Nintendo isn't officially upgrading recently bought Switch consoles
The slightly refreshed Nintendo Switch is now officially available, but reports that Nintendo is handing out free hardware upgrades aren't quite accurate.
The newly released Switch is the same device that launched back in 2017, only this one sports an updated CPU that's more efficient, resulting in improved battery life. Both versions of the console are on shelves now, and a Friday report from Polygon had suggested that Nintendo was giving people who recently purchased the older version a free upgrade to the new one.
Nintendo says that's not the case -- not officially, at least -- in a statement provided to Mashable on Saturday.
We do not have a Nintendo Switch exchange program. We always want players to enjoy their Nintendo Switch systems, and if anything ever gets in the way of that, we encourage them to visit http://support.nintendo.com for support, or to contact our consumer support team.
The notion of an exchange program originated on Reddit. As a post from the user DarthMewTwo claims: "Nintendo [of America] told me if you bought your Switch after July 17th 2019, they can exchange it for the new upgraded model for free."
Another user replied to the post, saying that they, too, had called Nintendo's and gotten a similar message. After seeing the posts, Polygon reached out to Nintendo customer support directly and heard a similar story: customers can swap their recently purchased older model for a new one provided they pay for shipping and insurance.
It's not clear why Nintendo's statement is at odds with firsthand reports from users that were then confirmed by a major media outlet. It's possible, as Polygon's report suggested, that this was or is an informal offer that may (or may not!) go away "now that details about the offer are more widely publicized."
This whole situation bears some resemblances to another recent and seemingly informal hardware exchange "offer" from Nintendo. In late July, an allegedly leaked memo revealed that the company had relaxed its proof of purchase and warranty requirements for Joy-Con repairs, in connection with the "Joy-Con drift" issue that's been highlighted as a recurring nuisance among Switch owners since the console first launched.
Nintendo's response at the time didn't directly refute the reports (unlike this new one), but it did acknowledge that users had noted "some Joy-Con controllers are not responding correctly." It then encouraged any affected users to reach out to support if they're having issues.
Also, just to be clear: don't confuse this report's upgraded version of the original Switch with the Nintendo Switch Lite. That smaller, portable-only revision of the console won't be out until Sept. 20. It's also $100 cheaper than the original/revised console and doesn't connect to TVs, so it's a completely different product.
Topics Gaming Nintendo Nintendo Switch
Adam Rosenberg is a Senior Games Reporter for Mashable, where he plays all the games. Every single one. From AAA blockbusters to indie darlings to mobile favorites and browser-based oddities, he consumes as much as he can, whenever he can.Adam brings more than a decade of experience working in the space to the Mashable Games team. He previously headed up all games coverage at Digital Trends, and prior to that was a long-time, full-time freelancer, writing for a diverse lineup of outlets that includes Rolling Stone, MTV, G4, Joystiq, IGN, Official Xbox Magazine, EGM, 1UP, UGO and others.Born and raised in the beautiful suburbs of New York, Adam has spent his life in and around the city. He's a New York University graduate with a double major in Journalism and Cinema Studios. He's also a certified audio engineer. Currently, Adam resides in Crown Heights with his dog and his partner's two cats. He's a lover of fine food, adorable animals, video games, all things geeky and shiny gadgets.
