Why Nintendo Just Issued An Unexpected Weather Warning
As the world enters the thick of the summer season, temperatures are steadily rising to dangerous levels. News of heat waves have swept the globe, with states such as Texas reporting temperatures as high as 113 degrees Fahrenheit, and the even the United Kingdom expected to hit temperatures in the realm of 104 degrees Fahrenheit. These kinds of heat waves are always nightmares for gamers because PCs and consoles both require proper cooling to run without incident. Soaring heat waves could make keeping gaming platforms cool a difficult task, even on handhelds such as the Nintendo Switch.
Due to rising temperatures around the world, many players on the Nintendo Switch have been greeted by an unexpected weather advisory on their hybrid consoles warning them of the risks associated with playing the Switch. The official Twitter account for Nintendo's Customer Service division further expanded upon these warnings. "If you use the Nintendo Switch in a hot place, the temperature of the main unit may become high," Nintendo's post said (via Google Translate). The advisory post also recommended Switch players game in temperatures ranging from 5 to 30 degrees Celsius (41 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit) as well as to ensure that the console's intake and exhaust ports are well ventilated and unblocked.
The Nintendo Switch will shut down automatically in extreme heat
As noted by Eurogamer, Nintendo's post doesn't say whether or not the Switch's functionality is in grave danger when playing in the summer heat. Nintendo's advisory, however, does state that Switch will shut down automatically if "the temperature of the main unit becomes too high" in order to prevent any terminal damage from occurring.
Outside of keeping the intake and exhaust ports unblocked, Nintendo has also suggested that any "foreign matter or dust" be cleared from the ports, though it's recommended that Switch owners not disassemble the unit out of safety. In a previous tweet, Nintendo also suggested docked Switch consoles in TV Mode be kept in a cool area to prevent overheating.