Why We’re Nerfing the Nintendo Switch’s Repairability Score
Posted by tuldok89@reddit | hardware | View on Reddit | 41 comments
Posted by tuldok89@reddit | hardware | View on Reddit | 41 comments
Framed-Photo@reddit
I really like that they're actually going back to re-grade devices that are harder to repair then they first thought, or don't match their modern standards anymore. Availability of parts especially is such a hard thing to judge early on, but obviously has a gigantic impact on repairability.
hackenclaw@reddit
this whole grade score should revise yearly.
even if they dont have time revise all of them, each score should attach with the year their score are given. (for ex. 8/10 year 2025)
Spirited-Guidance-91@reddit
I like this. Repairability in year 1 vs year 10 is vastly different
error521@reddit
Honestly that's the main part I question because even Nintendo themselves aren't great about handing out parts it is really not hard to find them on AliExpress.
Lifealert_@reddit
Old score 8/10 New score 4/10 Potential to get 6/10 if they make official manuals and replacement parts available.
BunkerFrog@reddit
Nintendo waving d1ck and putting in TOS that they can brick remotly a device you own once you mod is a total slap in the face. I'm laughing in European tho as they can't do this kind of things there. But still It's like this kind of movement from automobile where you spend kidney price for new car just to get info that butt warming seats is subscription based, even when hardware is already fully installed, ready to be used, but no, you have to pay 1 year license otherwise its not working. But you better not try to do any hacks on your own to turn it on, otherwise our tinny computer will report remotly your VIN to our HQ database and you will be blacklisted from every single authorized repair shop, even if you will roll in for a bulb replacement.
PJ796@reddit
What law says that? Because afaik they can here in the EU
BunkerFrog@reddit
Nintendo cannot do sheit in EU due to law more favoring consumers and right to repair
Long story short, rest of the world will get brick consoles nanosecond they will try to sideload a softmod while in EU their console will get only ban on some nintendo online services
S1cS3mperTyrannis@reddit
Sorry you are totally wrong about this and i live in EU and i know for sure that Nintendo can get away with this.Many corporations are using cryptographically signed firmware to arbitrarily restrict what the end user can do on their devices and this is either fully legal in EU or the EU don't have any idea whats is going on here. I have first hand experiences that after modding the Nvidia Vbios to lets say unlock power limits the FALCON security engine will essentially brick the GPU and you will need a SPI programmer to reflash the vbios with and authorized signed one for Nvidia.As for AMD the same thing if you change any byte in the SMU/AGESA firmware your motherboard will never POST again and it will require a programmer to flash the signed firmware without any mods in it.And there is Intel also that by using the Boot Guard in Verified boot Mode it will enforce draconian restrictions in what you can do to the UEFI of some laptops to the point that the only way to bypass it is to literally rip the PCH out of the motherboard and solder another new one that don't have the FPFs "burned".So if this is so illegal in the EU then WHY on earth Intel,AMD and Nvidia is doing it all the fucking time but Nintendo can't?
Strazdas1@reddit
They cannot. Home repair is legal and bricking device because you went to a repair place that does not pay Nintendo a fee every repair is illegal and Nintendo would open themselves to easy lawsuit. This is why EU TOS is missing this. Not that TOS Is actually legally binding in EU btw.
BlueGoliath@reddit
What is the point of these scores anyway? They are almost meaningless to your average person. Most people won't do more than unscrew a panel off a laptop and even then that's too much for some people. The amount of laptops that end up in the trash because the manufacturer put in spinning rust and the HDD isn't easily replaceable is insane.
Maybe as a repair company you could point to it and use it to justify repair pricing but for joe average I don't get it beyond biased marketing.
hollow_bridge@reddit
HDD's are almost always easily replaceable, It's always just removing the bottom panel, I've never seen it any other way.
arahman81@reddit
Remember laptops that had a HDD slot?
hollow_bridge@reddit
I have an old laptop that has super easy access for changing the cpu, and the ram chips (not the ram dims, 16 individual ram chips). It's too bad laptop user replaceable cpus didn't become the norm, the most recent one I've had is intel 7th gen.
Ecks83@reddit
Shouldn't take that for granted though. Storage on some laptops can be soldered especially on thin and light lines designed to look more like sealed units such as in Macbooks and many brands that try to copy that design language.
RAM is already well along on this path with many laptops having soldered memory even if they also have a slot when in the past they'd generally be modules (even if some designs put the RAM under the keyboard and required a near complete teardown to get at the slot...).
hollow_bridge@reddit
Hdds on laptops are done, that's not going to change... I was just commenting because that was a bizarre thing to say.
Yeah, ssds and ram are a different thing entirely.
MumrikDK@reddit
The average person doesn't visit ifixit, just like they don't visit /r/hardware, so what is your point?
Marble_Wraith@reddit
So your argument is because some tech companies already do it, that justifies shitty behavior so more tech companies can do it?
The snake is eating its tail
arahman81@reddit
Also, since when was platter drives soldered? It's either eMMC for the cheapos or not enough capacity.
azn_dude1@reddit
It's obviously not targeted at the average joe
BlueGoliath@reddit
So it's just marketing? What's the point?
wankthisway@reddit
Are you ok my dude? It's not hard to understand a company focused on selling parts would grade products they provide parts for.
BlueGoliath@reddit
Apparently asking the meaningful value an arbitrary score is for anyone but marking and the billing department is too much for people. Apparently you're supposed to read into a score of 9 like somekind of schizophrenic.
wankthisway@reddit
I mean, apparently it's too hard for you to understand what a number score like x/10 means. Do you lose your mind looking at game review scores too? Ooo, don't look up star ratings for movie reviews either. Scary shit, innit?
eroticfalafel@reddit
The value is for people who do care to repair their own stuff, or possibly repair shops that have never repaired a switch before so they can check to see if its something they want to offer.
If you aren't in that demographic, no shit it's not for you. Just like if you don't care about such things, any ranking of any tech in any way is also not relevant to you.
BlueGoliath@reddit
A bullet point summary would be far better for that though.
eroticfalafel@reddit
A bullet point list? Like the repair guide they publish alongside the score and that they use as the basis for the score? The score is not the most useful metric ever, but short of reading their repair guide for the switch that they publish, it gives you a good, quick, at a glance number to work with for how much of a pain it is to work on.
fuettli@reddit
The point is that you can know which device can be repaired by someone and have that knowledge influence your purchasing decision. This doesn't mean you have to repair it yourself. I repair a lot of electronic devices for family and friends and it's very nice if it's one that is easy to repair instead of a disgusting piece of shit like Micro$oft $urface.
ghostsilver@reddit
Same can be said for game review score as well, why score a game 9/10 if I don't like it personally?
Why score a game 4/10 if I still play it daily and like it?
lintstah1337@reddit
Ok einstein. Now put the fries in the bag.
hardware-ModTeam@reddit
Thank you for your submission! Unfortunately, your submission has been removed for the following reason:
TristheHolyBlade@reddit
Bro that guy has been waiting for you to put his fries in his bag for hours now. Please man just do your job so I can order.
hardware-ModTeam@reddit
Thank you for your submission! Unfortunately, your submission has been removed for the following reason:
Some_Derpy_Pineapple@reddit
It's a number that manufacturers can optimize for if enough consumers care about it (see: frame.work). And sometimes if ifixit gets lucky, then a reddit thread about the repair score will pop off which helps drive people who are interested in repairing their electronics to ifixit's website one way or another where they can buy ifixit tools. It also helps establish their credibility to people who visit their site from their other articles that get popular. And probably doesn't cost them very much to make or maintain since they're already tearing down the devices and making guides anyways.
RuinousRubric@reddit
Not everything is aimed at the average person (even if this is something the average person really ought to care about).
SumoSizeIt@reddit
You could say that about a lot of things, including GPU benchmarks, crate engine dyno runs, or min-maxing character stats.
It's meaningful to people who mod or disassemble/mod their purchases for fun or to extend their lifespan, and the score is relative to other reviews they've done. Also, if you are an average person who wants to get into repairing devices, their walkthroughs are usually very detailed and even offer some bespoke tools to make it easier.
X145E@reddit
its for repair job who does it for the average joe
BlueGoliath@reddit
Why would someone who is doing a repair care about an arbitrary score?
X145E@reddit
because the repair score also gives the detailed on how which possible damage could be repaired during teardown? 1) check score 2) see how to repair x 3) either "i can / can't do that" 4) tell customers
eroticfalafel@reddit
A bullet point list? Like the repair guide they publish alongside the score and that they use as the basis for the score? The score is not the most useful metric ever, but short of reading their repair guide for the switch that they publish, it gives you a good, quick, at a glance number to work with for how much of a pain it is to work on.
WhoTheHeckKnowsWhy@reddit
Nintendo deserves a bad Maintainability score for using the same drifthappy PoS sticks they did on the old switch, In lieu of the many hall effect options now.. Some being switch sized.
Anything to get people buying overpriced controllers over and over again.