Key insights
- Nintendo warns players to keep pets away from the Switch as saliva and urine can cause damage.
- Nintendo's concerns may stem from requests for repairs for devices damaged by pets.
- Fans should heed the advice to protect their investments, especially with the new Switch 2 on the horizon.
Nintendo spontaneously took the opportunity to warn PSA about storage Switch Consoles safely around animals. While it's valid advice, the spontaneity of the Nintendo Switch warning might seem a little strange.
Many Nintendo consoles are robust, with the Game Boy famously surviving a wartime blast. However, if there is one weakness that just about every gaming console has, it is the ability to withstand contact with water or liquids. This apparently gives Nintendo some cause for concern.
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Nintendo's Japanese social media account posted a PSA to Switch fans about keeping their pets away from the console and what dangers they could pose to them. The tweet essentially warns fans that all they have to do is take their eyes off their Switch for a moment and a poorly trained gamer pet could end up chewing on it. It goes on to explain that pet saliva and urine can damage the switch and cause it to malfunction due to exposure to water. Therefore, caution should be exercised when using a switch near pets.
Keep non-Nintendogs away from the Nintendo Switch
Why exactly Nintendo is now issuing this warning to users is not entirely clear. It's possible the company will receive more repair requests for Nintendo Switch devices damaged by pets. However, there are significantly fewer pets in Japan than in the United States, so the problem for the company may be far less pronounced with its own domestic customers than with customers abroad. In any case, there was a very similar report from the company a few years ago, but with the addition that pets could also gnaw on the cables and damage them. Maybe it's just recycled advice that seemed useful to share.
In any case, Nintendo fans should definitely follow the company's advice here, especially with the Nintendo Switch 2 finally on the horizon. It would be devastating if a gaming system were damaged by a pet, but it's especially bad if it's a brand new device. With massive shortages of some console releases like the original Nintendo Switch and the possibility that future tariffs will impact video game console prices, protecting your investment is an important goal to keep in mind.
Anyone who experiences something like this should first contact Nintendo for help. While the damage may not be covered under warranty or repairs that Nintendo would be willing or able to provide, any attempt to fix a console's internal fluid contact could make the situation worse.
Nintendo Switch
$285 $300 Save $15
The Nintendo Switch is a hybrid portable and home console that aims to be the only gaming system everyone needs. The hybrid controller is an undisputed success as it offers a high level of portable visual quality and can be easily converted into a home console.
- brand
- Nintendo
- battery
- 1 lithium polymer batteries required
- Dimensions
- 13.7 x 7.8 x 3.66 inches
- Weight
- 2.65 pounds
