From Gizmodo:
The Switch, Nintendo’s new phablet console, was a big bet, but perhaps not a smart one. Despite being marketed as a step into the future, it launched with more hardware issues and irritating design flaws than playable titles. As such, fans who just plunked down $300 are already rolling up their sleeves to build solutions to make their shiny new investment work the way it ought to.
One of the biggest complaints about the Switch has been its flimsy, poorly-angled kickstand. The consensus is that it sucks. And because the charging port is located on the bottom of the console, it can’t receive power while propped in an upright configuration. Over on Thingiverse—a site for people to upload plans for 3D prints—there are three different stands that allow for charging, ranging from a pair of lightweight clips to a full-sized dock.
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There’s been concern, too, that one of the major gimmicks of the 2-in-1 console—the Switch’s dock, which lets it seamlessly blend into a home entertainment setup—could end up scratching the screen. Luckily, the DIY fix for that doesn’t require owning a 3D printer, although it’s a bit silly to drop any amount of money on a product that damages itself, only to prevent it from being used as intended by adding pantyhose or a hand-made cozy.
As YouTuber JerryRigEverything shows, the Switch’s screen isn’t made of glass or sapphire like most cell phones—it’s plastic. Let me repeat that: this $300 console, which is intended to be fully portable and withstand the damage of being constantly lugged around, has a plastic-covered screen. Nintendo’s consoles don’t lend themselves to home repairs, and having such a shoddy screen feels like a huge oversight.
Our own reviewer had so much trouble even tracking down a Switch that it should not be surprising how many “replica” Switch 3d printing plans are floating around. At least a non-articulating hunk of plastic does exactly what it’s intended to do and costs a fraction of Nintendo’s asking price. Even if Switches are flying off the shelves, it’s a bad sign when less than a week after launch, fans are already having to unfuck your bad design decisions.While one has to admire the DIY spirit of Nintendo's early Switch adopters, this kind of sub-par design and cheap construction in a $300 device that's meant to be portable (and therefore likely to take something of a beating) is simply inexcusable. I know that Nintendo wanted to keep the price point down, but making the device both under-powered and flimsy, and then charging extra for basically everything that would offset its design inadequacies... well, that's exactly the kind of corporate bullshit that deserves to fail.
Most of the reviews thus far have said to wait until there were more games available before buying one of these, but I don't think you need to wait before deciding -- unless Nintendo are going to release a second version of the Switch that addresses these issues, and somehow take care of those customers who bought the early, crappy version, I don't think you ever need to buy a Switch. Vote with your wallet, by keeping it closed.
It sucks for Nintendo fans, though. I know that they were really pulling for Nintendo on this one, but the Switch is looking more and more like a rush job, and botched job at that.
Gizmodo's article is worth a read for the pictures alone... which are either hysterical, or depressing as hell, depending on how badly you were hoping for Nintendo to succeed.