Reddit gave me anxiety about my Switch 2. This $25 product helped

Summary

Belkin’s Tempered Glass screen protector for Switch 2 has extra features for $25
Installation was frustrating due to dust particles, but worth the effort
Testing shows protection from scratches and fingerprints, making it a worthwhile investment

Anyone who knows me, either personally or professionally, knows I’m an anxious person. If someone tells me about the possibility of something potentially going wrong, I assume it’s going to happen to me regardless of the statistics or actual probability of said theoretical occurrence.

This is why, when I started seeing multiple reports on Reddit about Switch 2 screens scratching very easily, I got really worried. After all, this was a $450 investment and I play 60% in handheld mode. I would have been devastated if my screen had scratched from normal use so easily.

Because I had never seen a scratch on my OG Switch screen, I never really thought about screen protectors for the Switch 2. However, less than a month later I became very concerned about screen protectors, so I decided to dip my toe into the waters with Belkin’s $25 Anti-Reflective Screen Protector for Nintendo Switch 2. And despite causing me some initial extra anxiety while I was installing it, for the most part this thin little product helped me feel a little bit more confident taking my Switch 2 out of its dock.

Brand: Belkin
Compatibility: Switch 2
Material: Tempered Glass
Size: 9H Pencil Hardness rating
Hardness: 9H Pencil Hardness rating

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There are a lot of Switch 2 screen protectors out there

Also at very different price points

Switch 2 Welcome Tour running on a Nintendo Switch 2.

At $25, Belkin’s Tempered Glass screen protector is not the cheapest option out there for the Switch 2. When I first started searching for screen protectors for my console, I found there were a lot of options, including some for as little as $9 on Amazon. However, for the higher price point, the Belkin had a few extra features that caught my eye, including an anti-fingerprint coating, a plastic frame to help with installation, and perhaps most importantly, a 9H Pencil Hardness rating which would give me solid protection from scratches.

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Installation wasn’t the smoothest, but we got there in the end

Rogue dust is my enemy forever

I’m not good at installing screen protectors. Whenever I have purchased one for a phone in the past, I have always had someone from whatever retail store I purchased it from help me install it. However, I was feeling confident heading into the installation of the Belkin Tempered Glass screen protector as it had clear instructions, a plastic guide so I didn’t put the thing on crooked, and some stickers and a dust cloth to deal with any particulates.

And reader, I have to say it almost worked.

Though I was feeling confident going in, like a lot of amateur screen protector installers, I kept getting random bubbles from tiny little dust particles that I suppose just hang in the air waiting to attach themselves to my screen. Fortunately, after several tries and 20 minutes of taking the screen protector off, wiping the screen, and then putting it back on again and vigorously wiping it with a cloth, I finally got the screen on with no more bubbles.

So while there was some frustration during the installation, I chalk that up to my own skill issue, as it’s not the fault of the manufacturer that I’m just inherently bad at putting on screen protectors. And I’m happy with the finished product, even though it took some real effort on my part.

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Is this really worth investing in?

For $25 and a little frustration, I think this screen protector is worth it

After I put on the screen protector, I ran some very unscientific tests. I played a round (or 3) of Balatro using only the touchscreen controls to test the fingerprint resistance, and the screen was indeed mostly clear after I played, save for a few smudges. I also ran my nails across the screen to see if I could scratch the screen on purpose, and I wasn’t able to. Feeling more confident, I also ran the sharp corner of a plastic gift card across the screen, and was again happy to find that I could not scratch the screen despite putting an uncomfortable amount of pressure on it.

There are definitely cheaper screen protectors out there, but I think for the peace of mind it provides, the Belkin Tempered Glass screen protector is worth the cost, especially if you’re like me and have been freaking out just a little bit about the prospect of scratching your screen. Though novices might have a little trouble installing it, I promise the effort is well worth it.