Nintendo Issues Stark Warning As Switch 2 Users Make Console-Breaking Mistake

Nintendo has issued a statement warning users against making a fatal error when unboxing or using their Nintendo Switch 2.

Purchasing a console isn’t cheap, so you certainly wouldn’t like to be responsible for permanently damaging your console from the get-go.

The Nintendo Switch 2 is, after all, a fair bit pricier than its 2017 counterpart the Nintendo Switch.

The new-gen console currently retails for $449.99 / £395.99, whereas the original Nintendo Switch launched at $299.99 / £279.99.

The difference between those two consoles is soon set to grow with a price hike for the Nintendo Switch 2 confirmed for later this year.

UK pricing is yet to be confirmed for the rise, but we know that in the United States, the Nintendo Switch 2 console will cost $499.99 as of 1 September instead of $449.99.

That’s quite the investment, so don’t make the costly error of peeling off your console’s scatter prevention film.

Nintendo

When we unbox new devices, they’re typically wrapped in a thin sheet of plastic that the consumer is supposed to remove; this later stops the device from picking up any scratches during the latter stages of production and shipping.

It’s always very satisfying to peel those layers away, but you shouldn’t touch the thin layer of plastic that sits atop the screen of a Nintendo Switch 2.

Some Switch 2 Users Are Removing The Console’s “Scatter-Prevention Film”

This isn’t a temporary piece of protection. Instead, this is the console’s scatter prevention film which helps protect the Nintendo Switch 2’s screen from shattering if the display is damaged.

“The screens of the Nintendo Switch 2 and Nintendo Switch (OLED model) come with a ‘scatter-prevention film’ pre-applied from the start to prevent fragments from scattering if the display is damaged,” an official tweet from Nintendo read on Twitter/X.

“Forcibly removing it cannot be undone, so please absolutely do not peel off this film.

If you want to protect the screen from scratches or dirt, please prepare a screen protector sheet (sold separately) and apply it over the scatter-prevention film.”

It does, admittedly, warn you not to peel off the film in the console’s instructions.

Even if you do ignore those instructions, the film is stuck down with quite strong adhesive, so that alone should give you some indication that it’s there for a reason.

If Nintendo’s advice just saves a handful of consoles, that’s surely worth it.

It’s shaping up to be a strong year for the Nintendo Switch 2, which has already delivered a line-up that includes Pokémon Pokopia, Mario Tennis Fever, Super Mario Bros. Wonder – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup in Bellabel Park, and more.

Yoshi and the Mysterious Book and Star Fox are some of the other titles on the way before 2026 is out, with more likely to be revealed for the end of the year in the coming months.

READ MORE: Nintendo Switch 2 Gets Official Price Hike That'll Disappoint Thousands