't know, I was playing multiplayer snipperclips and had the battery run out. It was annoying.

Because you don't see it, it doesn't mean it can't be done. If they really wanted to they could have solved this issue. And it is an issue, for me. It's not for you, which is great, but it has been annoying for the way I use my switch.

I still like it overall.

I'm hoping nintendo will release a cradle like accessory that is very small and portable, so that it can solve my use case.

 

A place on your TV stand, and the ability to plug in the HDMI and the charger and whatever else all at the same time. Without the stand it is instead some thing with a bunch of random cables poking out of it that happens to plug into your TV.

 

Because the dock makes the whole thing so much more convenient. Going for portable to playing on the tv is much more seamless and effortless than connecting a bunch of cables, which I think is what Nintendo was going for.

 

And that is why you never early adopt.

Buy a product at release, and you queue up for russian roulette on both the hardware and software side.

Wait 6 months, and you will most likely get a refined product with all the teething problems fixed.


Its nice that you want to support Nintendo so much you are giving them your money now when the product is overpriced and still buggy. But really, aside from fearing you get spoilered by your friends, BotW is as good in 6 months as it is today, and aside from that there isn't a ton of reasons to get a switch now.

There are more than enough other good open world games to keep you busy in the meantime... Horizon Zero Dawn for the guys that already own a PS4, Nier Automata for everybody

 

Ha, I'm pretty sure that pretty much every single object on earth is perfectly capable of sitting somewhere without the use of a plastic stand.

And I'd hardly call a charge chord and a HDMI cable "a bunch of chords".

Besides, literally every console I own has at least an HDMI cable and a power chord.

 

This isn't really about technical issues, and I'm sure it's been said before, but...I think the problem with the Switch is that it has to fill two niches. It can't just sell as much as a Nintendo console does. It has to sell as much as a Nintendo console AND the Nintendo handheld out at the same time--not an easy task, since Nintendo handhelds are very popular.

Is there anyone who would NOT have bought a Nintendo console or would NOT have bought a handheld who WILL buy a Switch? I seriously doubt it.

Is there anyone who would have bought EITHER a Nintendo console OR a handheld who WILL buy the Switch? Probably most. May be losing handheld sales because of things like battery life.

Is there anyone who would have bought BOTH a Nintendo console AND a handheld who will not ONLY buy the Switch? Very likely.

So I think this really is only losing Nintendo money.

Sorry for the tangent, but I really haven't discussed this elsewhere and this was rolling around in my head today.