At first glance, the Nintendo Switch looks quite fragile, but nothing is known for certain about its durability. So the YouTube channel UnlockRiver did a drop test by using a drone to fly it 1,000 feet into the air and then drop it. The Switch reportedly survived the 1,000-foot drop, living up to the expectations of Nintendo products.
Nintendo Switch survives the drop test
In a YouTube video, the console was shown attached to the drone, and then it was taken 1,000 feet above the ground to be dropped. When it hit the ground, the console survived, with only one Joy-Con being damaged. Upon switching it on, the console itself and the right Joy-Con were working as usual. The screen even remained intact.
This is not the first time the Switch has gone through a tough drop test. In March, the YouTube channel GizmoSlip conducted a similar test. They dropped the console 11 times from 5 feet up in the air, including four screen side drops, before it stopped working, notes Gamespot. Drop test survival is a bit ironic, given the fact that some users complain about scratches on the Switch’s screen just by putting it in the plastic dock that comes with it.
The Nintendo Switch is not the first device to survive a drop test like this. Just last month, a Samsung Galaxy S8 was dropped from the same height, severely damaging its back side and rendering its rear-facing camera useless.
It must be noted that no channel has ever put a Sony PlayStation or Xbox One through such drop tests, maybe because of their weight and size, which is beyond the capacity of a drone.
Switch on the path to be a massive success
It has been just a few months since the launch of the Nintendo Switch, but its sales numbers are already setting records. The Switch is Nintendo’s fastest-selling console ever, at 2.74 million units in its first month. Previously, Nintendo President Reggie Fils-Aime stated that the Americas sales figures for the first two days of Switch sales were higher than any other system in the company’s history. A similar performance was seen in the U.K.
If the ongoing trend continues, it may overshadow the record of the Nintendo Wii as Nintendo’s bestselling console ever. Gamestop said that in the first two months, it sold 10% more Switch units than jt did Wii units during its first two months in the United States.
The Japanese company is hoping for big success from the Switch, especially after sales of the Wii U remained lackluster. Earlier, the company stated that it expected to sell 10 million units by the end of the console’s first year. Now after witnessing overwhelming demand, the target has been revised to 18 million, reported the Financial Times.
However, given the difference between the supply and demand, the company will have to ramp supply to meet that demand. Nintendo claims that overwhelming demand is causing supply issues, but the company is making efforts to replenish stock quickly to ensure smooth supply for the console. The Wall Street Journal claimed recently that Apple, which has more muscle in its supply chain, has kept Nintendo waiting in line.
