When you are using your Nintendo Switch for extended periods of time you may find it getting quite hot. It may even get to the point where it turns itself off for safety reasons due to the heat.
Some people have even reported that their Switch is starting to bend due to overheating. This obviously isn’t great for your console.
In this article we are going to give you some tips to stop your Nintendo switch from overheating. Let’s jump in.
What Happens When A Nintendo Switch Overheats?
When your Switch is starting to overheat you will find the right hand side of the console to be getting warm. This normally happens after an hour or so of gameplay. When you start to feel the heat, the console fans will start to kick in to try and cool your console down. It will start to make loud fan noises as the fans get to 100% power.
Some users have also reported their console getting hot while on the dock. This can be due to having your console in a poorly ventilated area or even having a broken fan in the console.
Some people have reported that their Switches are warping due to overheating. They are seeing a bend in their console.
Tips For Stopping Your Switch From Overheating
Below are some tips you can implement to stop your Switch from overheating.
1. Take Breaks During Your Gaming Sessions
If you are regularly playing your Switch for hours on end, it will naturally get quite hot. If you want to stop this you can take a quick 10-15 minute break every couple of hours. Leave your console in a well ventilated area during your break. This will give it time to cool down as well as give you time to stretch your legs.
2. Play Your Switch In A Well Ventilated Area
Your Switch can get pretty warm if you are playing it docked or un-docked. Especially in a place like your bed. If you are lying in bed with your switch resting against your quilt, you will find the Switch gets very hot as it is not in a well ventilated area.
When you are playing try to keep cooling fans on the switch in the open air if possible, If your playing in docked mode, try to keep the switch out in the open. If you stick it in the back of your TV cabinet, it is much more likely to overheat.
If you are finding it is overheating really badly you can point a fan at your switch to help with cooling.
3. Restart Your Console
Yep, the good old fashioned, turn it off and on again. Sometimes when your Switch has been running for a long period of time there are background processes that continue running. These processes can take up unnecessary power on your Switch. A system reset can fix this.
4. Use An Aftermarket Switch Dock
If you are finding that your Nintendo Switch is overheating in the Dock, you may want to purchase an after market dock. These are designed with cooling in mind, helping you game for longer without having to worry about your device overheating.
The dock below has a cooling fan built in, helping to cool down your Switch much better.
5. Unplug Your Switch After Charging
You may find that your Switch gets even hotter if you are playing while charging. Once your battery is fully charged you should remove it from the charge. This will also help with your Switch battery health.
There are some Switch chargers that come with an LED light indicator showing you when your console is fully charged. Once it is fully charged, take it off charge and continue playing.
6. Clean Your Switch
Overtime the vents in your Switch will pick up dust and dirt. This can cause the Nintendo Switch to overheat. Every month or so you should check your vents and clean them if they appear to be dirty.
This will greatly improve airflow for your console allow it to cool itself much more efficiently.
You may also want to look at the section of the console, where the Joy Con connect to the console. As you are taking the joy cons in and out all the time it can pick up dirt very easily. Clean this section of the console as well.
You can use a standard vacuum with a small head attachment to clean the vents out. There are also some special tools for cleaning small areas, like keyboards and PC cases. These can also be used to clean your Switch console.
7. Update Your Games & Console
You should always keep your console and games up to date. When games first release they can be quite resource heavy as they aren’t properly optimized. This can cause a lot of strain on the console.
Over time developers will release updates to improve the optimization of the game and console. You should install these updates as it will improve how the game runs and hopefully keep your console slightly cooler as the game is now less resource intensive.
Can Overheating Damage Your Switch?
Yes, overheating can damage your Nintendo Switch. Some people have reported that their consoles are warping. If your Switch starts to hit damaging Temperatures it will usually turn it self off, to protect itself.
Wrapping Up
So there you have it. You now know how to keep your Nintendo Switch cool while gaming for long sessions. Keeping the console cool will increase the lifespan of your Switch.
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