You love your Nintendo Switch? Nintendo warns of a trick that can damage your console. And your games can also be damaged.
Most of us have probably done this: Blowing hard into the card slot of the Switch or through the cartridges before inserting them into the console. Gamers have been doing this for years.
Now, Nintendo has warned against using the popular “blowing technique” on the Switch or the games. This increases the risk of damaging your games or even your Switch.
Blowing introduces saliva into the cartridge and game console
What is the problem? Blowing into the cartridges or the card slot of the Switch can allow saliva to enter the hardware. This saliva can then stick and cause the internal parts to rust or corrode.
In the worst case, you might damage the cartridges or the slot of your Switch. Nintendo itself explains: The best way to clean the slot is with a vacuum cleaner to remove dust and avoid saliva splashes.
Additionally, you should avoid poking around in your card slot with a cotton swab. Nintendo writes about this (via twitter.com):
Inside the console’s card slot is a terminal to read the cards. If you clean the slot with a cotton swab and it gets stuck, it can break. And if you insert a game with a defective terminal, it can get stuck. Do not touch the inside of the slot.
If you have been using cotton swabs or like to blow into your cartridges, you should stop doing that if you want to take care of your console. By the way, with another “trick” you can also use an Xbox or PlayStation controller on your Switch:
I used my Xbox controller on the Nintendo Switch and it almost always worked great
