If you’re the owner of a Nintendo Switch OLED console, make sure you don’t try to peel off the integrated screen protector on your new device.
While the OLED Switch’s display is technically made of glass, you won’t actually ever come in contact with it directly. That’s because Nintendo has stuck an “anti-scattering adhesive film” to the front of the display for added protection. Anti-scattering films are typically used to prevent glass from breaking into sharp shards in the event of damage, in addition to helping protect from scratches.
The original Switch and Switch Lite didn’t have that concern, given that they both had plastic displays, but it’s a helpful addition to make sure that the glass display doesn’t cause problems if you manage to break it.
Odds are, you won’t even notice it’s there (as my colleague Andrew Webster noted in his review, it’s nearly impossible to see). But Nintendo very clearly recommends that you don’t remove it: “Do not peel off the anti-scattering adhesive film from the OLED screen of the console,” warns the company in the OLED Switch’s manual.
Non-removable screen covers aren’t a new thing in tech: the Galaxy Fold infamously features a screen layer that looked like a cover but was actually a critical part of the display, and Samsung has been pre-installing screen protectors on its main line of Galaxy S smartphones since 2019.
Nintendo has confirmed to The Verge that the anti-scattering film also won’t cause issues with a screen protector, if you want to add an extra layer of protection on top of the pre-applied film. The company actually sells its own first-party screen protector for the OLED Switch for $20, which also includes a carrying case and a protector for a regular Switch.
