Gamer Builds Own Nintendo Switch for $199

With the Nintendo Switch in very short supply due to the coronavirus pandemic and resellers price gouging on auction sites, one gamer decided to build his own Switch instead.

As Input reports, Reddit user Sarbaaz explained his anger at the $450-$600 price tag some sellers were asking for a used Switch and instead set out to build a Switch from used parts.

The build was a success, and it only cost $199 along with a lot of patience to produce a working console.

In the write-up on Imgur, complete with lots of images of the build, Sarbaaz gives a full breakdown of the parts used.

All parts were relatively cheap to find, coming in mostly under $10 each, with one exception.

A working OEM Nintendo Switch replacement logic board cost $95, which made up the bulk of the cost.

As for the actual build time, Sarbaaz explains, "The key to a project like this is extreme patience.

This took about a month and then some to bid on parts, find inexpensive sellers, and wait for ground shipping from China.

In the end it was still worth it to me."

It's interesting to note that when Sarbaaz acquired the required parts in January the total spend was $199, but looking again now the same parts would cost between $300-$400.

Either many more people are building their own Switch consoles from used parts, or the pandemic has made the spare parts much more scarce.

I suspect the latter.

Sarbaaz actually sourced the parts and built this Switch for a friend, explaining on Reddit that , "I know many people have commented on time is money and a few hundred isn't much.

But the truth is my friend who this is for was laid off due to the virus and aren't sure when their savings will dry up.

It seems like a luxury to own a gaming console in that financial bind but with only a Netflix account it seems like a good mental health device while sheltering in place."

With the Nintendo Switch in very short supply due to the coronavirus pandemic and resellers price gouging on auction sites, one gamer decided to build his own Switch instead.

As Input reports, Reddit user Sarbaaz explained his anger at the $450-$600 price tag some sellers were asking for a used Switch and instead set out to build a Switch from used parts.

The build was a success, and it only cost $199 along with a lot of patience to produce a working console.

In the write-up on Imgur, complete with lots of images of the build, Sarbaaz gives a full breakdown of the parts used.

All parts were relatively cheap to find, coming in mostly under $10 each, with one exception.

A working OEM Nintendo Switch replacement logic board cost $95, which made up the bulk of the cost.

As for the actual build time, Sarbaaz explains, "The key to a project like this is extreme patience.

This took about a month and then some to bid on parts, find inexpensive sellers, and wait for ground shipping from China.

In the end it was still worth it to me."

It's interesting to note that when Sarbaaz acquired the required parts in January the total spend was $199, but looking again now the same parts would cost between $300-$400.

Either many more people are building their own Switch consoles from used parts, or the pandemic has made the spare parts much more scarce.

I suspect the latter.

Sarbaaz actually sourced the parts and built this Switch for a friend, explaining on Reddit that , "I know many people have commented on time is money and a few hundred isn't much.

But the truth is my friend who this is for was laid off due to the virus and aren't sure when their savings will dry up.

It seems like a luxury to own a gaming console in that financial bind but with only a Netflix account it seems like a good mental health device while sheltering in place."