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Nintendo Switch Is Getting an Unofficial Cooling Fan

The Gamers Mobile Cooler promises to reduce the temperature of your Switch by up to 13 degrees this summer.

 & Matthew Humphries Former Senior Editor

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The Nintendo Switch may not be anywhere near as powerful as a PS4 of Xbox One, but it does pack a lot of performance into a tiny, portable package. Nintendo does a good job of managing heat and throttling the system when necessary, but a new fan aims to help keep your Switch cool this summer.

As Game Watch reports (via Kotaku), Japanese peripherals manufacturer Game Tech is set to launch a new "Gamers Mobile Cooler" on May 21 with Switch owners in mind. It consists of a 72mm-wide fan unit that sticks to the back of a Switch using six small suction cups. The fan requires power, which is supplied via a USB cable plugged into a mobile battery. As a battery isn't included with the fan, it needs to be purchased separately.



The idea here seems to be to cool the rear casing of the Switch using heat conduction sheets (two are included) in a bid to keep the temperature down inside. It's unclear how well that's going to work, but Game Tech believes it can cut temperatures by as much as 13 degrees Celsius.

A fan pulling hot air directly out of the vent on the top of the Switch would be more desirable, but that's not possible using this design. The fan is also quite bulky and the requirement of a cable and battery make for a much less portable setup. However, if you live somewhere with very hot and humid summers, every little bit of cooling helps.

The Gamers Mobile Cooler has a suggested, but "open" retail price of $37. It's no doubt going to be lowered once retailers get their hands on stock. Bundles with a mobile battery pack included are inevitable.

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About Our Expert

Matthew Humphries

Matthew Humphries

Former Senior Editor

My Experience

I started working at PCMag in November 2016, covering all areas of technology and video game news. Before that I spent nearly 15 years working at Geek.com as a writer and editor. I also spent the first six years after leaving university as a professional game designer working with Disney, Games Workshop, 20th Century Fox, and Vivendi.

I hold two degrees: a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science and a Master's degree in Games Development. My first book, Make Your Own Pixel Art, is available from all good book shops.

My Areas of Expertise

  • PC components and system building
  • Raspberry Pi
  • Software development
  • Storage technology
  • Video games and gaming hardware

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