Tearing open Nintendo's new Switch console for the first time, iFixit has given us a real insight into how the Japanese company put the hardware together and what sacrifices were made to cram all of that hardware into a compact package.
The internal space looks very much like a micro-PC, or a packed gaming laptop. There's a dedicated GPU with a large section of heatpipes running to an internal, coaxial fan and a metallic heatspreader that sits atop the entire design.
The relatively large, 16wh battery is non-replaceable we're told, though you can disconnect it. Nintendo has said that in the future it may offer a paid-for replacement program, though nothing like that has materialised just yet.
There is 4GB of internal LPDDR4 memory in the Switch, split into two, 2GB, Samsung made modules. They sit alongside the 32GB of on board storage, which is expandable to up to 2TB with additional microSD cards.
The motherboard is of interest for anyone who likes their technology a little weird. Its shape is bizarre, but works rather well within the confined space of the Switch.
The Joy Con controllers are largely quite simple, but feature a specialised motor for the HD rumble function, similar in style to those found in the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive controllers. There's also an IR sensor and camera set up in one, though each includes accelerometer, and gyroscope.
Overall, iFixit gave the Switch a repairability rating of 8/10, due to its lack of adhesive and use of mostly easy to undo screws. You will need a tri-head one to get the main system open though.
Image source: iFixit
