Nintendo Switch 2 gets disassembled — Nvidia chip gets its close-up
That's a lot of shielding.
The Nintendo Switch 2 is only just launching, and someone has already torn it down. YouTube channel ProModding has opened up the new handheld console, showcasing the new Nvidia chip, as well as taking a microscope to examine all the circuits.
The teardown starts with screws on the bottom of the system and behind the kickstand. It ends up toher screws are on the colored covers on each side of the system, where you attach the Joy-Con controllers. With screws and clips out of the way, the back cover comes right off.
There is a lot of metal shielding, but ProModding dispatched that with a few screws after removing the antennae.
After removing the cooler and disconnecting the battery, the motherboard came out. After prying off more shielding and removing the thermal paste, the new Nvidia chip was unveiled. The GMLX30-A1 name on the chip is similar to leaks posted back in 2024.
View Original
View Original
If you want to see every IC on the board, you're in luck. ProModder goes over the whole board with a microscope.
With the exception of the screws on the sides of the device, this doesn't seem like a very arduous teardown. That being said, you probably shouldn't open your own Switch 2, as you may void your warranty or damage your console.
Recently, Nintendo of America updated its End User License Agreement to note that you can't "bypass, modify, decrypt, defeat, tamper with, or otherwise circumvent any of the functions or protections of the Nintendo Account Services, including through the use of any hardware," and that if you do, Nintendo may "render... the applicable Nintendo device permanently unusable in whole or in part." So if you open it to make a change, you may be risking the possibility of your system working at all.
Nintendo will likely have a more specific repair manual for its technicians. But until the launch tomorrow, June 5, we can watch modders on YouTube do their thing.
Follow Tom's Hardware on Google News to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
Get Tom's Hardware's best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox.
Andrew E. Freedman is a senior editor at Tom's Hardware focusing on laptops, desktops and gaming. He also keeps up with the latest news. A lover of all things gaming and tech, his previous work has shown up in Tom's Guide, Laptop Mag, Kotaku, PCMag and Complex, among others. Follow him on Threads @FreedmanAE and BlueSky @andrewfreedman.net. You can send him tips on Signal: andrewfreedman.01
-
Notton Reply...may void your warranty...
You'll have to look up your local laws, but in the US, the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act of 1975 allows the user to open up the device and attempt reasonable repairs themselves and the device will still be covered under warranty. The onus is on the manufacturer to prove that you caused the damage.
AFAIK, Canada has a similar law. IDK about other countries. -
John Nemesh Reply
I was JUST gonna say...lets see how this plays out in the courts after Nintendo oversteps it's legal limitations...and you KNOW they will!Notton said:You'll have to look up your local laws, but in the US, the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act of 1975 allows the user to open up the device and attempt reasonable repairs themselves and the device will still be covered under warranty. The onus is on the manufacturer to prove that you caused the damage.
AFAIK, Canada has a similar law. IDK about other countries. -
hotaru251 ReplyNintendo may "render... the applicable Nintendo device permanently unusable in whole or in part.
it'll be same way they deal with ds, 3ds, switch...
they'll disable online functions becasue that is ALL they can do.
Consumer rights in most of world would have a field day if they actually tried to make your switch 2 unusable at all...That exact reason is WHY they didn't brick your ds/3ds/switch 1 & just banned it from nintendo servers...because again that is ALL they can do in msot of world. -
S58_is_the_goat Reply
Problem with this law is that you need to sue them first, how many people will do that? Zero.Notton said:You'll have to look up your local laws, but in the US, the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act of 1975 allows the user to open up the device and attempt reasonable repairs themselves and the device will still be covered under warranty. The onus is on the manufacturer to prove that you caused the damage.
AFAIK, Canada has a similar law. IDK about other countries. -
Air2004 Reply
If you haveva valid claim, any class action law firm will take the case on a contingency.S58_is_the_goat said:Problem with this law is that you need to sue them first, how many people will do that? Zero. -
hotaru251 Reply
thats why class actions exist.S58_is_the_goat said:Problem with this law is that you need to sue them first, how many people will do that? Zero.
law groups sue them for the bunch of little people who normally couldnt. -
John Nemesh Reply
Problem is, unless you send them a written letter within 30 days of purchase, you CANT sue them in a class action lawsuit! Read their horrible EULA:hotaru251 said:thats why class actions exist.
law groups sue them for the bunch of little people who normally couldnt.
https://en-americas-support.nintendo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/68586/~/nintendo-switch%26nbsp%3B2%3A-user-agreement