Is it bad to keep a cartridge in your console?

[Warriorisabouttodie]

The title pretty much say's it all. I usually leave a cartridge in my SNES or N64 for as long as I am playing the game. I tend to become obsessed and play the same game until I beat it or it beats me (I get so frustrated I quit). I always kept a cart in my 2600 since I figured otherwise it would get all dusty and dirty in the cart slot. Recently I read that the reason some SNES's don't work properly is because a cart was left in there too long... so have I been doing this wrong all these years? What is the best thing to do?

 

 

 

 

thanks

Edited May 4, 2008 by Warriorisabouttodie

[midnight8]

The title pretty much say's it all. I usually leave a cartridge in my SNES, N64 for as long as I am playing the game. I tend to become obsessed. I always kept a cart in my 2600 since I figured otherwise it would get all dusty and dirty in the cart slot. Recently I read that the reason some SNES's don't work properly is because a cart was left in there too long... so have I been doing this wrong all these years? What is the best thing to do?

 

 

 

 

thanks

 

I leave carts in my 2600's all the time and have never had one go bad yet.

[wccw mark]

i been leaving carts in systems for years,and they all still work,so im gonna say no,it doesnt do any damage

[fdurso224]

Hi Guys:

 

That quote is a famous video game speculation for years. Parents wanted to have their children to keep the parents investments safe & sound. So, they gave them a bunch of gibber-jabber saying that the cartridges (or CD's) & worse, "the systems" will be damage if left inside the unit! In reality, its a false statement. Your systems & games were designed to handle situations in which the software could (& would be) left over night, or for quite sometime. (^_^).

 

Anthony....

[GreenDayRlz]

For NES, it`s a definent nono, or a 15$ gold pin fee....

Especially for game genie.

 

 

Any other system`s fine, but I`m not sure about the Top Loading NES.....................

 

GDR

[shadow460]

I'd say that if you're worried about dust or damage, leave the carts out of any system that has doors on it. For a system that doesn't have doors, either leave a cart just barely sitting there or gut a non working cart and leave the shell in there. I have an empty Beany Bopper shell and an empty Ms Pac Man shell, and I leave one of those parked in the 7800 when its not in use.

[Zonie]

Hi Guys:

 

That quote is a famous video game speculation for years. Parents wanted to have their children to keep the parents investments safe & sound. So, they gave them a bunch of gibber-jabber saying that the cartridges (or CD's) & worse, "the systems" will be damage if left inside the unit! In reality, its a false statement. Your systems & games were designed to handle situations in which the software could (& would be) left over night, or for quite sometime. (^_^).

 

Anthony....

 

Put your toys away, kids!!!

[ls650]

The argument I've read is that the constant stress on the pins in the connector loosen the tightness of that connection over time. I don't think I believe the argument though...

[Bowser N64]

What an interesting, thought-provoking question. What I do to protect my N64 from dust is cover the console and controllers up with two towels of mine, when I'm not using it. This serves to keep dust out of them. I don't have an Atari, so I can't answer that part.

[+Cobra Kai]

You can't do any harm by leaving carts in the system. Any information otherwise is a bunch of hooey.

[jboypacman]

No harm in that i dont do it but i have friends that do and i have never know them to have a problem.

[Rik]

I wouldnt do it.I once accidently smacked a game cart while it was left plugged in console while reaching for something on table and heard a crack sound,no good.I now take ALL games carts out of console when not in use.I also made a cap out of plastic with my wellers heat gun that sits on top of cart slot to keep out spilled liquids,dust,etc.

[Emehr]

I take my carts out. Good or bad, I don't like the thought of that constant stress on the console's contacts. I tend to get lazy when it comes to my DS and GBA, however.

[phuzzed]

I say no harm as well. I've pretty much left a cartridge in my 2600 since 1982, and it still works great.

[SRGilbert]

I pretty much always leave the last game I played in the slot, just lazy I guess.

 

If anything, the constant contact between the connectors might keep things from corroding over.

[Room 34]

I seem to recall a discussion on here years ago (YEARS! sheesh, I've been a member of this forum for SIX YEARS!!!) where someone noted that if the metal in the connectors on the cart and the metal in the connectors on the console were different metals/alloys, they could potentially react, especially if left in contact for an extended period of time.

 

I'm not a metallurgist so I don't know if there's any validity to that, but it sounds plausible.

[NeitherSparky]

It's been mentioned by another poster that it's bad for the NES, and I'm going to back that up...I replaced my contacts or whatever its called in my NES a couple years ago (and I rarely use the unit at all)...I left my Shadowgate cart in there some months back and I went to play another game the other day - wouldn't work. I managed to force it to work but I'll probably have to replace the contacts again. (If I can even get the stupid thing OPEN, I can't budge a couple of the screws. :/ ) I'll never leave a cart in there again.

[jferio]

I'll add a third comment on the NES, but that's in part because I spent so much time on the refurbishment of my own toaster here that I won't risk screwing it up by leaving a cart in it.

 

On the other hand, I prefer to keep my games on the media shelf, so I don't have to go hunting for a game I want to play, then smack my forehead because it was in the console the whole time...

[shadow460]

I know it's not classic yet, but the PSP will spin any UMD that's left in the drive. That'll wear out the drive faster and use up more battery power.

Bad? you decide.

[Bowser N64]

I know it's not classic yet, but the PSP will spin any UMD that's left in the drive. That'll wear out the drive faster and use up more battery power.

Bad? you decide.

 

Well, it doesn't neccesarily sound GOOD.

[Spector]

I left a cartridge in the Atari 2600 while it was sitting in a cupboard for three years. I took it out, turned it on, and the game played fine at the second attempt, so I don't think there's any hassle there.

Edited May 6, 2008 by Spector

[classicgamingguy]

Gee, this has been a topic-starter for years.

 

I would think that leaving a cart "resting" in the slot wouldn't hurt it any. I'm talking specifically game systems that do not have a "cover" (Odyssey 2, Atari 2600, et. al.). Just don't push it all the way in and you should be good to go, as long as you're careful near the system and don't "smack" it. Perhaps resting it this way, and if you did smack it, wouldn't cause any damage to the console's contacts..

[Video]

It's a crock of crap that parrents come up with to get kids away from the console once in a while

 

Actually, it was probably a way game companies could save money on repairs (to claim that you damaged it by leaving the cart in and it wasn't covered under warranty...or some such crap)

 

Either way, it's all Bulls#!t.

 

I wouldnt do it.I once accidently smacked a game cart while it was left plugged in console while reaching for something on table and heard a crack sound,no good.I now take ALL games carts out of console when not in use.I also made a cap out of plastic with my wellers heat gun that sits on top of cart slot to keep out spilled liquids,dust,etc.

 

Except that that could happen even if the system was being used, so it's not much a solution for that spacific situation.

[Rik]

It's a crock of crap that parrents come up with to get kids away from the console once in a while

 

Actually, it was probably a way game companies could save money on repairs (to claim that you damaged it by leaving the cart in and it wasn't covered under warranty...or some such crap)

 

Either way, it's all Bulls#!t.

 

I wouldnt do it.I once accidently smacked a game cart while it was left plugged in console while reaching for something on table and heard a crack sound,no good.I now take ALL games carts out of console when not in use.I also made a cap out of plastic with my wellers heat gun that sits on top of cart slot to keep out spilled liquids,dust,etc.

 

Except that that could happen even if the system was being used, so it's not much a solution for that spacific situation.

sorry,double post

Edited May 7, 2008 by Rik

[Rik]

It's a crock of crap that parrents come up with to get kids away from the console once in a while

 

Actually, it was probably a way game companies could save money on repairs (to claim that you damaged it by leaving the cart in and it wasn't covered under warranty...or some such crap)

 

Either way, it's all Bulls#!t.

 

I wouldnt do it.I once accidently smacked a game cart while it was left plugged in console while reaching for something on table and heard a crack sound,no good.I now take ALL games carts out of console when not in use.I also made a cap out of plastic with my wellers heat gun that sits on top of cart slot to keep out spilled liquids,dust,etc.

 

Except that that could happen even if the system was being used, so it's not much a solution for that spacific situation.

Yeah,i know what you mean,but leaving games plugged in is un-necessary,(IMO)and increases the probability of it happening doublefold.I'm just careful myself cus i once smacked a cart by accident while it was plugged in,and heard a horrible crack sound,not to mention the stress or damage i may have done to the port on the motherboard.

Edited May 7, 2008 by Rik