Is it okay to repeatedly switch game cartridges on a 3DS?
I have been trading between two Pokémon games by myself making use of the GTS: after offering a trade on Ultra sun, I switched to Sun and quickly located my own Pokémon in order to trade with myself to get a Pokémon from sun to my ultra sun.
I did this a few times, but I'm wondering if it's good or bad for the game or system to quickly and repeatedly switch between games when only playing them for a short time.
Best Answer
I'm happy for someone to provide a more technical answer with proofs on whether or not this is good for the console. Going purely by the experiences of myself and others I know, we have never observed the frequent* switching of games to do harm to our consoles, provided you are correctly closing the software and gently removing the cartridge and not just yanking it out while mid-game.
In your situation specifically, I'd be more concerned with people on the GTS intercepting your self-trade and you losing a Pokemon! It might be worth looking into Pokemon Bank as an alternative approach.
*-Frequent being once every ~2 minutes. However long it takes to start the game and connect to the GTS.
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How long does a 3DS cartridge last?
How long, though? Only time will ultimately tell, and guesswork based on cycle-data can give you estimates from 20-50 years, potentially longer. But the key point is that it is a lifecycle; just like retro game media, it'll eventually stop working.How long will a Switch cartridge last?
You might have heard of the 3DS game situation last week where a lot of Pok\xe9mon games stopped working. That made me go down a rabbit hole and I found out that the only information about the lifespan of Switch cartridges, that is somehow backed by testing, says they last around 20 years.Do Switch cartridges get damaged?
The Nintendo Switch cartridges do not break easily and are actually far more durable than any DVD or Blu-ray disc that other consoles use Even though they are made of plastic, they are extremely hard to break and will not get scratched or damaged if they are dropped or slid on items.Do game cartridges last forever?
TL;DR Your console and cartridges are very likely to out-live you. Game consoles and cartridges are made from plastic, fiberglass, metal, and semiconductor material. None of these are biodegradable. They are likely to remain intact for centuries, so long as they are protected from the outside environment.Big Switch Cartridges VS Small Carts! Is There A Difference? | Tech Wave
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