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Aug 25, 2023

10 Things You Should Never Do With Your Nintendo Switch

Keep your Nintendo Switch in top condition and free from harm with these tips.

Keep your Nintendo Switch in top condition and free from harm with these tips.

The Nintendo Switch is a totally unique hybrid console that has never been seen in the gaming industry before. As a result, there is a lot to learn about it. The Nintendo Switch has many nuances that only a veteran gamer will discover.

So if you’re new to the console and want to beef up your Nintendo Switch instruction manual, we’ve done all the work for you. Here are the top 10 things you never want to do with your Nintendo Switch.

The Nintendo Switch is choc-full of handy tips and secrets, but the handiest one by far is that you can use it as a TV remote. Every gamer knows the frustration when you have gotten yourself all comfortable and settled in for a gaming session before realizing you forgot to turn on the TV.

If you ever find yourself in this situation and you have a Nintendo Switch, don't get up! Simply press the home button on your controller, and your Nintendo Switch will turn your TV on for you. If this trick didn't work for you and you’re left wondering how to turn on your TV with your Nintendo Switch, there are a few settings you need to activate first.

The Nintendo Switch is one of the most customizable consoles on the market. Not only are there many different designs and special editions to choose from, but there are also tons of protective shells available for the Nintendo Switch to totally revamp your console.

However you decide to customize your Nintendo Switch, it's a good idea to steer clear of any sticker skins. They are very affordable, which makes them a tempting option, but sticker skins can peel the paint off the back of your console and even damage the coating on your Joy-Cons.

USB charging cables can get expensive, and it is all too easy to pick a cheap one up online. But using an unbranded USB cable can spell danger for your Nintendo Switch. USB cables may all look similar, but what's going on inside them can be very different.

Each USB cable supplies a different voltage to your system. So if you use a cheap one, you could get a much slower charging cycle at best or completely fry your system at worst. The safest option is to always charge your Nintendo Switch with the USB cable provided upon purchase.

In the same vein as charging your Switch with off-brand USB cables, using cheap third-party docks can also put your console at risk. There have been many cases reported of third-party docks causing irreparable damage to people's beloved systems.

There are a number of safe third-party docks for your Nintendo Switch on the market that will not harm your console. So if you are planning on picking up a third-party dock, make sure you do your research first to avoid bricking your Switch.

The Nintendo Switch is a hybrid system which means you can use it both at home and on the go. It may be portable, but it is still an expensive piece of hardware that deserves protection. The Nintendo Switch is relatively hardy, but if it's rolling around with the rest of your belongings in the bottom of your backpack, it probably won't last long.

Carrying your Nintendo Switch in a protective case is not only smart but also more convenient since they often contain compartments for extra Switch games. That way you can bring your Switch as well as all your favorite games with you.

Using a screen protector for any portable piece of hardware is a great idea. You can use a plastic or glass screen protector, but glass ones are the most effective at absorbing impact. Think of it as giving your Nintendo Switch screen an extra life.

Applying a screen protector to your Nintendo Switch is a cheap and easy way to significantly improve the longevity of your system, and you should seriously consider picking one up on day one.

Rather than picking an online username on a game-by-game basis, Nintendo uses your user account name for your online persona. So whatever your Nintendo Switch profile name is will be your username for all of your online shenanigans.

This might not sound like a big deal, but be mindful when you are choosing your username that you don't accidentally dox yourself by using your real name or pick something that you might regret later.

We all know the stories of someone's brother hurling the Wii remote straight into the TV screen, or worse, at someone's face while playing Wii Sports. But the Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons can be just as dangerous, and the threat is as real as ever now that Switch Sports has made its way onto the system.

The Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons come with a strap for a reason! Make sure you avoid weaponizing your Joy-Cons by securing them with the straps.

The original Nintendo Switch comes with 32 GB of storage, which isn't very much. The Nintendo Switch OLED has an improved 64 GB of storage, but this is still not enough for a big library of games.

If you are gaming a lot on your Switch, you are probably going to need a memory card to boost your system's internal storage. But you don't need one of the branded Nintendo ones. Nintendo's memory cards are far more expensive than their non-branded counterparts and provide nothing extra except a fancy picture of Link or Mario.

If you’re shopping for a memory card for your Nintendo Switch, any Micro SD, Micro SDHC, or Micro SDXC will work.

There are tons of incredible first-party AAA titles available on the Nintendo Switch. These games are great, but there is also an endless sea of hidden treasures on the Nintendo Switch eShop.

These hidden indie gems are often significantly cheaper than first-party games, and they can also be just as good. A lot of eShop games don't get physical releases. So if you don't look through the eShop every now and then, you might never find them.

Graveyard Keeper, Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion, and Blossom Tales are just a few incredible digital-only titles that you would miss out on if you ignored the eShop.

There are many tips and tricks you can use to make life with your Nintendo Switch easier. Many of them are picked up along the way as you learn more about the system and get more experience with it.

But with this guide, you can skip all that and go straight to being a Nintendo Switch pro.

Laura-May Randell is a Lvl 30 gamer and writer based in Australia. Gaming was her first passion in life, ignited by Spyro the Dragon and Crash Bandicoot on the PS1. Since then, the Nintendo Switch has taken over as her console of choice.After completing a Bachelor of Arts majoring in English, Laura was able to turn her love of both video games and writing into a full-time career in 2022.When she's not writing or playing through The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild for the one-millionth time, you can find her streaming on Twitch or creating Nintendo content on YouTube.