Because why not?

The Nintendo Switch released March 3, 2017, along with a small handful of games including The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. As expected with all major console releases, the stock went fast and some people are still waiting for an opportunity to buy one. I was a lucky individual who managed to get her hands on one! For my birthday, my boyfriend spent hours hunting online before resorting to Craigslist and we managed to get one for a good deal and my boyfriend lived to tell the tale.

By now you’ve probably already heard… but for those who haven’t, you’ll hear it here now:

The Nintendo Switch Cartridges Taste Awful

Yes, in the name of science, the first thing I did when I opened up my copy of Breath of the Wild was lick the cartridge. Now, before you start getting weirded out, I promise that I don’t do this with all new games I get. But reading the various information online saying that the Switch cartridges taste awful led me to be all…

With my curiosity sated, I spent several minutes afterward acting like a dog eating peanut butter. It didn’t matter how much soda I tried to drink to mask the taste, it lingered for longer than I would have preferred afterward.

Now, you must be wondering, “Why? Why would Nintendo even do this in the first place?”

Well, Nintendo did this intentionally, and you’ll agree with their decision once you see this:

Pictured above is an image from Polygon showing the size comparison of the Switch cartridge to the cartridges of its predecessors (and against the PS Vita). From left to right, you’ve got the Nintendo 64 cartridge, Game Boy Advanced, Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, PS Vita cartridge, and finally the Nintendo Switch Cartridge.

Now… If you’re a responsible adult living on your own, there’s no real reason to feel concern about the size of the cartridge. Well, other than the risk of losing it more easily… but we’re responsible adults, remember?

However, if you’re a parent (whether it be to human children or fur children), you have plenty to worry about with your young ones or your furry friends deciding that they see this small thing and IT MUST GO IN THEIR MOUTH. And this cartridge is tiny and thin and NOT something I’d recommend Junior try to shove in their mouth.

Nintendo thought the same thing. That’s why they coated each of their Nintendo Switch cartridges in denatonium benzoate. Before you start freaking out, denatonium benzoate is non-toxic. It is, however, the most bitter chemical compound known and is most commonly found in shampoos, soaps, and nail-biting prevention.

So when Junior or Fluffy decides that the Switch cartridge looks like it’d be a tasty treat, there’s a lot less to worry about. They’re more than likely just going to spit it right back out. That’s not to say you should just leave your Switch cartridges out and about without any sort of supervision, but you can at least have some peace of mind knowing that it tastes super awful.