Blog · Consoles and controllers

Switch that won't charge: the cheap charger and the M92T36 chip

Any old USB-C cable, an unofficial dock, and the Switch switches off never to come back. The culprit fits in a few square millimetres.

· 2 min read · GersFix, Miélan

On the Nintendo Switch, USB-C charging is controlled by a small chip, the M92T36, backed by a charge controller (BQ24193). These chips negotiate the voltage with the charger. A charger or dock that doesn't respect the USB-C protocol sends an unsuitable voltage: the M92T36 burns out, sometimes in one go, sometimes after weeks of dodgy charging.

The symptoms

The console no longer reacts to the charger, or charges extremely slowly, or only comes back on the dock. Sometimes it boots but shows 0% permanently. Changing the battery is then useless: it is never being fed.

The repair

We measure the voltages on the board, find the shorted chip, desolder it with hot air and fit a new one. When the USB-C port itself is torn, we replace that too. The “won't charge (charging circuit)” price is shown per model on the prices page, USB-C port separate.

To avoid coming back

Use the Nintendo charger or a USB-C Power Delivery charger from a serious brand, and beware of cheap third-party docks: several generations of them have burnt out thousands. The Switch OLED and the Switch 2 are not immune.

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