June 6, 2025, 3:05 pm | Read time: 3 minutes
The launch of a new console is always a major event. However, some fans have discovered that the display on their Nintendo Switch 2 is damaged.
On June 5, 2025, the successor to the Nintendo Switch finally hit stores worldwide. In many places, there was a high demand for the new console, while others eagerly awaited their pre-orders by mail. However, while some could dive into next-generation gaming without delay, the first day ended in frustration for others: Several players found their Nintendo Switch 2 displays damaged, even though they had just taken them out of the packaging. The reason for this was a careless mistake by a retail chain in the U.S. But Nintendo itself might also bear some minor blame.
Stapled Receipt Damages Switch 2 Screen
Shortly after the launch of the new hybrid console, several reports surfaced online, on platforms like X (formerly Twitter) or Reddit, about the Nintendo Switch 2 display being damaged. However, this was not due to a manufacturing defect. Instead, the well-known retail chain Gamestop was responsible in this specific case.
Specifically, it was reportedly just one store in New York, which sold numerous devices. There, instead of placing the receipt in a bag or handing it to the customer, it was stapled directly onto the packaging. Unfortunately, the screen of the Switch 2 is located just beneath the cardboard layer–and that’s exactly where the employees drove the staple in. The result is two small but clearly visible holes:
Why the Stapler Was Used
Having the display of your Nintendo Switch 2 damaged before you could even take it out is certainly more than annoying. Especially after months of waiting and spending hundreds of U.S. dollars. A user shared on Reddit that a broken air conditioner in the store was supposedly to blame.
Originally, the receipts were only supposed to be taped to the respective packaging. But when the cooling failed and it became hot and humid in the store, the receipts wouldn’t stick. Since more than 100 pre-orders had to be processed and the correct receipt issued for each, they quickly resorted to using a stapler–a consequential mistake.
As reported by “NBC News,” Gamestop is investigating the case further and promises a quick resolution. In fact, there are already reports that replacement devices have been quickly sourced from other stores in the area and distributed to affected customers.
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Nintendo Could Also Improve
It seems the frustrating story has a somewhat happy ending, at least for the fans. According to comments on Reddit, responsible Gamestop employees are worried about their jobs. But Nintendo might not be entirely blameless either.
Apparently, the Nintendo Switch 2 is packaged at the factory in such a way that the display is very close to the thin cardboard. The thin film covering it might protect against small scratches, but not much more. Of course, nothing should pierce the packaging in the first place, and with normal, careful handling, the device would be fine.
TECHBOOK has nonetheless asked the manufacturer if they might want to better protect the device in the future by packaging it differently. A response has yet to be received.