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Random: Nintendo Advises Against Blowing Into Your Switch Cartridge Slots

Thick Thighs Save Lives

NeoGAF's Physical Games Advocate Extraordinaire
Remember the days when consoles took humungous cartridges and it became almost tradition to blow into them occasionally to ensure their ongoing health and happiness? Well, it turns out that Nintendo doesn't want you to do that anymore.

As posted by Nintendo's Twitter support page (and spotted by the folks over at Automaton), it's been advised that you shouldn't blow into the Switch's cartridge slot, as doing so may cause saliva to stick to the terminals and therefore eventually cause rust. Crikey.



Fully translated, the tweets read:

"Inside of game card slots, there are contactors that read the game cards. If you try to clean this area with a cotton swab or insert a damaged game card, you could possibly damage the card reader. Please do not touch the inside of the game card slot.
"If dust gets into the game card slot, use a vacuum cleaner to clean it. Do not breathe into it or similar. Saliva may adhere to the contactors and cause rust or corrosion."

Frankly, this goes against everything we've ever known. Surely everyone has blown into a cartridge or cartridge slot at some point in their lives? If that doesn't work, then what next? Heck, even Nintendo's own commercial for Super Mario Bros.' 25th Anniversary showcased a young lad blowing into the cartridge.

Source: https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2...inst-blowing-into-your-switch-cartridge-slots

What do you make of Nintendo's advice here? Have you blown into your Switch cartridge slot to rid it of dust? 🤔
 

Dr.Morris79

Member
Just lick the console instead?

Lwwst05.jpg
 

Chuck Berry

Gold Member
I had a childhood friend that used to stick NES carts in his freezer because he would say they would get "too hot" from being in the system

Apparently that cleaned them out too. Got dirty NES carts? Get yourself a Whirlpool.
 

Kilau

Member
Why do we call them cartridges when even Nintendo calls them game cards?

Anyway, it’s long been known you shouldn’t blow your spit into a slot unless yo dick bout to slide into it.
 

Sojiro

Member
Back in the NES days, myself and all my friends blew in the cartridges because that was the belief that made them work with us dumb kids. We had no idea the contact between the system and the game often didn't make a good connection, or that if you actually needed to clean the cartridges, you need a Q tip and maybe some alcohol (or buy one of Nintendo's overpriced as fuck cleaning kits). Considering how many people seem know about that myth and think we were dumb fucking kids (we were) for blowing in cartridges and consoles, it's funny we have come full circle and Nintendo is telling people not to do it even now. Kids are fucking dumb no matter the generation I suppose.
 

EverydayBeast

ChatGPT 0.1
If I were Nintendo I would go Blu-ray next gen, after years of mini disks, cartridges etc. Nintendo going blu-ray would make the gaming world go nuts.
 

ZoukGalaxy

Member
Vacuums on electronics is a no-no as well since it can generate static electricity.
That's just from an outside port in plastic, electronics is deep inside, that's totally safe, we're not talking about vacuum a entire motherboard with direct exposed electronics. Nintendo would not advise it if it was not safe, be sure of that especially with the Joycan drama.
 
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