The American Brennen Johnston ordered 22 individual parts, which he ordered for about $ 200 from websites such as eBay. That made his DIY Switch cheaper than Nintendo, which is normally around $ 300 in stores. In the Netherlands, the console usually costs about 330 euros.
The Nintendo Switch is currently difficult to obtain worldwide. Nintendo has given no reason for these shortages, but the success of the new game Animal Crossing: New Horizons may play a role. In addition, many tech companies had production shortages earlier this year due to the corona virus.
Furious
Due to the shortages, the Switch is much more expensive in some stores, which was the main reason for the do-it-yourselfer to assemble a Switch. “A second-hand Switch now sometimes costs $ 600,” writes Johnston on the photo website Imgur. “That infuriated me. I kept saying I could build a cheaper Switch with spare parts.”
Johnston’s friends asked him to deliver on that promise and hired him to craft a Switch for them. That worked: the homemade game console works completely like the original.
A month’s job
The handyman took over a month to assemble his Switch. Not only was screwing and soldering a tough process, Johnston also had to find sellers who offered the parts at a low rate to stay below the price of Nintendo.
It therefore does not seem very practical to continue to build Switches, but it does not seem to be the hobbyist. It was a challenge and an opportunity for him to learn something about the game console.
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