Nintendo explains why Switch cartridges taste nasty

Nintendo's Switch is the company's cool new console. Early reviews say they nailed the system design this time, but also that Nintendo just doesn't know how to do online services and is running out of time to figure it out. The triumphant return of the cartridge, however, comes with a bitter edge: their taste.

"Immediately upon touching a Nintendo Switch cartridge ones tongue is assaulted by a harsh bitterness that spreads like a brush fire through the mouth," writes Kotaku's Mike Fahey. "Having a drink on hand helps, but not completely. The taste and how it spreads suggests some sort of oily residue left on the cartridge. If youve ever pinched an orange peel and tasted the oil that oozes from the rind, its like that, only without the citrus accents."

https://twitter.com/jeffgerstmann/status/835304915220062208

It turns out to be deliberate: Nintendo infuses the carts with a bittering agent.

To avoid the possibility of accidental ingestion, keep the game card away from young children. A bittering agent (Denatonium Benzoate) has also been applied to the game card. This bittering agent is non-toxic.