Hardware scratches on nintendo switch cartridge pins?

[Jacobf0303]

Hi, I was looking at my Nintendo switch cartridges and noticed some pretty bad scratches on the pins, this may not be a huge deal now... but what about in 20 years when the switch is "retro" and you can't find any working games?

Here's a couple pictures of my Super Mario Odysessy cartridge: https://imgur.com/a/4vnLZ

Do your games have scratches? Vote in the poll above.

 

[BvanBart]

Those are some shitty pictures where you can't see scratches at all... but yeah. These are common in the slider system that is used in systems.

Here is a picture of an SD card with the exact same problem.

It still works, worst case scenario: it will stop working after a long period of abuse but that is not something what is your mistake!

 

[sarkwalvein]

But that would apply to any cartridge based system, including the NES, whose cartridge still work more than 30 years later.

 

[Jacobf0303]

Those are some shitty pictures where you can't see scratches at all... but yeah. These are common in the slider system that is used in systems.

Here is a picture of an SD card with the exact same problem. View attachment 112631

It still works, worst case scenario: it will stop working after a long period of abuse but that is not something what is your mistake!

I did my best. the reason they are so bad is because you can only see the scratches with perfect lighting and the perfect angle, which is hard to capture on a camera.

 

[DinohScene]

The pins scratch off a microscopic layer of the gold contacts.
There's literally nothing to worry about as it's completely normal.

If they do end up dying which shouldn't happen unless you got a shitty clone flashcard, apply a tiny bit of solder to the pins, just a tiny tiny amount.

 

[Jacobf0303]

But that would apply to any cartridge based system, including the NES, whose cartridge still work more than 30 years later.

NES cartridges don't really get scratched, they just get dirty

 

[sarkwalvein]

NES cartridges don't really get scratched, they just get dirty

I can't really tell about NES cartridges, as I was a Famicom kid, but nonetheless my Famicom cartridges scratched always with the same pattern, and they still work today (more than 30 years later).

I can say the same about my Megadrive cartridges.

 

[migles]

but what about in 20 years when the switch is "retro" and you can't find any working games?

you can always apply a new layer of metal to it like some solder in case the pins go to bad to a point the console doesn't read them anymore

all cartridges have this issue, even memory cards, but usually are made in a good quality that you don't have to worry about it

 

[Kioku]

I can't really tell about NES cartridges, as I was a Famicom kid, but nonetheless my Famicom cartridges scratched always with the same pattern, and they still work today (more than 30 years later).

I can say the same about my Megadrive cartridges.

NES cartridges suffered just the same.

 

[Jacobf0303]

NES cartridges suffered just the same.

I'm an NES collector and every cartridge I buy I take apart I clean before I use it, maaaybe 1 or 2 of my games in my 23 cartridge collection have scratches, maybe you have a system with extremely tight pins or something.

 

[Kioku]

I'm an NES collector and every cartridge I buy I take apart I clean before I use it, maaaybe 1 or 2 of my games in my 23 cartridge collection have scratches, maybe you have a system with extremely tight pins or something.

Sure, we'll go with that.