Switch 2 Overheating Complaints Reach A Fever Pitch As Gamers Lose Their Cool
This issue came to light today thanks to a post at the NintendoSoup fan site. We did our own digging around Reddit and X, however, and the reports seem relatively infrequent, but also consistent ever since the console released. First off, although some users complain about the console forcibly going into sleep mode or even shutting down when playing graphically-intensive titles like Cyberpunk 2077 in hand-held mode, the most common element actually seems to be playing with the console in docked mode. This makes a measure of sense, as using the docked mode pushes the Switch 2 a lot harder due to higher resolutions, refresh rate, or both.
Our searches indicate that said complaints of high temperatures in docked mode are by far the most numerous and consistent. The claims that keep coming up are of users noticing the fans were quite loud, removing the console from the dock only to find it was exceedingly warm, and the dock itself having quite a high temperature. Both the dock and the Switch 2 have their own fans, so it's hard to say which component contributes most to this overheating loop, but the possibility that the dock might be at primary factor is not completely out of the question.
Source: Reddit user MatriasBomber
Additionally, multiple users reported that their consoles would only overheat if it they were downloading data in the background, and for those people, the solution was removing the Ethernet cable and using Wi-Fi, turning off the "keep wired connections active in sleep mode", or both. A few more gamers had their consoles replaced outright and say the replacements are fine, so it's hard to pinpoint an exact cause right now.
Our best theory is that some units or lots had improperly applied heatsinks or thermal paste. Given the languages and retailers mentioned in the posts and comments we dug through, this issue isn't specific to any specific region, as we read reports from Asia, Europe, and the Americas. This would also be consistent with the lesser number of reports of overheating when playing in hand-held mode.
Whatever the cause, it should be taken into account that millions of Nintendo Switch 2 units have been sold, so the problem is likely to only be affecting a small percentage of them. Having said that, Nintendo itself has already taken notice, as it posted a support page on the topic, though unfortunately it only contains common-sense advice like having the dock in an open, ventilated area and ensuring the vents aren't obstructed. Additionally, the console seems to be going through some teething pains, as reports about the LCD display being quite laggy and HDR and VRR not working properly are known factors -- not that they are hurting sales much, as Nintendo seems to be selling as many consoles as they can manufacture at this point in time.
