Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons Are Disconnecting, And No One Seems To Know Why

We do know why. The right Joy-con is also affected though not as much because when playing games like Zelda you're primarily using the left control stick. I hope for Nintendo's sake that this can be fixed by a firmware patch because if it's a hardware issue that can't be resolved they're in big trouble. And again if it can be fixed, we won't be getting 20 hours of battery life out of the Joy-cons anymore.

Oh Dear, didn't they do any proper testing? You know playing zelda for 48 hours straight, like a normal person would.

Hopefully it at least pauses the game so you can then re-connect it and not just stand there doing nothing getting killed.

Oh no!

No biggie

As demonstrated by GameXplain, both joycon are affected. It seems to me to be a Bluetooth problem. When cell phones have an issue with Bluetooth it is usually fixable with a software update.

lets hope it's just a software issue that can be patched and not a flaw in the hardware

When will i learn, not to pre order these new console.... But to be fair, when i received my ps4 a lot of people were experiencing different kind of problems and I've never had any. Crossing fingers it'll be the same here

I really hope this is in the priority list for updates.

Not what you want to happen just before you launch your new console.

Surely this would have been caught before now?

If a fix can't be patched in, then this isn't going to be good news for Nintendo!

Uh oh

I heard the Day One patch fixes this so we should probably wait and see

what the?!?! an article on the nintendolife twitter that isn't 8 hours old?! wow! so anyways...

product recall before it's even released? after all this time, and nintendo's reputation, this seems like a very unlikely bug. hopefully fixed in software because that thig's shipping out already.

If it is hardware related then man that is gonna be a big problem.

OUCH!

http://www.techtimes.com/articles/199010/20170224/nintendo-switch-no-support-for-bluetooth-headsets.htm

This one hurts the most for me. I really wanted a wireless experience on the go. What a shame

It's not out yet.

Let's put the pitchforks down and walk backwards slowly..................
Until release day, then we can burn someone at the stake if it's not sorted.

Angry mobs will be angry.

Blunty did a video on this. It's all to do with the fact it's low powered Bluetooth and water [i.e your body] absorbs Bluetooth signals. Also, it stands to reason that if you obstruct the JoyCon it will stop working fully, just like a Bluetooth speaker connected to a phone.

It's strange how none of this stuff happened during every switch preview event. And that event had as much interference as an event can. With people playing 1, 2 Switch while in lines to OTHER GAMES.

I'd be willing to bet these are fairly isolated cases, or due to some recent firmware change, otherwise it would have been picked up before now. But of course, every gaming website needs fresh stories, and once that happens.... PANIIIICCCCC!!!

@SCAssassin I wonder if the settings were different on the units for the event. This may not be a hard fix.

We do know why; it's because humans are mostly water, and water is excellent at absorbing lots of waves and frequencies, especially weak Bluetooth ones like the Joycon use. Blunty on YouTube explains it well, like alasdair91 mentioned above. https://youtu.be/nJBAp33tnNE

Only solution seems to be Nintendo increasing the strength of the Joycon's Bluetooth signal... If that's something that can be done through a firmware update. :/

Doomed

Disconnecting 3 times in 20hrs of gameplay is hardly a biggy, even if it can't be fixed (which I doubt).

Nintendo.i have lots of bills to pay.if i buy your toy,make sure it Works please.

Next we will hear how the 3d will melt our brains! 😉

This seems to me more like a user error then anything. Beside, how many times did Wii Remotes disconnect in Skyward Sword or Nintendo Land. We will all live people and enjoy Zelda with a minor hiccup here and there.

This can't be solved by a update -.-
The problem is the Console, not the "System of the console"!

@gcunit I've had both my Xbox One and PS4 controllers combined disconnect less than that in over 3 years, compared to something that has happened in 20 hours within 2-3 days pre-release.

Think I should be fine, I don't tend to hold my controller behind my back when playing games.

@Spoony_Tech how could it be user error? Seemingly people are simply playing normally and it happens.

Never had any issues at all with my launch PS3 and ps4s hoping this is an easy enough fix. Would suck to be killed in Zelda during a boss battle because of this.

I've cancelled my pre order for the Switch today.

@Menchi187 So what? I still don't see it being a big deal. If it happened once every 5, 10, 15 minutes, then sure, it would be a bit annoying to pause, re-sync, un-pause, but if it happens once in 5 hours I couldn't really gad.

Different people are reporting different things, so we'll see how it all shakes out. But worse case scenario is that Nintendo sends a free replacement joy con out to everyone with a problem. Not ideal for them, but not going to make much difference to me.

We never had this problem on the master system

I've cancelled my preorder 5 times now.

I'm not worried about it. I'm sure that Nintendo is well aware of the issue now and will release a firmware update at launch. If it can't be fixed with a patch then I'll return it for a full refund and wait for more accurate hardware. I'll be mostly using the Pro Controller in docked mode anyways.

Read this- he says he spoke to contact in Treehouse, says Nintendo is aware, and working on it. Says confident it will be fixed before launch.

https://mobile.twitter.com/Stealth___

pic host

@WiltonRoots Great, can I have yours?

I thought Gamexplain's testing was pretty excellent actually. Don't be disrespecting Andre!!!

I give it a 60 % chance that this will already be fixed in the day one update

@samuelvictor lol and we got maze and hang on as built in free software

Another tick on the list.

@Moon I'd say that's exactly went you want it,gives time to fix before release.

PS4 controllers and psvr had the same problem at launch. I'm guessing it's software-side and nintendo covers it in the day1 patch.

They should've found a way to have the day1 patch installed in preview units, that way publications can be sure of their findings.

@Musashiden there are no preview units, it's just retail units sent to the press. and the day one patch obviously wasn't ready in time.

Looks like I'll buy a Pro Controller at launch, just in case. Ugh, another $70 down the drain.

Uh uh! Not the kinda publicity they need at launch. Better patch it quick!

This is sloppy on Nintendo's part. If this in an actual issue with final consumer units I will be very disappointed indeed.

I will give this some time before I buy a pro controller. If it is not fixed by launch and happens quite often, then I will buy it.

If not I will pick up a pro controller with Spla2oon (this still should be the name).

@C3dr4c when i first got ps4 i had handsake issues with hdmi.. but firmware update fixed that. This Joy-Con issue will probably be fixed soon

How does everyone have switches.

At this point you could tell me that the JoyCon is just a controller drawn onto a piece of cardboard, and it wouldn't hamper my compulsion to play new Zelda.

I'm sure this is an issue to be quickly fixed for the launch version. I suppose being lucky enough to play on the Switch early will have the odd drawback. ^_^

@danielman9 people (media) who received units early to report on..

Surely if it was a flaw in the general hardware, it would have been picked up by the hours of public demonstrations before the media releases?

Better Nintendo learn about it now so that it can be fixed at launch.

This is the kind of problems that make me wait a little bit with buying in.

So much of the entire Switch concept hinges on the communication between the individual parts working flawlessly.

Glad I didn't preorder this garbage system.

It's going to flop so hard..

@samuelvictor Yep, I have to sometimes move my Wii U console away from the wall so it's closer to the gamepad, despite living in a shoebox.

Nintendoomed! (Previous version mysteriously been removed. Guess trolls don't believe in free speech?)

It has been acknowledged that it will be fixed in the day one update.

Not a good move for people reviewing the console to experience these issues as it creates bad press. But new devices are plagued with media scrutiny. It's just what happens.

As such if they fix it, it'll be a non issue

Oh boy not good!

@Yasume you brighten up my day you little ray of sunshine...

@gcunit what are you even saying...it's a £70 product it shouldn't be disconnecting AT ALL.

Unless there are reports of desyncing when sitting closer than 10 feet to the console with nothing blocking it, this is a non-issue.

@Mogster You're right.

There's no way I want to be playing Breath of the Wild anywhere I go on March 3rd if those ******* joy-cons are going to disconnect even once on me. Not that they will because I'll be playing in handheld mode the whole time, but that's not the point, dagnabbit. It's time we took a stand against occasional disconnections. Everyone cancel your orders.

Pre-order cancelled.

While the units offered to the media early for play testing is a way to get a general review of the console out for the public, those same early units are used as a means of bringing any issues to light so that they can be fixed before launch. The media are nothing more than guinea pigs at this point, imo.

I doubt the rest of us will have to deal with these same issues at launch.

The naivety in these comments is unreal.

Block any electromagnetic signal with a body of water and you'll get connection issues. Obviously the hand may get in the way sometimes. News flash: your body is mostly water. There's no real way to fix it, but there could be an update to allow the signal drops to be processed in a way that isn't so obvious. Interpolation maybe.

This happens with other Bluetooth controllers too. The joycons just happen to be small and susceptible to this over a distance.

THE SKY IS FALLING!!!

Seems a minor thing to be complaining about, we all know the 'red ring' problem and how damming that was.

I think I'll keep my preorder.

I think this could be a big deal. I don't want my newly purchased game system not working the way it's supposed to; and I feel that the controller unsyncing is a big fail.

@ThatNyteDaez I don't think this is the case. Why would Nintendo want the media of all people, receiving systems that don't work or have problems? Do you honestly think that Nintendo wants the media reporting that their left joy-cons are disconnecting during gameplay? I doubt it! Now, if this actually get's fixed before the worldwide release of the Switch, then this will be good thing for future owners. But how many people have read these articles and canceled their preorders or are now not planning on buying the Switch?

@gcunit Do you hear yourself? Have you seen the Switch adverts? Do you know what the console is? The Switch is advertised as a console that you can play in a variety of different environments. Except you can't, because the console loses connection when you move a hand in front of it. Explain to me why that is acceptable, instead of just spewing sarcasm.

You're very rude for a mod. Also, swearing. Isn't that against site rules?

I guess I don't understand how BT works. I have a BT speaker that is waterproof and floats. We use it all summer around the pool. It's taken many dunkings and never has it disconnected from my phone which is sealed in a waterproof case and sitting on a table a good 20' away. If water in our bodies is the culprit, shouldn't my speaker have disconnected? It also works while in different rooms in my house while my phone is in another room.

So my question is this: Is the BT signal being put off by these controllers so weak that simple gameplay is causing them to disconnect?

I'm pre-ordering a Switch right now just to cancel my pre-order /s

@Mogster Swearing? I've just checked the Alerts and, funnily enough, nothing in my post appears to have triggered any profanity alerts.

Explain to me how often you're going to be holding your other hand in front of a single joy con. Or holding the joy con behind your back. The only game I can see this impacting at the moment is 1-2-Switch, which is no real loss to anyone anyway.

It's only happening when the inside of the joy con is covered, perhaps thats where the bluetooth tech is on the controller? I'd guess having the joy-con strap connected would eradicate this happening??

Dodgy Joycon, no VC at launch, lacklustre launch line up, no trophy support, online plan seems awful and Killer App also available on Wii U

Please Nintendo. Communicate!

I do believe I am going to cancel pre-order. This along with no bluetooth headsets and lack of polish. It is no surprise that I have not owned home console by Nintendo since the N64. Some of the best games on the market, but that is only part of the equation. I will take my $400+ and buy Horizon, Nier, and Mass Effect.

I just tested with a dualshock 4 on my ps4. From about 25 feet away, thru a wall in another room, with the controller behind my back and my 2 kids standing in front of me and there was absolutely no lag. At about 27, 28 feet it started to get choppy and a 30 nothing. Now I know that's an extreme example and not realistic in any way. But if other Bluetooth controllers can stay connected perfectly with all of that in between its reasonable to expect the Joycons to stay connected thru your hand from 10 ft away imo.

Not a deal breaker honestly but really shouldn't be an issue in the first place to me.

Preorder can- wait... I wasn't able to get one in the first place. Still gonna try to get a Switch day one.

This is the joys of new hardware, it'll be fixed before you know it its not a problem for now just don't cover it.

Actually its good its be spotted now before the official release, i bet when it is released this problem could be fixed because Nintendo will know about it now.

Too much high drama here.

It will get sorted.

I sure hope it's something that can quickly get patched. This'll be really bad if it can be fixed easily.

Blimey four or five posters on here have cancelled their pre-order, if the Switch isn't quite ready yet why is it coming so soon? I'm also pointing at the fact there will be no VC at launch..... tut tut.

Don't worry, this is just a ploy to get people to buy more pro controllers and maybe joycon replacements. Once they see that dirty tactics won't work, they'll "fix" it.

@BensonUii
€330 is not the rrp. Retailers have converted the UK price into euro's. I firmly believe €300 is what Nintendo intended the European price to be, but because of a ruling in the 90s against Nintendo they can't set the rrp in Europe.

GameStop have a sign up in my town saying €329 rrp. Totally false and misleading.

Xbox 360 and Xbone controllers were having similar issues at launch, from what I understand, and they were able to fix those with targeted patches.

Hopefully the day one patch will fix this up.

This is definitely a problem for me, and I'm not sure how well a patch can fix this, but hey,
It's way better than the wiimote's aiming.

This isn't even the worst of it; along with all these unboxing/hardware reviews people are saying that accessing the right analog stick while in portable mode is extremely unnatural and uncomfortable. In the Polygon unboxing you can see it discussed at the 4:42 mark: http://www.polygon.com/2017/2/23/14709486/nintendo-switch-unboxing-impressions

My Wii U Gamepad stays in sync. Another reason it's better to play BotW on that system vs Switch lol

Uh oh...
Mr. Tatsumi Kimishima has to know about this.
Fix it ASAP, Nintendo !

Things that happen when you rush a launch (in info vacuum) to hit an unreasonable deadline in a laughable fiscal quarter for game sales. This is idiocy.

@gcunit '*******' is swearing. Just because you've blanked it out doesn't mean it's not swearing.

Also, you know, playing games like Just Dance or 1-2 Switch where you're moving around. In Just Dance you sometimes have to swing your hand behind your back. No good if the control randomly cuts out. Or if you're at a party (as shown in adverts) and someone might walk in front of you. My PS4 control doesn't cut out when someone walks in front of me so why should this.

Stop making excuses. Nintendo isn't your buddy and you should hold them to higher standards.

It's a concerning issue but it's a relief that it seems to happen to ALL units so far. If it were just some it would be a widespread manufacturing defect. If it's all it's either a hardware design issue (which would be a crisis as they'd have to exchange 2.5 million left Joycons or so and it would have to slow production), OR a software defect that can be fixed.

The only possibilities here are really: If it's a design issue, the BT radio antenna is positioned in a location where it's getting interference from something or the shielding is absorbing the signal either on the Joycon or on the console. If it's not a design issue, it just means the BT transmitter isn't outputting at enough power for the antenna. The output power is VERY doubtfully operating at max to get 20H battery life out of those things, so it can always tap into battery life to output more IF the FCC/CE approves the increased radiation close to the body (that might take time to push through channels though.) OR the BT antenna has multiple power states for power saving based on signal strength, and it's not kicking into high power fast enough (all software) (a very likely option. Laptops and phones do this.) OR it might not be BT signal related at all and the Joycon could just be going into standby/sleep arbitrarily, which is also software.

@gatorboi352 The majority of reviewers (including NL and individuals on the forums here who have handled one personally) covering it have stated how comfortable the joycons are and that they didn't have any problems with comfort or "the claw" despite many worrying about it on forums. Polygon is in the minority here (as usual), though I'm sure it won't be exclusive to them. Some will find it uncomfortable, but that doesn't seem to be the common reaction.

@Mogster Don't you think the people that made the Switch edition of Just Dance tested the control scheme?

What about 1-2-Switch. Do you think they really made all those adverts of people playing the games, but the whole things a con because the controls won't work?

Whatever this issue is, I am very confident it will turn out to be isolated and/or rectifiable, and has probably only cropped up in a certain batch of units, or in a recent test firmware etc. But don't let me stop anyone else getting upset about this if they want to.

And if you feel ******* should be added to the site's profanity list, please make the suggestion to the site staff using the contact form. Thanks.

Never preordered a console before. Now I know what it feels like to be an early adopter.

@NEStalgia as more people get ahold of Switch, and more importantly, play long sessions with it in portable mode, you will see more reports coming out about it. It's just an extremely unnatural position to have your thumb in for an extended period of time.

Then again, games that only utilize the left analog won't suffer from this.

My biggest question is does the manual give a optimal distance for the joycons?

See. This is why I don't buy the consoles at launch so these problems can be later ironed out.

@gatorboi352 It certainly looks that way by appearances, and I'm certain more people will find that to be true, but so far it's encouraging that many of the people who really have spent a lot of time with it have said they didn't have issues with it despite appearances.

As with anything ergonomic, it will come down to personal individual comfort. More people will have a problem with it than, say, an XBone controller, but I don't think it will be a majority of players, either. I'll be the first to complain about it if it turns out to cause discomfort. But looks can be deceiving. The Gamepad looked super comfortable, and feels great when you first pick it up, while the DS4 causes me discomfort at first, yet after hours, I find the Gamepad fairly uncomfortable for reasons I can't explain, while the DS4 remains the same or improves.

Personally I still think XBone has the best controllers in terms of ergonomics. Unfortunately they're built like trash and the analogs turn to dust just by looking at them.

Switch is twitching on a life support machine. It must be noted that said life support machine works better than SwitchTwich. £280 is a disgrace for a toy that doesn't work correctly

Is the issue reported in all modes including handheld, or only in tabletop mode as seen in the video? The title made it sound like the joycons literally disconnect (as in, the system no longer sees a controller linked to a user), but the video makes it look like the common bane of wireless controllers. As such, it shouldn't be a big impairment for me anytime soon, but it's something to address with patches if it persists.

Can't have a launch without hiccups these days, I guess. I remember reports about early PS4 adopters seeing their consoles outright die on them, "red ring of death" style. X^p

Can't believe some people are actually cancelling their preorders over this lol. Just sit 10 feet or less from your TV, make sure nothing's in the way, and chances are you'll be fine. Besides, it sounds like Nintendo is addressing it.

@KirbyTheVampire too much logic for here.

I won't say I'm canceling my preorder. I'm not. I'm excited for this system. But this news is disconcerting. Not the syncing issue. I pause it and re sync. But the fact there is an issue at all worries me.

I'm hoping this gets sorted day 1. The publicity is bad and it's already out. I hope it doesn't affect sales too badly.

@singingbrakeman It shouldn't be there, true, but if I have to scoot a little closer to the TV to play games like Breath of the Wild and Mario Odyssey, I'm more than happy to do that. Certain pieces of tech have their limitations, and if this turns out to be the Switch's limitation, so be it. If people don't buy it over this, chances are they didn't care about the games very much in the first place. In any case, people should wait and see what Nintendo does to fix the issue.

Well, to explain abit: In houses with a lot of wireless traffic nearby it is fairly normal for information to be lost, this usually means occasional lags that are so small that you can not notice it. If you hold it in your hand in a bad way connection will be even worse.
If a set amount of time no data packages arrive, the system declares the connection is lost.
Tweeking with some settings can solve that pretty easily.

If Nintendo underestimated a bit how bad the connection in some homes could be than this is a very likely scenario.

These are also other possible reasons of course, but nearly all of them can be solved with an software update.
Only if something is actually broken in some Switches, that wohl be a problem and the fault of the manufacturer.

Long story short: I'm not worried

Where is this site's due dilligence?

It's pretty clear why: the bluetooth in the joycons are remaining in a low power mode when removed from the console.

What we don't know is why it's happening in the press' systems when there were no reports of this happening during the Switch many public and private demos this year.

Either it's a glitch from a newer OS, which is possibly an easy fix, or it's a manufacturing problem which would be very, berry bad.

This site is like asking someone what news they read today on the internet, are they're trying to give you the jist. C'mon.

@Jamotello Dude I've been reading about this for a couple days. This is is not a hot scoop, and people figured out the most likely problem pretty quick, it's just a question of hardware vs software and thus how Nintendo can fix it.

@singingbrakeman Yeah, that's true. I don't really blame people for cancelling preorders. Waiting to hear feedback from the public is perfectly reasonable. People who flat out aren't buying it over this are being pretty ridiculous, though. After all, a lot of reviewers who were playing the system in normal environments like apartments had no issues. The guy from Switchforce didn't have it happen to him at all, and Andre from Gamexplain had to purposely recreate the issue by putting the JoyCon behind his back. It sounds like the majority of people having issues with this are in big office spaces, like IGN.

@BinaryFragger I completely agree. This reminds me of the reaction from Apple fans when the iPhone would lose reception if it was held a certain way: "Just don't hold it like that."

Brand loyalty is well and good until it crosses over into making excuses for defects and insulting the people who paid money for what they thought was a finished product.

@gcunit never comment on here but I had to log on to let you know that your handling of this issue is awful, especially as a mod. Being so dismissive, entitled and plain rude when there is zero need. Protect Nintendo blindly all you like but this IS a problem.

The joy con occasionally disconnecting isn't life-ending and I won't be cancelling my pre-order but if people are spending £300+, they have every right for their console to WORK AS ADVERTISED. Saying it doesn't matter is ridiculous - a broken product shouldn't be released, no matter how 'minor' the issue.

Sure, this might just be a faulty batch and a non-issue by launch but talking down to people for being worried about something worth worrying about is childish and, let's use the word again as it's apt, entitled.

Furthermore, I can see it affecting 1-2-Switch quite badly - your argument is that they would have tested that but surely they would have tested the hardware working properly full stop. I think just by pointing out your other argument that it doesn't matter because nobody wants that game is counter enough to that. Opinion doesn't equal fact.

Feel free to reply but if you're just going to make some snide, sarcastic comment, don't bother. It immediately undermines your points and wastes everyone's time reading it.

As long as Nintendo is aware and working on the fix that is all we can ask. At least it isn't widespread. I'm usually lucky with hardware so fingers crossed.

@singingbrakeman My 360 had no issues either, but it was impossible to ignore all the (admittedly justified) whining about hardware issues at the time. The DS4 also had sync issues at launch. It's not uncommon for console launches. It's always addressed in a fairly speedy manner. Yet people continue to act like it's the end of the world.

@gatorboi352 That's actually my main concern, i noticed that since the first time they showed the console and i've been asking this but no answer it's like no one cares about this! I really want to know how comfortable/uncomfortable reaching that right analog is.. To me it still seems like you need to do a 90º angle on your right thumb to reach the analog it just seems kinda uncomfortable for me specially because i've hurt my wrists playing football and there are certain movements i can't do with my hands/fingers :/

Oh the drama! It'll be fixed and everything will be fine. Too many nervous nellies here.

@mechamen8 thumbs just aren't meant to be in that position. This will become more and more of an issue for folks as they game long sessions.

The saddest thing is, the reason behind the analog placement of the R joy con was solely for when holding the joy cons horizontally, the R analog could be more in line with the analog on the L. You know, the position that people will be using the Joy Cons in the least?

...my Switch is soooo stable...oh, wait, I jumped the gun...

The most baffling thing to me is the price of the Pro Controller. $70 for something that doesn't even have a headphone jack in it.

No one has gotten a hold of this product as a consumer, it can be fixed, yet so many of you act or seem to delight in glee at this. You seem convinced it's the end of the world.

If you don't like Nintendo or want them to fail, just say so. But assuming total failure before you've even used it is dumb and childish.

Grow up people.

Lol, the first problems with the Switch. Have fun with your Switch version of Zelda, guys!

My XBoxOne bluetooth controller disconnected during gameplay last night for no apparent reason. Took me a few minutes to get it to reconnect. My bluetooth keyboard and mouse disconnect from my Mac every month or so, for no good reason. Just the way bluetooth is; it usually works great, but occasionally can disconnect.

@FatAlbert1 Huh. As someone who was assuring people that listing Bluetooth support would invariably lead to headphone support, that's truly baffling. You really can always count on Nintendo to go out of their way to make poor choices, I guess.

Seriously, though, if BT headsets can't be used, what other BT devices would the Switch even use? Listing support for an open protocol, but not allowing any devices on that protocol to be used, is misleading to the point of false advertising. I know the dedicated controllers use it, but that doesn't count - you never would've considered saying the SNES supports serial devices just because their controllers used that protocol (if it did).

You realize Bluetooth cannot transmit through your bodies, so really any Bluetooth device can be prone to interference if you cover it entirely with your body, even your phone transmitting to headphones would have problems if you sat on it, or if someone else did and you then walked further away...

Though I still hope they'll support using Bluetooth headphones with the Switch ::fingers crossed::

Wow, this really sucks.

I hope this won't be a big problem and that it can be solved quickly through updates.

Is Ninty aware of this and are they looking into it?

@redd214 The PS4 controller has 10x less battery life because it uses much more powerful software/Bluetooth to maintain such a connection.

@alasdair91 I usual get 4 to 5 hours personally but yes that is something I thought about. Doesn't excuse the supposedly poor connection of the joycon however imo. if the reduced to joycon battery to 15 hours to provide more power that would still be fantastic.

@gatorboi352 Yeah i know that's also something i realized when one of the rumors came out (before the console was revealed one of the rumors was the detachable controllers) i tried to make sense of it then and i got to the conclusion that one of the analogs would be in a "weird" position so when they revealed the console that's the first thing i noticed.. I'm shocked how so many people are dismissing this because of their blind optimism, don't get me wrong i want this console to succeed and i love the concept but that right analog could ruin the experience for me a little bit (at least in portable mode or until i buy the pro controller.... eventually..)

This seems to be a signal strength issue, perhaps Nintendo just needs to increase the source signal from the Joy-Con. But with a 20hr battery I don't see increasing the signal strength or simply changing the Bluetooth freqeuncy causing much if any issue for the current battery life. I have confidence that Nintendo and Nvidia will have this issue fixed pretty quickly, if not entirely by launch. In fact I have an extra set of joy-con's preordered and this news doesn't really concern me to return the extra joy-cons.

New hardware always has some bugs to work out. The recent PS4 Pro has had a lot of issue with HDCP handshaking and not displaying a signal until recent updates have largely completely fixed the issue. Both Nintendo and Nvidia have a lot riding on the success of the Switch. It's quite possible that this issue was already addressed and fixed in the day one system update. You have to remember that these review units are running un-updated software from when they were manufactured months ago.

@alasdair91 @redd214

So THATS why they need constant recharging. It's ridiculous and annoying. The PS4 has its strong points, but overall, I'm disappointed by it. I much, MUCH prefer the Xbone for a variety of reasons, despite the slightly better graphics on the PS4. At least they will allow you to plug in an external drive soon. Now if they could work on the super slow WIFI the PS4 has...and a PSN name change...

When you ship hardware before it's done, these kind of things happen. But Nintendo will just announce another vague, no detail DLC Pack for like MK tomorrow to get people to forgot about the face the left joy con isn't going to work all the time.

"New console hardware is often subject to teething troubles..." way to justify bad business practices Damien. They are pushing out $300+ hot garbage and you're trying to downplay it.

By the fall, when they get the online fully operational, Switch will finally/hopefully be a finished-looking product. No where near it right now w/o VC, full online, working controllers, and overpriced hardware.

@Agent721 if you have more than one not really a huge deal. I put mine on the charger after finishing playing and usually don't play for more than 3 hours at a time so it's not really an issue. Glad you like the Xbox

Not everything is as stable as the 3DS you know

Yeah, see... This... Is why you always want to leave a good old wired connection available. Just in case anything goes wrong, you have something to fall back on. I guess this also shows why the Wii Remote's use of Bluetooth was smart design, while the JoyCon's small size and use of Bluetooth is... Not quite as well thought out. Molecular Biology and Physics for the win, by explaining the problem!

@XCWarrior I would be fine with another DLC pack for MK8 Deluxe, just saying. I'm easy to win over that way.

@gcunit "But worse case scenario is that Nintendo sends a free replacement joy con out to everyone with a problem. Not ideal for them, but not going to make much difference to me."

I work for an outfit that is Microsoft Certified to refurbish computers... I can't even imagine how much extra work it would add to take such a lax response every time a usability problem was missed. I would probably be fired if I took that stance, in my position. We would be buried if we didn't do QA on everything, to make sure it's done right. We're not perfect, and we've had to do replacements in the past for strange issues that come up. But never potentially on the scale that could be seen here.

This is an unacceptable problem to allow at launch, and they don't have much time to fix it. Most people aren't going to be as forgiving as Nintendo fans are of this.

@DiscoGentleman If you look at post number 40, the issue has been (reportedly) reported to Nintendo and they are aware of the issue with a fix likely before launch.

https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2017/02/nintendo_switch_joy-cons_are_disconnecting_and_no_one_seems_to_know_why#comment3842442

@JaxonH Let's hope so... They don't have much time, though, that's potentially a combined hardware/software issue.

@Ryu_Niiyama Might need to add "preorder cancelled" to the bingo card...

@WiltonRoots LMAO!

This doesn't look good but I will not panic until Nintendo give us an official update.

@dirtywalrus @BinaryFragger Lol, the comments on NL are so funny sometimes. If I told the clients at the place I work that they're "entitled" or somehow they caused the problem, every time an issue popped up, I'd be fired. I can't believe that the people who say those things on here would actually do so to other people's faces.

Pretty fun that the article says it's only the left one, but also links to a video saying it's both.

@MajorasLapdog Thanks for taking the effort to log in, participate, and feedback - we always appreciate lively discussion.

What is it you're referring to by my 'handling of this issue' being awful? I wasn't aware that I was meant meant to be 'handling' anything about this issue. I'm not Nintendo - this joy con issue is not my issue to handle.

Can you explain how it is that I'm being 'entitled'? Can you provide a definition that you're basing the use of that word on that applies here?

Have I asserted somewhere that my opinion is fact? People don't have to prefix/suffix everything they write with "In my opinion" or "I think" for it to be obvious that they're stating their opinion. This is a comments section... where people come to share their opinions on the articles... that's generally the way things work.

This story seems to have struck bone with some people. I make one post with some mild sarcasm and... scenes.

I get that some people may be frustrated because this is perceived as a negative story, but people could do with just chilling out a bit. If your unit doesn't work you take it back and get a refund. If you can't accept technological glitches then don't pre-order new technology, 'cos glitches are kinda common.

Oh crap. Please fix Nintendo. I'm still getting my switch. No cancel for me!

This has me worried now. I'm wonder how my own play set up at home will affect the reliability of the Joy-Con connection. I'm not far from the TV but the console isn't directly under the TV either. I hope it doesn't occur when playing with the Joy-Con in the grip, or else I'll have to track down a Pro Controller. This is a huge issue if not easily fixed however. The whole trick with the Switch is being able to take the controllers from the grip, attach them to the console and then play 2 player on the go with no extra controllers. If you have to watch how you hold the controllers, how will that play out for games like Mario Kart when played with 2 people in table top mode? It would be a disaster if you couldn't place your fingers over the L and R buttons for that game and many others, for fear of joystick issues. That's one of Switch's biggest selling points gone out the window.

But more to the point, why did they not notice this before reviewers got their hands on it? Why didn't anyone notice it at preview events? I don't know what's different now that it never occurred before. And also, what connection did the Wii and Wii U controllers use? What does the 3DS and DS use for wireless connection? Or any modern games console? Do they all use Bluetooth? There must have been a more reliable alternative that isn't blocked by human flesh. I really hope they can up the signal strength with a patch and it fixes the issue. 20 hour battery life for the controllers is generous, so I'd settle for 10 hours if they boosted the signal strength.

So.. if someone walks by the tv when i play, im risking getting a DC'ed controller? How can people say this is "no biggie" wth, im loving Nintendo just as much as you do, but how can you accept such a flaw. "DC'ing 3 times in 20 hours is nothing" What? ofc it is! So you don't mind paying 350 bucks for a broken console? No wonder they get away with every new generation.

Im normally alwayw the glass half empty guy on here but for once im going to remain positive. Remember that there is a day one update for the switch that none of the press has access to yet. Im quite sure that though there may still be one or two isolated incidents (which will no doubt get blown completely out of proportion by the press) the day one update will probably have something in it that fixes the issue.

@gcunit I'm pretty sure there's an (unwritten?) rule against blanking (starring) out curse words... It's been levied towards users before, in any case.

@gcunit ooh, you almost entirely avoided the sarcasm there... had to start your comment with a scathing little remark but a good effort overall.

Sorry if I seem a little patronising, just reflecting your tone, seems the only way to participate in 'lively discussion' is by making yourself feel much bigger than the person you're talking down to.

By 'handling this issue', I obviously didn't mean physically sorting out Nintendo's potentially fatal error, but instead I was referring to your behaviour and attitude towards the situation.

You are acting entitled - speaking as if you know something everyone else doesn't, as if you're the voice of reason when everyone else is being crazy. You see, I don't need you to preface everything with 'in my opinion', but instead the way you put your points across could use some work: 'The only game I can see this impacting at the moment is 1-2-Switch, which is no real loss to anyone anyway'. A quick translation of that quote: 'This won't be an issue because it's a game that I don't care about and therefore nobody cares about'.

As for the 'just return your console if it's faulty' I'll just skim over that because I'm sure you can see for yourself why it's a moot point. I'm buying expensive hardware that I'm incredibly excited for, that I've been waiting literally years for. But hey, if it's broken I'll just take it back and move on.

To be quite honest, I'm tired of seeing doom and gloom posts and comments and this issue does actually seem rather unimportant to me. I'll definitely get loads of enjoyment from the console regardless, what did annoy me and make me want to comment were your smugly contrarian and purposefully provoking comments.

Surely the fact that multiple people have noted your terrible attitude should speak volumes for itself.

@PlywoodStick No, there's not. We‘re asked not to allow partially censored words. But a row of asterisks could represent anything, or nothing.

I think that the theory about a glitch might be correct.

The idea is that the Joy-Con are still communicating with the Switch console via bluetooth even while connected. When they are that close to the console they don't need a very strong signal.

Usually when they are detached it should boost the signal, but the glitch prevents the bluetooth from switching modes, so the signal stays too weak.

@gcunit Cool, I'll keep that in mind, so I won't ***** the pooch.

@PlywoodStick That's the ticket

Just be careful though, the rise of the Asterisk Police may soon be upon us...

@JaxonH
And now this? Ugh.
✝️

I'll probably be branded a Nintendo-hating cynic for this, but isn't this kind of issue the sort of thing that should be caught during internal testing?

Just like that "A day 1 patch will fix it"-riff, what happened to shipping stuff that works out of the box?

well im still getting mine day one at least theres more controller options, but if its a signal problem that shouldnt be the hardest of thing to fix i hope

@ThatNyteDaez i hope your right

Well all is Day 1-ers can bravely test these garbage joy cons and report back our outrage for those who daren't face the atrocity of a disconnection or two. I will make that sacrifice.

@Spiders i do hope so. i doubt anybody at N wants to recall hardware if a software solution will suffice. i was also referring to the new nlife retweet practices that make the latest tweets look fresh but turn out to have been posted half a day earlier. yikes.

@MysticX Despite what some people on this site may claim and cajole about, being a realist is not the same as being a cynic. Not by a long shot.

GameXplain (though I'm not exactly 100% sure in their trustworthiness) actually posted and explanation video on this. It seems it's a problem with the connection from the joycon to the console staying active. People are seeing delays in control almost right before disconnection.

From an information technology standpoint (my college major), as long as you have a compatible transmitter and receiver, you should be fine, but it's the signal itself that's fluctuating. I highly doubt they used incompatible hardware. It's more likely to be triggered by some form of interference with the signal itself. This kind of problem is almost always software related, as whats controlling the transmitting/receiving handshake will develop an issue (causing the delay) until the connection eventually times out.

I'm fairly certain it's software related, just hoping Nintendo can get their S* together before launch as if this isn't patched in that day one update, I can see a storm brewing in their future.

SpawnWave on Youtube just did a great video on possible cause and fix.

https://youtu.be/VmSUizRMjdY

@DiscoGentleman thank you very much, my man. Greatly appreciate a response from somebody talking to me like a fellow person & taking the time to tell me they appreciate my points!

Here's to March 3rd, eh, and whatever joy and issues it may bring!

The plural of Joy-Con is Joy-Con.

@arrmixer yeah, you can't play at all without a pro controller and therefore can't use the console in portable mode, but it's "no biggie" as you say.

@Simbabbad
Got to stay positive my friend 🙂👍🏼

Don't get me wrong, I like Nintendo, but when things like this happen, I understand why so many people call it a confused, dysfunctional company that just makes garbage products and steals people's money. Those people should remember the magic of Donkey Kong Barrel Blast.

I just hope that Reggie keeps hiding in his hole until this blows over. Anything he says about it will just make things worse.

@arrmixer there being positive, and then there's being delusional. One week from release, this is a major issue that Nintendo needs to address quickly. If it's a hardware issue, it's a complete disaster.

So far, the Switch seems like a pile of garbage. It has terrible battery life, lowers the graphics of any game on the go, and you can't even use the controllers it comes with.

Wii U TLOZBOTW-sales ^

@gatorboi352

You know for me one of the biggest reason that 'home' console games faiked on psp/psv is because of poor controlls. The psp analogue for me was nearly unuseable because of cramping. Then Vita was just all wrong as well with poor sticks and iffy buttons.

So I hear your concerns and I guess its a wait and see. One thing that gives me hope if it is an issue is Nintendo has already hinted they may support different 'click' on options for Switch so maybe we get a R with a true d-pad and a L with a better stick placement.

As for the sync issue not too worried. If it was a design issue it would have been caught way prior to now. Its either a recent firmware change that can easily be patched or its a batch isssue which may cause some headaches but will also be sorted out soon enough.

System launches are not for the faint of heart. If you can't handle a little turmoil then hold out a few months and this type stuff will be worked out.

Mine seems to disconnect when held a certain way, it's more of a physical main unit rail problem than a software one, since I can play no problem when you detach the controllers from the main unit.