Nintendo Switch 2 owners report overheating crashes and Joy-Con issues

Early Nintendo Switch 2 adopters are facing some serious problems with their new consoles. Multiple users across Reddit are reporting overheating issues that cause games to crash, along with persistent Joy-Con connectivity problems that make docked gameplay nearly impossible.

The overheating complaints started surfacing heavily on Reddit about a month ago, with users describing their Switch 2 consoles getting dangerously hot while docked. The problems seem most common when playing demanding games like Tears of the Kingdom Switch 2 Edition, but even less intensive titles are causing issues for some players.

“I’ve had my Switch 2 display a message saying that the system was overheating and entering sleep mode twice now, both times while playing Tears of the Kingdom Switch 2 Edition docked,” posted one Reddit user. “I was also running at 2k resolution which probably wasn’t helping but this is still worrying.”

The heating issues appear tied to docked mode specifically, where the console pushes its performance to maximum levels. Several users report their Switch 2 units becoming too hot to touch, with battery levels dropping rapidly even while plugged in. In some extreme cases, consoles have completely shut down or become unresponsive.

Credit to 9to5Toys for first spotting these widespread issues affecting Switch 2 owners. Their investigation revealed that the dock’s cooling system may actually be working against the console’s built-in ventilation, creating a heat trap rather than helping with temperature management.

One concerning factor is that the dock’s fans aren’t designed to cool the console itself, only the dock’s internal components. This means the Switch 2 relies entirely on its internal cooling while docked, which clearly isn’t sufficient for extended gaming sessions at higher resolutions.

“I came from work and my switch 2 was docked, I grabbed it and it was hot!!! The dock too,” another user reported. “The battery drop from 85% to like 65% in like 20mins.”

Some users discovered that having an ethernet cable connected while the console sleeps was causing additional heating issues. Turning off the “Keep Wired Connection Active in Sleep Mode” setting helped reduce temperatures for these players.

The Joy-Con problems are equally frustrating but thankfully seem easier to fix. Users report their controllers disconnecting every few minutes during docked gameplay, making games like Mario Kart practically unplayable. The left Joy-Con appears particularly affected, often drifting or losing connection mid-game.

“Mine keeps doing this, too. Quite annoying tbh. Seems like the left one that disconnects,” wrote one frustrated player who was losing races due to controller failures.

The surprising solution to the Joy-Con issues turns out to be using the specific HDMI cable that came with the Switch 2. Multiple users confirmed that switching from their existing HDMI cables to Nintendo’s included “Ultra High Speed” cable completely resolved their connectivity problems.

This makes the Joy-Con disconnections appear to be related to electromagnetic interference from lower-quality HDMI cables rather than a fundamental hardware flaw. Nintendo has even created an official support page addressing this specific issue.

“I just found this thread, switched to the HDMI cable supplied, and got through a MK World knockout race without a hitch. That would have been impossible before,” one user reported after making the cable swap.

These aren’t the only problems plaguing Nintendo’s new console. We have also highlighted additional concerns including slower screen response times compared to the original Switch, widespread Wi-Fi connectivity issues, and consoles becoming completely unresponsive after sitting idle for extended periods.

The overheating and Joy-Con issues represent more serious problems that could impact Nintendo’s reputation if not addressed quickly. While some users have found workarounds, many are considering returning their consoles or waiting for Nintendo to acknowledge and fix these fundamental design flaws.

For now, affected users should try using the included HDMI cable for Joy-Con issues, ensure proper ventilation around their dock, and disable wired connections during sleep mode to reduce heating problems. However, these solutions don’t address the root causes of what appear to be significant hardware design oversights in Nintendo’s flagship console.