Why are gamers TASTING Nintendo Switch cartridges?

The long-awaited Nintendo Switch is finally on sale, but possibly for the first time on a major console launch day, gamers may well be licking the games cartridges.

According to those who’ve had an early look at the Switch, its new games cartridges taste revolting.

While that may sound bizarre, Nintendo has confirmed that this was an intentional move designed to stop children and pets from swallowing the tiny SD card-sized pieces of plastic.

“To avoid the possibility of accidental ingestion, keep the game card away from young children. A bittering agent (Denatonium Benzoate) has also been applied to the game card. This bittering agent is non-toxic,” said a Nintendo spokesperson in a statement.

Denatonium is the most bitter chemical compound that we know of. It’s often added to harmful products such as antifreeze and paint to deter people from ingesting them.

It’s also appears in the foul-tasting clear vanish that is used to discourage people from biting their nails.

The Japanese games firm has reverted back to using the tiny cartridges for the Switch as it’s designed to be portable some of the time. They’re all said to load faster than the games on other consoles.

While the temptation to taste the cartridges may be too much resist, gamers should remember that they are a choking hazard. In short, don’t try this at home.

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The Switch is a hybrid console that can be played in the home, or taken out and about. It comes with a price tag of £280.

Detachable Joy-Con controllers can be used with the handheld portion, or taken off and used as individual controls, or as Wii-style controllers.

This is Nintendo’s first major launch since the Wii U, which suffered from disappointing sales.