Nintendo says dead pixels on the Switch’s tablet are ‘normal’ and not defects

Now that the Switch is on store shelves, those who have purchased Nintendo’s new console are beginning to run into hardware related issues with the system.

First there’s the Joy-con connectivity issue, which causes the console’s unique controller to sporadically disconnect from the Switch, and now some users are reporting dead pixels on the tablet portion of the console. It’s important to note that this is a common manufacturing problem with many devices that feature LCD displays, including smartphones and televisions.

According to Nintendo’s official website, however, the Japanese gaming giant doesn’t consider dead pixels a manufacturing defect with the console.

In a troubleshooting section pertaining to “black or bright dots on the Nintendo Switch screen that do not go away” and “dark or light patches on the screen,” Nintendo officially states that a “small numbers of stuck or dead pixels are a characteristic of LCD screens. These are normal and should not be considered a defect.”

This also isn’t the first time Nintendo has encountered display related dead pixel issues. Back in 2004 pressure from consumers resulted in Nintendo offering to fix all Nintendo DS units suffering from a significantly more widespread dead pixel issue.

Despite the fact that Nintendo doesn’t consider dead pixels a legitimate defect, most major retailers will exchange the console if you encounter this defect.

Source: Nintendo