Nintendo Switch 2 Teardown: Beautiful NVIDIA Chip Inside, But Good Luck Taking It Apart

Nintendo Switch 2 Teardown Reveals Elegant NVIDIA Chip, But Disassembly Is a True Nightmare

The long-awaited Nintendo Switch 2 is finally being torn apart-literally. A recent teardown video by @Handanxie reveals the internal components of the handheld console, giving us our first proper look at its hardware. Despite being non-English, the visuals speak volumes: the Switch 2 packs serious protection layers, making it one of the most secure but least repairable handhelds on the market.

The most striking revelation? The presence of the sleek and compact NVIDIA Tegra “GMLX30-A1” SoC, widely speculated to be the Tegra 239.

This confirmation ends months of speculation. While NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang recently lauded the partnership with Nintendo, this is the first visual confirmation of what their collaboration has birthed.

Alongside NVIDIA’s custom chip, the console houses UFS storage from SK hynix and a Wi-Fi/Bluetooth module from MediaTek. This confirms that Nintendo’s hardware strategy is still rooted in close partnerships with top-tier silicon providers.

However, there’s a catch-the Switch 2 is extremely difficult to open. Underneath multiple metal shields and protective casings lies the main PCB, positioned beneath both the cooler and battery. While this structural integrity protects casual users from damaging the internals during accidents, it also means any repair attempt is a professional affair. Even skilled tinkerers are advised to think twice before cracking it open. Warranty voiding, potential damage, and frustration are all on the table.

There’s no official iFixit score yet, but early impressions suggest it won’t earn high marks for repairability. Still, for the average gamer, this device isn’t built to be opened-it’s built to play. And that’s something Nintendo excels at: delivering immersive, unforgettable gaming experiences even on less powerful hardware.

Interestingly, the SoC inside dates back to December 2024, sparking discussions about the long lead time between chip production and console release. This underscores how software development and ecosystem readiness are often the true bottlenecks, not just hardware.

For now, fans can look forward to enjoying the Switch 2 without worrying too much about its internals. But we’ll be keeping an eye out for drop tests, performance benchmarks, and of course, future software rollouts that truly put this machine to the test.