Nintendo Switch games taste intensely dirty

Are you getting so excited about the new Zelda game that you want to lick it? That will leave you with a nasty aftertaste. Literally, because Nintendo has coated the game cartridges for the new Switch console with a layer of denatonium benzoate.

The bitter taste was discovered by game journalist Jeff Gerstmann, who subsequently tweeted warned don’t put the game cartridges in your mouth. He himself did, during a broadcast of his Unprofessional Friday Stream. A Reddit user made a gif of that.

To rule out the possibility that we are dealing here with a case of fake news or an early April Fools’ Day joke, several editors have put it to the test. From that practical study we can conclude that Switch games taste downright nasty. Even taking a small lick of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild cartridge produces an intensely bitter and foul taste that lingers in the mouth for a long time.

Polygon didn’t stop there and conducted more research. According to the game website, the cartridges of the Nintendo DS, 3DS and the PlayStation Vita do not have a distinct taste. After Polygon published its findings, Nintendo sent a response to the website confirming that Switch games are bitter.

Nintendo has coated the Switch cartridges with a layer of denatonium benzoate, also known under the brand name Bitrex. The chemical is the bitterest known. It was used in the past to make pure alcohol unfit for consumption. Today, the substance can be found in cleaning products and insect repellents, to prevent children from ingesting such substances. For the same reason, Nintendo has coated its physical Switch games with a layer of filth to prevent children from putting the small cards in their mouths and swallowing them.