Nintendo Switch owners claim docking their screens is scratching the device

9 months ago

The Nintendo Switch is barely on the shelves but a new debate has already been sparked among games enthusiasts: is the docking station scratching consoles?

Over the weekend there have been multiple reports of new Switch owners discovering scratches on their device – most commonly on the bezel surrounding the screen – with the system’s docking station allegedly the culprit, they claim.

Reddit user MetallicFear was among the first to point out the issue when they posted that they noticed a small scratch on the device after docking it for the first time.

This is an account backed up by John Davison at Glixel, who posted images of how the site’s Switch unit has picked up several notable markings in the week or so they’ve had it.

“If you gently slide it in and ‘miss’ the USB-C prong, juggling the device into the slot (even carefully) eventually scrapes it against the hard insides of the dock, resulting in little hairline scratches that start to build up over time,” Davison wrote on the issue.

So far, Nintendo has not commented on the apparent problem.

Instead, Switch owners are encouraging each other to invest in official carry cases and screen protectors to help shield the device from damage when docking it as well as when transporting it. There are plenty of both available online for the Switch.

If all this sounds vaguely familiar then you’re right – Sony’s PS Vita was criticised for being too scratch-prone shortly after it launched in 2012.

Like the Switch, that device has a plastic screen which can leave it prone to scratching over time.

The episode is an unfortunate bump in what has been an otherwise hugely successful launch for the Switch and Nintendo. The console itself has reviewed well, as has Breath Of The Wild, the new Zelda game which is one of the console’s launch titles.