Using your Nintendo Switch during the day may not be the best idea if you're in a part of the world experiencing a heat wave.
Nintendo warned Switch users in a tweet that using the device in a hot place may cause it to overheat and that it should only be used in mild to low-temperature areas to avoid such an occurrence.
The Nintendo Switch was previously released in 2017, according to CNET, but recent climate changes seem to have concerned Nintendo to issue a warning to Switch users, which it has not done before since the device's release.
Nintendo Switch Overheating Advisory Details
Nintendo mentioned in a tweet on its official Japanese Twitter page that using the Switch in a hot place could cause the device's internal temperature to rise.
The company also stressed on the Switch support page which linked that the device may become hot during charging or when it is being used, even when it is sleeping. However, this temperature increase is not a sign of a malfunction.
Nevertheless, using the device during a hot day, especially during a heat wave, could lead to "low-temperature burns," especially if you've been in contact with a hot part of the device for a long time.
As such, Nintendo recommends using the Switch in places wherein temperatures are low to mild, specifically temperatures between 5 to 35 degrees Celsius (or 41 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit).
This overheating warning is consistent with all models of the Nintendo Switch, such as the base Switch device, the Switch Lite, and the Switch OLED.
Unfortunately, no such warning was shared on Nintendo's US and UK Twitter pages - regions in which the heat wave can also be experienced - as of the writing of this article.
The warning only exists on Nintendo's Japanese Twitter page and has since been retweeted 2,633 times.
Nintendo's warning follows the rapidly increasing temperatures caused by a heat wave that started in mid-June, which made temperatures rise between 40 to 43 degrees celsius even before the summer season, according to Time.
This heat wave is also experienced in Western Europe and the US, per a separate CNET report. Japan is also experiencing said heat wave, with it being the country's worst heat wave since 1875, per BBC.
How To Avoid Switch Overheating
Nintendo advises Switch users to place their witch in docked mode at a location that is cool and doesn't easily retain heat, per NME. Vacuuming the Switch's exhaust and air intake ports to remove any dust and foreign matter can also help the Switch to maintain a cool internal temperature.
Additionally, a follow-up tweet from Nintendo Japan stated that if the Switch becomes too hot to handle, it may sleep automatically to protect itself. As such, Switch users shouldn't use the device when this happens to prevent any damage to occur to the device.
Furthermore, avoid disassembling the Switch to help it dissipate its internal temperature faster.
