Console Trade-Ins Have Hit Record Highs Leading Up To Nintendo Switch Launch

It's not terribly surprising that soon-to-be Nintendo Switch owners might fund their purchase with old hardware they own, either currently unused or just hanging around. What's more surprising, however, are the numbers in which folks appear to be doing so. If recent data from Decluttr.com is anything to go by, trade-ins have proven to be an extremely popular method of Switch fundraising as of late.

Regarding the spike, Decluttr noticed the following pertaining to its customers' hardware trade-ins and the impending Nintendo Switch. The site's premise is one of trading "unwanted game consoles, CDs, DVDs, and books" for cash, so if anyone ought to know, it's them.

Decluttr.com has reported a spike in game console trade-ins leading up to this week’s launch of the Nintendo Switch. [In particular, it found] that trade-ins of gaming devices increased by 66 percent in the weeks leading up to the Switch release, with trade-ins of the New Nintendo 3DS XL and the Nintendo Wii U console growing by a record 70 percent.

Interestingly, trade-ins of the XBOX ONE and PlayStation 4 also increased by 38 percent and 43 percent respectively, marking the highest trade-in rate for both devices over the last 18 months.

Decluttr's marketing director Liam Howley also notes that despite seeing "steady growth" in 3DS and Wii U trade-ins since the holiday season, recent increases have brought trade-in totals to "unprecedented levels in the weeks leading to the Nintendo Switch launch." To be fair, the site is offering $90 and $105 bounties for 3DS XL and Wii U trade-ins respectively, so to call recent happenings purely organic would not be 100% accurate either. Still, that can't account for the PS4 and Xbox One boosts, so clearly the trade-in bug is currently contagious.

Nintendo Switch launches Friday March 3rd, so those looking to swap their Wii Us might want to do so before it's officially no longer the latest and greatest Nintendo machine. In my case, Switch only cost $75 thanks to several years worth of accumulated, unredeemed Amazon gift cards, but I acknowledge that such hoarding of small plastic sheets isn't exactly the norm.

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15 Things You Probably Don't Know About The Nintendo Switch

6. 3.5mm In Handheld Mode Only

Although the Joy-Con controllers don't have a 3.5mm jack, the Screen does. This means you can only plug in a 3.5mm headset when using the Switch in handheld mode. A Bluetooth headset will be required for personal audio when the Switch is docked.
3. No Virtual Console At Launch

Virtual Console will not be available at launch. Though, Nintendo has confirmed that it will come at a later date. Hopefully that's sooner rather than later.
12. Customizable Airplane Mode

Not only is there an Airplane Mode available, but you can choose whether to disable Wi-Fi, NFC, and/or even Bluetooth
1. Auto-Sleep At Low Battery

You'll never have to worry about your Switch running out of power and losing valuable game progress, because the system will automatically enter Sleep Mode when it reaches critically low levels. In this mode it uses less than 2% battery draw, providing you plenty of time to find a means for charging the device.
4. Battery Life

You can expect the Joy-Con controllers to last between 10 to 20 hours between charges. Meanwhile, the Screen lasts between 3 to 6 hours depending on what games or apps you're using.
5. Clock Auto-Update

The clock on the Nintendo Switch will automatically update periodically. Although this might seem silly, it's the first Nintendo console that doesn't require you to manually set the time and date.
14. Docking Is Effortless

The dock has been designed to easily guide the Screen to alignment. You don't even have to try to get a perfect result every time.
7. Easter Egg On The Lock Screen

As explained in this video, when exiting Sleep Mode you can choose from three different noises to produce to unlock the screen. The system only tells you about one of them, making the other two an uncommonly known secret.
9. No Ethernet Port Included

You will not be able to connect an ethernet cable into the Switch out of the box. An add-on peripheral will be required.
10. Exhaust On Top

The Switch Screen gets hot when playing games, but it does have an exhaust vent on top to blow warm air out of the device. Just be sure not to put your hand over it.
13. Asymmetric Controllers

The left Joy-Con controller tends to run out of battery faster than the right one, which is unlike anything we've ever seen before. You will also be required to pair both halves of the controller each time you turn the console on.
Bonus. It\'s Not This

$Bonus. It\'s Not This$
Remember this dorky thing? Thank goodness this wasn't the real Switch.
8. One Shared Power Adapter

There is only one power adapter included, and it's used to power the Dock as well as the Screen. This means that if you plan to play in handheld mode you will need to pull the power cable out from your entertainment center. You could always choose to buy a second standalone power adapter, though.
15. Pro Controller PC Support

If you're planning to purchase the pro controller, you might be glad to hear that it works on PC.
2. Game Saves Are Stored On the Drive

Unlike most Nintendo products, game saves are written to the hard drive. In other words, game saves are not stored on the game cartridge.
11. Zelda\'s Physical Version Has No Install

$11. Zelda\'s Physical Version Has No Install$
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild doesn't require an install if you purchase the physical version. This can save you valuable space on your drive.
15 Things You Probably Don\'t Know About The Nintendo Switch

$15 Things You Probably Don\'t Know About The Nintendo Switch$