When the UK followed in the footsteps of this US this week by announcing an electronics ban on certain flights to the UK, it looked like it was game over for playing the Nintendo Switch on boring long-haul journeys.
The ban prohibits passengers carrying devices larger than 16cm long, 9.3cm wide or 1.5cm deep in their hand luggage on select flights from certain countries and airlines. That pretty much prevents you from popping any device other than your smartphone in your carry-on.
Given the Nintendo Switch is designed to transform into a portable handheld console for on-the-go gaming, this wasn’t welcome news for keen in-flight gamers. Especially given Nintendo’s ad campaign for the Switch features it being used on, er – a plane.
But the Department for Transport has now announced the happy news that the Nintendo Switch, which sold more than 1.5 million units in its first week, will be exempt from the ban along with other handheld consoles. This includes the Nintendo 3DS.
Sadly for US Switch players, the console exemption isn’t universal. A spokesman told i.news: “The ban will apply to flights bound for the US, not the UK.”
There has also been confusion over whether larger smartphones, or ‘phablets’, will be allowed on flights affected by the ban, but the government has clarified that the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, LG G3 or Sony Xperia Z2 are safe to carry onto a flight, too.
Related: UK flight electronics ban – what you need to know
Got a Nintendo Switch? Tell us what you think in the comments below.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
