Nintendo officially making Switch 2 game cards taste bad, netizens joke: "For $90 they should taste like steak"

Nintendo officially announced that the game cartridges for the new Switch 2 would taste unpleasant. Yes, they intentionally made them taste awful so that kids, pets, or anyone else wouldn't be tempted to eat them. This was confirmed in an interview by GameSpot with Nintendo senior director Takuhiro Dohta.

Dohta stated:

"We don't want anybody to be at risk of any unwanted consumption. We have indeed made it so that if it enters your mouth, you'll spit it out."

Nintendo has made the game cartridges for Switch 2 lathered up in denatonium benzoate, perhaps one of the most bitter materials to exist. It's totally harmless and non-poisonous but has a terrible taste that a person putting it in their mouth inadvertently would immediately seek to spit it out.

The same bitter substance is incorporated into antifreeze, laundry soap, and as well as agricultural crops to discourage any accidental feeding by people or animals.

Kouichi Kawamoto, one of Nintendo's executives, attempted to taste a Switch 1 cartridge at one point during the development. He jokingly warned:

"When the Nintendo Switch was being developed, I did lick it once, but never again. I can't believe that other people are trying that."

Nintendo's concept appears to have done the opposite, yet humorously so. Rather than putting people off trying the cartridges, it has piqued their interest.

Individuals on the internet now joke that they had never even considered eating a game cartridge previously, but now they sort of wish they could. Some are questioning who exactly was eating these, anyway.

Netizens are joking that the games already taste bad anyway, with some claiming that for what they are paying, they should at least taste like steak.

---

Switch 2 game cards will taste awful, Nintendo confirms—just in case you were wondering

Some users are joking that the cartridges ought to have a steak flavor for the amount they pay. Others are sarcastically thanking Nintendo, stating they used to munch on them like Lay's chips prior to this update.

A user @decoyposts said:

"for $90 they should taste like steak."

A user shared a meme involving a chain of events in which they comically imagined a $90 game would be good-tasting, but it tastes bad when they lick it. And now they feel bad for it. We want delicious game cartridges.

A user @Nicktacular sarcastically noted:

"Thank God, I've been eating them like Lay's Potato Chips."

Social media is having a field day with this, teasing that now everyone is suddenly hungry for Nintendo Switch 2 cartridges. Others claim nothing has ever made them desire to lick game cartridges more than this news.

One user @r_sterling_ mentioned:

"They just convinced half the population to try it. lmao"

Posting a meme, this user's accompanied caption read:

"When my 80$ game doesn’t taste like spicy chips :("

Some people are joking that they are most certainly going to lick a cartridge just to try how horrible it tastes. Some others are fake grumbling that they can no longer even enjoy tasty game cartridges.

A user @kingscoriox hilariously stated:

"I can't be the only one that's gonna eat a game card tonight to see what's up."

Another user @IcyVert added:

"No way… my favorite feature was eating game cards :/"

One more user, @Angelica_Reed1, went on to say:

"Can't even have tasty gaming cards anymore 😭"

Users are even serving a roast, saying that all this explains the high price for the game. Meanwhile, some even suggest to microwave the game cartridges so they taste better.

A user @KickinWithKush poked fun, saying:

"Ahh, that explains the prices."

A netizen @1toothwilly humorously suggested:

"Pop them in the microwave to sharpen that flavour profile up."

The Nintendo Switch 2, the upcoming iteration of the famous gaming console, will hit stores on June 5, 2025. Consumers can begin pre-ordering it on April 8, 2025.

Also, read: Antonio Brown jokes during livestream with Adin Ross he's suing himself for using the "AB" nickname — users can't stop laughing