With temperatures in many parts of the world plummeting, Nintendo has issued a warning to Switch owners regarding the potential effects of sudden changes in temperature. Thankfully, it doesn't appear to be a widespread hardware issue and will likely only affect a small number of people worldwide. However, it is something that all Switch owners should be mindful of during the cold winter months.Together with its fantastic library of first-party games, the ability to take the Switch anywhere is one of the console's biggest selling points, but it's this fantastic portability that could potentially cause players problems. Whereas PlayStation and Xbox owners typically leave their consoles in the same location after unboxing them, many Switch owners take the system with them just about everywhere they go. This practice can potentially expose it to sudden changes in temperature, which can in turn cause problems with condensation forming on or inside the console's screen.RELATED: Third-Party Joystick Upgrade Kit for Nintendo Switch Claims to Solve Stick-Drift on Joy-ConsThis issue was highlighted on Twitter earlier this week by Nintendo's official Japanese customer service account. In the tweet, which has since been pinned, those who do notice condensation on or inside the screen of their Switch are advised to turn off the console immediately and then place it in a warm room until all of the water droplets have dried out. It also contains a link to Nintendo's official support site for anyone who needs help turning their Switch off.

Looking around the internet, there don't appear to be too many cases of Switch owners having issues with condensation, and the replies to Nintendo's tweet seemingly back this up. With this in mind, it's possible that the warning was sent out as a precaution more than anything else, with temperatures in Japan and many other parts of the world regularly dropping below zero around this time of year.

When it comes to what exactly happens if somebody fails to turn off their Switch once moisture has found its way inside, the tweet doesn't really say, though it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that water and electricity don't go well together. As for why this issue might affect Switch screens and not those found in other portable electronic devices like smartphones, it likely has something to do with the console's lack of water resistance, with the Switch sometimes being advertised as "splashproof" rather than with a proper IP rating.

That said, with the Switch having now been around for more than half a decade, the chances of people suddenly encountering this issue seem fairly negligible, especially if they're not exposing the console to sudden changes in temperature. For the small number who do, though, knowing how to combat the issue could end up saving them a hefty repair bill, or, worse still, having to buy a brand-new device.

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