What simply occurred? Whereas many new Nintendo Swap 2 house owners are dealing with their consoles with excessive care, fearful {that a} single accident might spell catastrophe for the prized gadget, JerryRigEverything’s Zack Nelson took a really totally different method. In a latest video, Nelson subjected the hand-held to a sequence of punishing sturdiness assessments, pushing the boundaries of Nintendo’s newest {hardware} to see simply how a lot abuse it might stand up to.
The centerpiece of Nelson’s take a look at was a dramatic sequence during which he repeatedly struck the Swap 2’s display with heavy channel lock pliers. Over the course of greater than 50 forceful blows, the glass lastly gave manner, shattering and sending sharp fragments flying. Even so, after a reset, the console powered again on, although the show remained dangerously fractured and plagued by glass shards.
Nelson additionally examined the Swap 2’s inside design, providing viewers an in depth have a look at the gadget’s development. He dismantled the console to disclose that many parts, such because the Pleasure-Con 2 analog sticks and the headphone jack, are extremely modular. This method, he famous, makes repairs extra accessible for these prepared to open up their gadget. With solely a Phillips screwdriver and a specialised tri-point driver, most customers might try primary repairs at dwelling. After reassembling the console, Nelson reported that it functioned with out challenge.
Nonetheless, Nelson additionally recognized a number of limitations within the Swap 2’s repairability. The batteries, as an illustration, are glued firmly in place – a notable change from the unique Swap, which allowed for simpler battery swaps. Eradicating the brand new battery requires persistence, vital power, and a beneficiant software of alcohol to dissolve the adhesive.
Moreover, the sport card slot and USB-C ports aren’t modular; if these components fail, customers could also be compelled to switch your entire motherboard, a expensive and technically demanding course of until one is expert at soldering.
Nelson’s consideration then returned to the Swap 2’s show, which contains a protecting movie that Nintendo warns customers to not take away. The corporate claims this layer is designed to forestall glass shards from scattering, much like laminated glass in automobile windshields.
Nelson determined to place this declare to the take a look at. “We did take away the plastic display protector from earlier, and the one technique to actually inform if the Nintendo Swap 2 display goes to scatter into bits if we shatter it’s if we shatter it!” he mentioned.
With out the protecting movie, Nelson resumed his assault on the gadget with the heavy pliers. After 13 blows, the Pleasure-Cons indifferent, however the display remained intact. One other 14 strikes did not inflict additional injury. “One other 14 very stable hits, and the Swap 2 is shockingly nonetheless alive. 15 extra and nonetheless nothing! That is wild. If watching this does not provide you with confidence within the Swap 2’s sturdiness, nothing will,” Nelson remarked.
Solely after greater than 50 hits did the glass lastly break. “Solely after 50 hits from my ridiculously giant pliers will we see that certainly there’s a skinny layer of glass on the floor, and as you may see from the gradual movement, Nintendo was proper and it does certainly explode into little needle-like shards of glass with out that laminate high layer. So I’d positively depart yours intact and in place,” he warned.
Regardless of the catastrophic injury to the display, the Swap 2 itself continued to perform after a reset. “Regardless that I did get a black display of demise, after a fast reset, Nintendo says it was simply kidding about being sport over and is able to carry on taking part in. Mainly invincible. I am a giant fan of the Nintendo Swap 2,” Nelson concluded.
