Nintendo launched the Switch recently, seeing great sales numbers. The console lived up to the huge hype, selling 1.5 million units during the first week and securing one of the best launches ever for Nintendo console.
Although gamers are mostly happy with the console there are some issues that can get the owners a bit frustrated. The well-known dock-scratch issue, along with dead pixels reports and frame rate issues.
The last problem can lead to stuttering problems in some games such as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, I Am Setsuna and Fast RMX. At first, the unique hybrid architecture of the console was marked as the cause for stuttering, but Nintendo Life reported about a third-party developer for the Nintendo Switch explaining that stuttering might be caused by something else.
According to Nintendo Life, there are Wi-Fi connectivity problems with the console. The Switch automatically tries to connect to a Wi-Fi network even when there’s none available. This can lead to frame rate problems since the console is using resources to connect, making games to run at lower frame rates.
One reader, who noticed that when playing Fast RMX and I Am Setsuna the console is at times struggling to keep a steady frame rate with random performance drops, decided to test the Wi-Fi theory. They turned off the Auto Connect option and discovered that frame rate issues suddenly disappeared. Yes, Zelda: Breath of the Wild still had some performance issues but they weren’t as serious and were happening just in performance demanding areas, so it seems that turning off the Auto Connect option can give your Switch a bit more breathing room.
The good news is that Nintendo is aware of the problem and the company will provide a fix with the next firmware update. As for the other issues, Nintendo won’t admit dead pixels is an issue and the dock can be covered with adhesive pads thus preventing scratching.