Discussions around the Nintendo Switch’s notorious Joy-Con drift issues are swirling up once again, this time thanks to UK consumer watchdog, Which?, launching a new investigation into the causes behind the faults. While the warranty side of things doesn’t fully apply to players outside of the UK in this instance, the findings are certainly interesting.
After reportedly “analysing” five defective Switch Joy-Con controllers in a specialist lab, Which? has claimed that it’s discovered several key design flaws that have contributed to the drifting problem and has called on Nintendo to do more to compensate those affected.
In the controllers it tested, the company’s results showed that inadequate dust proofing as well as significant wear on the points where joysticks meet the plastic circuit boards were the primary causes of the drift exhibited. Which? believes its research is evidence that flaws in the mechanical design of Joy-Cons are to blame for consumers’ issues with the controllers and wants Nintendo to respond to four key calls (it’s worth noting that, being an independent association, Which? has absolutely no power over Nintendo to make these happen):
- Commission an independent investigation into the causes of drift on Joy-Con controllers and make the findings and outcomes publicly available
- Commit to a ‘no-quibble’ and completely free-of-charge repair or replacement of all Joy-Con controllers sold in the UK that have developed drift since the Nintendo Switch Classic launched in 2017
- Provide a compensation or refund plan for any UK consumers who can prove that they have paid out for replacement Joy-Cons as a result of the drift fault since 2017
- Promote this scheme so that all consumers who are affected are aware that they can access free support, compensation or refunds.
You can read the full report here.
For its part, Nintendo has responded to the consumer watchdog, saying “The percentage of Joy-Con controllers that have been reported as experiencing issues with the analogue stick in the past is small, and we have been making continuous improvements to the Joy-Con analogue stick since its launch in 2017.
“We expect all our hardware to perform as designed, and, if anything falls short of this goal, we always encourage consumers to contact Nintendo customer support, who will be happy to openly and leniently resolve any consumer issues related to the Joy-Con controllers’ analogue sticks, including in cases where the warranty may no longer apply.”
While this is all happening in the UK, Australian customers who experience issues with their consoles or controllers are generally protected by local manufacturer’s warranty as well as Australian consumer guarantees. Help can be found at Nintendo’s support page, the official repair centre in Scoresby, VIC, the retailer where they were purchased or at the ACCC website.
