We're now a little over one year into the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2, which first hit the market back in the middle of 2025. It was priced in the same ballpark as its competitors, the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, at $450 for the base console and $500 for a Mario Kart World bundle. Since then, it has increased to a standard $500, even for a base edition.

No one likes high prices, but if you paid either of those dollar amounts for the Switch 2, you've become keenly aware of your investment in this little machine. Keeping that investment safe is paramount, and one way to prevent damage is to avoid something that Nintendo has continuously warned us about even before launch: removing the pre-installed screen protector.

It may not seem like much, but it is a critical piece of the system's configuration. Removing it may seem tempting, but it's actually going to do quite a bit to protect your $500 investment.

When we buy a new piece of hardware or device, the satisfaction of peeling a film off is remarkably enjoyable. If you have a brand-new Switch 2, however, it's recommended that you absolutely not do that. It may seem like it's there for shipping needs, but its true purpose is rather important to the overall health and longevity of the system.

Calling it a "screen protector" isn't even entirely accurate, as it's described by Nintendo as an anti-scattering adhesive film. The main purpose of the film is to protect the console from glass shards that may shatter if the screen is broken.

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