Nintendo made the Switch 2 harder to repair, because of course it did

The Nintendo Switch 2 has received an official teardown from iFixit, and the results aren’t great. That isn’t to say there is anything functionally wrong with the Nintendo Switch 2. On the contrary, it’s been an exceedingly popular device thus far, and it only just officially launched on June 5. The issue, according to iFixit, is that it just isn’t very user-friendly with regards to tearing it down in the event that you need to repair something.

This might not surprise many people. A little more than a week ago, iFixit revisited the original Nintendo Switch to see what repairs would be like on it several years after the initial teardown. The reasons for revisiting the console were mostly because iFixit says its criteria for repair scores have evolved a lot since the original Switch launched. Spoiler alert, it didn’t go well, and iFixit ended up lowering the repair score by about half. Now that it has had time to take a look at the Switch 2, things haven’t changed much, unfortunately.

The Switch 2 teardown proves that Nintendo doesn’t want to make it easy for users to repair their own consoles

There are a lot of things that have changed from the Nintendo Switch to the Nintendo Switch 2. Like a bigger screen, better performance, larger Joy-Con controllers, and tons of little quality of life additions. What hasn’t changed is how bad it is to repair the Switch 2 if you need to.

The console is loaded with so many obstacles to doing a DIY repair, it’s almost comical. It would be a little insulting if this weren’t already expected from Nintendo. As shown by iFixit, the Switch 2 has several hurdles that will make it a challenge for people to do repairs themselves, like unsuspecting tamper-proof stickers in the Joy-Con wells, and the same trick of using adhesive to keep the Switch 2’s battery in place.

The Switch 2 has an even lower repair score than its predecessor

After several years, you might think Nintendo would have eased up a little on its anti-repair tactics. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case. The Switch 2 is actually less repairable by users than the original, as iFixit gave it a repair score of 3. That’s not great. It doesn’t mean it’s impossible to repair the Switch 2 yourself if needed. Keep in mind, though, it’s not going to be a cakewalk either.

Of course, if you’re used to repairing your own tech, then Nintendo’s attempts to stop you from doing so with the Switch 2 likely aren’t going to scare you off. Not to mention, iFixit’s teardown does a good job of showing what needs to be done. It’s also worth remembering that this isn’t a full repair guide that walks you through every little detail.

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