I am considering having an extra switch that I have repaired but I am avoiding it because I already had issues in the past when I needed technical support for other things. Nintendo support isn’t an option because they will replace it.
Could you share your experience when having services like these done here in Van and how everything went?
Thanks fellow lemmins!
Not a game console, but I had a PC hard drive repaired at Sortek Electronics in North Vancouver repaired a couple years ago and was super happy with how he ran his business.
I went in with My Big Idea and the owner took a closer look at what had failed and proposed a different repair that required less labour and was less likely to fail. I think I had it back in 2 days.
If you want someone competent, I’d for sure give them a call and inquire to see if they deal with Switches. I also had the feeling that wouldn’t attempt a repair on anything they weren’t confident they could fix. That was important in my case because my failed hard drive was the sole backup of a bunch of precious old photos.
This is exactly what I was looking for. Thank you! I’ll check tbem out.
My buddy just went to a Nerd Collective to get an old hard drive recovered, I’ll ping him and ask where it was he went. He’s near Kingsway and Vic, and from how he was talking it weren’t that far from him.
You probably need a general “electronics repair” shop: A place that can source parts & tools, and has staff that can break down, solder, and rebuild things with circuit boards.
Put that into Google Maps for some nearby options. A lot will advertise their services in the context of more general home appliances like TVs or PCs. Give them a call first to check if they have the parts and knowledge for your Switch. If they don’t, ask if they know someone who does. I suspect the hobby electronics DIY space around Vancouver is probably fairly close-knit.
I know about those, but I wanted a recommendation from someone that already had utilized the service so I feel less resistant in doing so.
To add to that he might call local video game stores and see if they have any contacts. Betting they will.
Press Start Video Games has been around for ages and if there is someone to do repairs they’ll know for sure, I’m sure they get a lot of trade-ins that need some TLC before resale.
There’s also Game Deals in New West down by the Quay. They deal with retro stuff more than anything, but worth chasing up.
I’m surprised to hear they’re repairable and not just throwaway.
It isn’t that most things are not repairable. It’s that it isn’t repairable economically.
For the company that produces the internal boards at “cost” it’s easier and more predictable for them to replace the part than pay a tech a 100 dollars an hour to maybe fix it.
It’s also a function of the entire cost of the unit. When someone pays 20k for a bespoke piece of equipment paying a tech to fix it is more attractive.
Could I interest you in a YouTube rabbit hole?
The running theme is that you need specialist tools to actually do it. The upfront cost is large, Hot Air Reflow Station, full PCB hotplate station, video feed microscope. But the actual parts that go bad are rarely actually very expensive. If you buy bulk the most you’re paying is like $1-$2/unit at the absolute most, and for the stuff that goes bad most often you’re looking at sub $0.10/unit. Then there’s the skill level needed.
There are places such as Vancouver Hack Space that remove the need of having the equipment!
I love that more places like that are opening up, it’s an important resource for people who don’t necessarily have a budget to even buy cheap gear.
Not really a huge upfront cost IMHO. The hot air and PCB hotplate are relatively inexpensive on Aliexpress.
The microscope could be expensive, but it’s not really necessary - they just have them because they’re youtubers creating content.
Could just use a magnifying glass with a pair of “helping hands” to hold things for a quick repair, or a jewler’s loupe set (my dad gave me a cheapo set for christmas which works fine). I’ve modded my own game consoles (never needed a repair), and modding was super-simple.
Eh, I have really good eyesight, I use a helping hand and magnifying glass, and while it works it’s not ideal. I occasionally do trace repair, so that may have something to do with it.
It’s a common misconception that manufacturers do nothing to correct because repairs mean less sales of new devices. Hoping you mean recycle instead of throwaway though 😅.
If you watch some of the repair channels on YouTube they talk about lots of repairs. Many are very minor repairs that even a novice can do.
Hoping you mean recycle instead of throwaway though 😅.
Where else would you throw it?
To many people, throwaway means into garbage/landfill, which is awful on all sorts of levels.
Is the problem especially technical? Anything less than soldering will remain in your capable hands. Just need to order tools, spare part, and watch a youtube video. IFixIt has a great kit. There are other nintendo specific ones you can order, although IFixIt includes all nintendo related screwdrivers as far as I know.
With 0 skill I replaced my Switch fans. Had to, no way I would risk that chip getting installed.
Lots of very friendly tutorials on youtube. Give a few a peak now and get a feel for if you think you can. You’ll save a lot of money and learn an invaluable skill for our future.
That’s an option that I am considering. I already know what is the issue and I will need to replace a chip that costs $3 on AliExpress. I appreciate your reply, it has given me more confidence to try.
