Nintendo Switch 2 receives even worse repair rating in iFixit teardown
iFixit recently reduced the Nintendo Switch's repairability rating from 8 to 4 points, and the Nintendo Switch OLED also only has a rating of 4 points. The Nintendo Switch 2 has just received a score of 3 out of 10 possible points, as iFixit explains in the video embedded below.
While the Joy-Con 2s are relatively easy to open, the small battery is glued into the housing, making battery replacement difficult. Although the first-generation Nintendo Switch is notorious for Joy-Con drift, with Nintendo even having to offer free repairs, the Nintendo Switch 2 uses conventional joysticks. Whether drift will be as much of a problem as it was with its predecessor remains to be seen, as the Sony PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X also use the same analog stick technology, but drift is not nearly as prevalent as on the Switch.
It is a shame that Nintendo did not install TMR sticks, which would have solved this problem once and for all. The console itself is much more difficult to open than the Joy-Con since a total of four screws are hidden under stubborn stickers that are revealed when the magnetically attached Joy-Con is removed. Once inside, several connectors and screws have to be loosened in order to remove the heat shield and microSD Express card reader from the housing.
The battery can then be replaced, but it is attached to the housing with stubborn adhesive, which makes replacement much more difficult. Both USB-C ports and the game module slot are soldered to the mainboard, making it almost impossible for end users to repair or replace. Another problem is that Nintendo still does not offer any spare parts.
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