The COVID-19 outbreak has had a significant impact on the game industry. In-person events have been canceled, and some physical hardware and software are becoming harder to find. The Nintendo Switch console was seeing shortages across the world because gamers were purchasing them in higher numbers due to “Stay at Home” orders.
With the Nintendo Switch getting more playtime in recent weeks, some may encounter issues with their consoles. This is outside of previously announced issues, and even lawsuits, with the detachable Joy-Cons.
Nintendo posted a message on its Japanese support website that repairs are seeing significant delays due to COVID-19. Those who send in their consoles and accessories in for repair will have to wait to get their items serviced and then returned. Players won’t receive any additional compensation for the delay.
【修理依頼されたお客様へ】現在、多くの修理依頼をいただいているため、
・修理品の受付
・修理品のご返却
が通常よりも遅れています。ご心配とご迷惑をおかけし誠に申し訳ございません。
返却予定日の目安は、こちらでご確認ください。 https://t.co/jJKaceDTBy
— 任天堂サポート (@nintendo_cs) May 15, 2020
Nintendo’s repair service is working at a reduced scale overall, so trying to get in contact with the company is harder than before. Those who email or call the repair line may take much longer than usual.
In the message on the Japanese Nintendo support website, it will take around nine days to accept the item and review it to check over any issues. If players are using the online repair service, Nintendo will send an email when the first half of the process is complete.
Depending on the severity of the repair, and what the player has accepted to be fixed, the repair will take around seven days.
Nintendo has also provided several self-diagnosis and care steps before players send in an item for repair. Some simple issues can be fixed at home without having to go through the repair process.
Nintendo has not completely canceled repair requests for the Nintendo Switch and its related accessories. The company is still accepting items repair if players are willing to wait longer than expected.
However, Nintendo has stopped accepting repair requests for Nintendo Wii consoles because parts have become very difficult to find for the company.
Nintendo has seen a few issues arise since stay-at-home orders began across the world. Players in Japan reported higher than average unauthorized logins, which promoted the company to remind players to use two-factor authorization. In other parts of the world, players reported that their accounts were hacked and used to purchase currency for Fortnite.
Nintendo continues to update its support website and social media channels with updated news regarding repairs and other services.
