The ongoing class-action lawsuit concerning alleged Joy-Con drift issues will go to arbitration, it has been confirmed.
According to Law360 (thanks, VGC), US District Judge Thomas S. Zilly has allowed the case to enter arbitration, finding that Nintendo and console buyers had a "valid" agreement. Despite this, the same judge also rejected Nintendo's request to dismiss the case altogether.
The case was first filed back in July 2019; the lawsuit alleges that "the joysticks on Joy-Con controllers are defective, leading users to experience drift issues". A few months later, following its launch, the Nintendo Switch Lite was also added to the lawsuit as user reports of drift with the new console also started to emerge.
In November, Nintendo commented on the Joy-Con drift issue in a statement to The Verge, saying that if players aren't having "a great experience" with its products, they should "contact our customer support groups and we’ll do our best to help them through that."
[source law360.com, via videogameschronicle.com]
Comments 125
My Switch V2 joy-con recently experienced the drift issue. This is still a major design flaw that Nintendo just can't shrug off.
Good. It’s a massive issue affecting loads of people and they directly profit from it, selling way more Joy-Cons than they would if they actually worked.
It's been 3 years and Nintendo has not even tried to solve the problem.
I love ya Nintendo, but frickin’ own up already!! Not just in the U.S. where you’re under trial—OWN IT GLOBALLY.
There should be indefinite warranties on this very flawed device!
I love Nintendo but this design needs replacing, if the Switch Lite has the same flaw then that is just unforgivable as millions of units are going to be unplayable in just a few years time. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt at launch as it may not have shown in testing but by now it's a clear issue.
When I can easily buy near 25 year old Saturn pads with analogue sticks in perfect condition yet my 2-3 year old Switch controllers don't work then there is a serious problem
I’m with everyone on here. I luv ya, but you brought this on yourself by not admitting and fixing the issue.
Had my left joy-con replaced by Nintendo. It was drifting badly. The new one arrived yesterday.
My joycons just recently began to drift. Should I go ahead and call up customer support to have them replaced, or just rely on my Pro Controller and see how the arbitration shakes out?
I JUST WANT WORKING CONTROLLERS!
I have 6 sets of Joy-cons and the left joy-con drifts in certain circumstances (like using it while playing on my couch - what was I thinking?)
The newer ones work a bit better, which is why I've continued to buy more.
I've NEVER had issues w/Nintendo made hardware before. The Joy-Con is a real issue, and Nintendo should be contacting me and sending me working controllers, not making me call in to convince somebody that I can have the privilege of sending them to Nintendo.
REAL issue - thankfully not an issue w/the Pro Controller, which I bought a few weeks after getting my Switch and watching Link walk off on his own far too often.
I still don't have any drift on my day one Joy-Con. Or on my Switch Lite.
I've gone through sooooo many pairs of Joy-Con at this point (I'll try to salvage some at some point). I can understand overlooking a flaw like this when the system first comes out but I don't understand why they're still making them the same way now. I still love my Switch but my bank account sure doesn't.
Good. My joycon drift got so bad that I can't play handheld anymore. It's all Pro Controller now. Nintendo might be used to being treated like a family member, but high time to remember that we're their consumers, not their friends.
Do they still repair them for free even after the warranty expires? There was a news piece a while ago saying that, but I'm not sure if it's still valid.
I'm experiencing it again, after one repair in 2018, but curiously enough only when I browse the Switch menus, not inside games. It happens every day and I frequently have to recalibrate the sticks, but this is a temporary solution and happens again soon enough.
They didn’t hesitate to fix mine. Got em back in like a week or less too.
This by itself wouldn't be so bad, but then the rubbery sticks are causing flaking and issues for the Pro Controllers too (and that's before we talk about the D-Pad).
Which is a shame, because the Pro Controller feels great and I'm going to wind up crediting the Joy-Cons/RFA for my healthy BMI when all is said and done.
I have 4 sets of controllers, of different colors, so when I have parties, everybody can play, and/or have their own set, depending on the game. I even has a couple of Pro Controllers too. I have the launch system, with an spare set of controllers I also bought on launch. So far, with tons of regular use, I only had 1 slight drift on one controller, but nothing major. It didn't even drift a lot, or for a long time. It might do it for a moment or two, and then be fine. And then start again a long while later. Didn't hinder playing tho. I sprayed a can of compressed around the joystick area, and it's worked perfectly since. Haven't had another issue with any of the other controllers, and all has been well. So, I don't have a problem with the Joy Cons, in my experience. Just that slight drift, for a small period of time, until I shot air at the controller, and it's been perfect since. So, launch controllers are good, and its been almost 3 full years with them, with tons of regular use. I've never had a single problem with the Pro Controllers tho. However, I like the Wii U Pro Controllers better. I like the layout of that one much much better.
Mine got fixed for free a long time ago. Thanks Nintendo for fixing the issue.
I have the smashbros Switch console and joycons. The strange thing is it only drifts sometimes when playing mario kart.
@Moroboshi876 they do still do it for free, I had mine done a month or two ago. One set has already had to be sent in 3 times though, they just do a temporary fix and it’s super inconvenient. At this point, they need a permanent fix and/or some sort of compensation - having products that need to be mailed in for repair every year (or less) is not very good.
@Desrever doesn’t hurt to send ‘em in - you don’t need to call, it takes longer than just filling out the form online (they have a page JUST for joycon repairs). Who knows how long until this case is over and what solution will be ordered, though. For now, may as well take advantage of the free service.
My drift issue has actually stopped now. Anyone else's?
They absolutely 100% deserved to be held accountable by this lawsuit and the problem is still persistent. If NoA wants it dropped, maybe they should focus on manufacturing non-defective joycons.
@ARPK @RobotReptile the case going into arbitration means they will specifically never own up to it, that’s what it lets you do.
Hopefully something more will come of this than just the free repair in North America...
@Moroboshi876 It's still free. My partner set up a repair for his just the other day.
"contact our customer support groups and we’ll do our best to help them through that."
They replaced both of mine out of warranty (USA). FREE 2 day FedEX both ways.
Nintendo made a design mistake - but they are trying to fix it. They should get a bit of credit
I've been lucky with my launch switch. Had the disconnecting issue but they happily repaired that. My mother in law's however had drift. It was out of warranty so fixed it myself. Possibly one of the easiest repairs I've done. Still believe Nintendo should have been doing this for free from the beginning. I've never had issues with Nintendo customer services and once could have kissed the chap who sent me a GBA micro faceplate from his actual desk when I couldn't source any.
I hope they find themselves in real trouble with this, this is a big design flaw and Nintendo clearly aren't interested in solving it. I know this is not quite the same but imagine buying a car and it had dodgy brakes what could just stop working randomly on you, imagine if every car in that series of cars all had that problem and the makers knew but had no interest in fixing it, you really think they could get away with that? Sure a Joy-Cons drifting isn't putting lives at risk but its a big design flaw, Nintendo know this and they have no interest in fixing it.
@Desrever Contact them and register the complaint so if they refuse, and are give a timescale they have before they dont have to repair them e.g. 3yes, then at least you can say you reported it in that time scale.
I'm glad the judge didn't let them off the hook. I got in on the lawsuit just before they closed it. I've had enough problems with these things but it doesnt bother me as much as it use to. You get over things lol. I do wish they didn't add the Lite to the lawsuit thought, that only helps Nintendo's case as they have a higher success rate as of now.
Mine Left drift badly, tried the reset I saw on YT only works for a few mins. Right seems fine.
At this time, they shouldn't even charge (close to ) $70-$80 for the set. ( some if lucky can fine it around $60? Still to me with this common drifting, is expensive )
Or they should send those who write in provide their Switch serial number. And they send a new set to replace the faulty one. Time wasted with postage and time fixing it ( not even permanent fix ), probably cost more, I would think.
Again, I never ever recall any drift on any of the analog sticks I used up until around this generation of console hardware (and I've previously owned a Saturn, PS1, N64, GC, Xbox and Wii, which are all systems that had controllers that used analog sticks in the past), so I personally say Nintendo deserves to be sued for apparently creating/introducing a new issue to its controller analog sticks that didn't need to exist and didn't actually exist in the past in my experience and awareness.
To be fair, I recall also hearing of this happening on non-Nintendo consoles in some other recent cases too, so God knows what these companies have done to their analog sticks in recent times and how they apparently managed to **** up something that seemed to work perfectly well in the past for generations. It really is mind-boggling to me and actually rather frustrating and annoying.
I really thought the situation had improved by a lot. I. remember when there were was this constant flood of Reddit-posts and forum threads. In the last few months it felt like the situation got better with the release of V2.
Same with the Lite. There was so much hysteria because of faulty launch-units, yet the expected flood of complaints about drifting Lites did not happen.
So Im really shocked to read so many still have the problem, even with V2. Mabye people contact Nintendo sooner bc of the free repair offer.
Fingers crossed this applies to Nintendo UK as they were an absolute shambles to deal with and in the end dismissed helping at all. Will happily send my affected joy-cons back to them for replacement
So with our original (first purchased at switch release) joy cons the blue has severe Joy con drift. The red still works so I had to go pay 90 bucks for two more joy cons. I also purchased the wired controller there like 20 bucks just in case but I would be nice if Nintendo would reimburse me for the $90 joycons I bought and perhaps fix the one that has the drift. has anyone heard about the docks messing up the original dock that we bought after about a year and three months just stopped working we recently had to purchase a refurbished one from GameStop. I'm seriously thinking of stocking up on eBay auctions just in case this is ridiculous $400 the products should work. They need warranties upon warranties reaching out they say oh your warranty is up on your joy con after what 6 months 9 months that's when it starts having the problems. Can anybody help me with someone maybe to reach out to at nintendo that could help, or have had similar problems with a better outcome?
I own 12 joycons (6 pairs) . I had to reclaim 6 out of 12, all reclaims were successful !!!
It was not just joystick drifting, but also faulty buttons, faulty motion controls, LEDs etc. Some were day one problem, faulty out of the box !!!
I bought 5 NSW so far (big family), 2 out of 5 are broken, one had BSOD (probably burned chip M92T36), another had yellow horizontal lines on LCD screen...
I recently bought some new joycons for my Switch two years ago and never had stick drift since. The launch ones are still in good working condition too. Not saying that they fix anything, just saying I had not encounter any issues regarding drift.
I just wish I could get all the "broken" joycons. Fixing them is just so easy.
My unit is affected, my sister's unit affected and my wife's had not done it yet. My pro controller left stick had started drifting. Nintendo needs to fess up and fix the problem.
@StevenG
yes it is easy, but you have to buy all those faulty parts (joysticks, motherboards, flex cables, buttons etc.) and silly nintendo screwdrivers...
I'm glad the dismission got rejected. As much as I love the joycons, the drifting on my right joystick gets very frustrating, like when playing Resident Evil 5.
This was an oversight of Nintendo to do, and that's understandable. But they should be fixing the issue more than just asking people to send their controllers to be fixed. They should start making new kind of joysticks or use different material to fix the drifting issues.
Get a can of contact cleaner (I call it Switch cleaner, because I am hilarious) and spray it under the rubber 'skirts' around the stick. It does not excuse the poor design but it really works...
I believe this is perfect marketing strategy, one day they will sell us "improved joycon 2.0"
@Bondson
believe me it only works for limited time, in the end you have to change faulty joystick itself, it is easy when you know how
@Moroboshi876 I've had my entire switch repaired after the warranty ran out it is always worth calling them. They are extremely forgiving with out of warranty repairs. At least NOA cant speak on NOE or NOJ
Joycons are completely overpriced and arent fit for purpose. Ive bought 5 pairs between my son and I's two Switches.... EVERY Joy Con ive had has an sl/sr fault and green LED failure meaning you cant connect them sideways for table top mode. There ain't much point in creating the world's most advanced controller if they are so fragile that features are broken with light use.
I'm a Nintendo fan and all, but Joy-con Drift is literally the one problem that needs to be solved ASAP. These controllers aren't cheap; requesting to dismiss the case is literally trying to get away with a design flaw.
I'm not with Ninty on this one, sorry.
That's Sony level of arrogance right there.
We all know this is bad caution of our part. Most just cant admit which the switch fall in portable mode when people play close sleeping. Those "ops" situations. And joy-cons are not gamecube strong controllers to endure this type of things. When new, joycon works always very well. Everyone wanted it be stronger, but the problem is in the lack of caution.
I fixed mine using a can of air under the soft rubber part of the joy-con. The sad part of this story is that I initially purchased a replacement part for the joy-con and swapped out without fixing the problem. I also got a second pair before finding out that it was dust under the soft rubber causing the issue, and I needed a real can of compressed air and not just blowing with my mouth to fix it.
Just got two of my Joy Cons repaired for free. I say "repaired", but it looks like Nintendo just sent me a brand new pair instead. Just sent off my second pair this morning.
It's a disappointing situation, because I always considered Nintendo hardware to be virtually bulletproof.
@wildbob You only need the sticks. They come with the driver. $10 or so.
@carlos82 oh yeah forgot about drift. Just ordered a Switch Lite. Fingers crossed it’s okay, huh?!
I am so tired of paying for so many joy con joysticks.
@Jessy8429 Didn't you try to get Nintendo to replace them if they are defective.
@kyleforrester87 I have a Lite with no issues at all yet but 2 pairs of joy cons I have from launch have drift issues and with relatively little use as well. I'm not a fan so I tend to use the Pro controller or my arcade stick mostly yet still have issues with them although one set has no problems at all.
One consolation is that they are very cheap and pretty easy to replace if you do have any future issues
All of my 3 pairs drift, I've tried the contact cleaner. But the fix is temporary. I can't believe how shoddy the controllers are, never had this issue with any other console. I've bought an 8bitdo receiver so I can use my Wii U Pro controller. I don't fancy tangling with Nintendo UK, they're not the most helpful.
I still have my launch day switch and still no drifting
Good one of my joy cons is now starting to drift 3 years on and it's annoying
Anyone in europe had their Joy-Cons fixed? Was it free or not? As i take it, Nintendo has started offering free repairs in America but nowhere else. And i'd assume it needs a lawsuit in other continents as well for them to get free repairs. Really upsetting.
They haven't fixed the issue and I almost wonder if they even will!!
Opening up a free-repair for American citizens doesn't automatically excuse for the design flaw (intended or not) that Nintendo has gotten away with for the last 3 years. Those joycons have a higher fail rate then the Xbox 360. I've had joycon drift 5 months after purchasing my switch, and my brother has been suffering the same issue for a long time (until I bought him a new one) If I had of known about the drift problem before buying the system, I probably would have never bought it, while also debating on getting another product from nintendo in the future.
@Fido007 Opening up a free-repair for American citizens doesn't automatically excuse for the design flaw (intended or not) that Nintendo has gotten away with for the last 3 years.
This is up for debate unless those devices can be documented flaw. But forcing them to replace the Joy-Con - the cost will force them to change when costs goes up.
Yeah so does this mean playstation and xbox are under the same lawsuits because they're controllers also have drift. PS4!!!
@SwitchForce How can it not be flawed when everybody has experienced it when playing handheld? There is no debate, in one household 2 people with two different systems from two different retailers, bought in two different periods of time(switch launch, and revised) both have a drift issue with the controllers - that is a 100% failure rate in that situation. Seeing that they never fixed the issue, it seems they really don't care about it and want to sweep it under the rug, and that's how they want to do business nickel and diming you for joy con sales. Microtransactions for hardware.
Not that Nintendo reads our comments, but my joycon that had drift a couple months in got "fixed", my new ones sent back all got drift again after all four including the console got sent off. Now, I have two D-pad joycon and neither of those have drift on the sticks and those have been kicking for well over a year. How is it that officially licensed third party attachments like the L joycon-esque D-pad unit that is far less expensive has better control stick life? All my friends get this as well, so I can't be the only unlucky one and Nintendo needs to fix the design instead of shrugging it off. I love console quality gaming on the go with Nintendo exclusives in the mix, but I have alternatives I can purchase multiplatform software on instead of Nintendo.
@impurekind I had drifting in my PS4 DualShock 6 months after I bought the console. 6 freaking months.
@xCmC34x
I've got two PS4 controllers, 3 Xbox one controllers, 3 Wii U Pro Controllers. 6 Joycon. 6 Joycon drift, all the other controllers work fine. So I think it's a Joycon centric fault. Not saying other controllers don't drift, just saying the failure rate seems significantly higher in joycon.
@HefHughner Yeah it seems like a lot of the notorious issues that I hear about in Nintendo communities are things that I never really hear about anywhere else. Like there is millions of Switch owners yet I only seem to hear about people complaining about issues like the drift in communities like this. Comparatively it seems like the issue isn't quite as widespread as the community would have you think.
@Desrever What do you think the arbitration will result in for your benefit? Just curious. I don't mean that as on-the-attack as it may come off. I am under the impression that this is just a class-action lawsuit, which just results in monetary settlement (if won) that gets divvied among registered parties. This often results in very nominal awards to those who registered.
By all means, contact support and get that support process started.
@Agramonte Still not in Europe.
Yeah my switch went through their "joystick issue" aka the drift but I had insurance with best buy and they gave me new ones for free.
@fafonio My ps3 controllers still work fine, they're 11 and 12 years old. My ps4 controllers still work fine, they're 6 years old. My gamecube controllers work fine, they're 15 years old. I no longer have my SNES and Sega MegaDrive but they were 17 years old when I sold them, STILL working. Both left joy cons I owned? About a year... Tbf ps2 ones I had before selling it recently were unresponsive and I hear that it's quite common for those, so I guess so far it seems that ps2 are the second least long lasting controllers but they still lasted like 10x long as the Switch joy cons.
@JayJ Many yt comments on Switch controllers, 3rd party vids, even some game trailers and such. Every time I've mentioned why I don't have any joy cons now, people have heard of it. So it is a well known issue.
My right joycon drifted two weeks ago, thats the 2nd one. Good, well deserved.
@Silasmom Why did you buy another pair? You can buy left separately in many places. I'd suggest getting Split Pad Pro for handheld and relying on Pro Controllers for table top and docked. Only problem with this is that Mario Party and RingFit aren't playable without proper joycon for the HD rumble and IR for a few mini games. If you keep a pair exclusively for those games, though, they will last way longer. As for your dock, not sure. I had a problem when I transported mine before I had a special side satchel, it bent a little and the console didn't sit in it properly, meaning the USB connection didn't quite fully connect and so I just bent it back and it was fine. Never heard of anything else, though.
@carlos82 the consoles will not be unplayable in a few years, you’ll just need to get new joycons
@Bearzilla823 I don't disagree with the sentiment. However, the reality of class action lawsuits is not anywhere close to that (at least in the U.S.; can't speak to anywhere else).
The process takes years, in which the lawyers try to sign on everyone they can as plaintiffs, money settlements get awarded, fees and lawyer cuts are taken off the top, and then whatever remains is divvies up equally against all members of the plaintiff side. This often results in insultingly low payouts to individuals. :/
I have four joy-cons and as of now all four have had/has the drift issue. I still have to send the forth away but I haven't yet, partly because the first joy-con that started drifting now doesn't register a forward tilt like it should. May have to send that one away two but I may also try cleaning it myself. Never had this many issues with Nintendo controllers.
I have four pairs of JoyCon and only one of them has occasionally drifted. My wife’s Switch’s JoyCon both fell victim to some pretty nasty drift after only a short while. I sent them in to be repaired last week and the turnaround was pretty fast. They are already on their way back and the process was pretty painless. At least that’s the case here in America. I’m under the impression it’s not as easy for free to get them fixed in other countries.
Sorry guys, but this just isn't a universal problem. Obviously some people have had issues but frankly I've seen nothing to suggest the majority have. I know I haven't. And before you cite NL and other video game sites surveys, most people who don't have the issue, aren't going out of their way to vote in those surveys, so the numbers are horrible skewed.
Nintendo are hoping this issue will go away because they simply don't want to recall defective hardware.
If they started phasing out the old models now then that could save them a recall but they would still need to promise free new models for anyone who has issues if this court issues goes the whole hog.
The ultimate cost would be quite painful but if they don't do anything, this issue will go up there with the Red Ring and the PSN hacking.
It'll be coined: ControllerGate.
I had drift on left and even started on the right too (which i hear is more rare), purchased a spare and sent the broken ones in for repair. Got them like 3 weeks later (kinda glad i got spares). Now the new ones they sent me are boxed still and the ones i purchased are going to be the ones i use until i need to send these off for repair and use the other ones.
Rinse and repeat... but i honestly shouldn't have to do that... thats too much hassle to factor in for incompetence.
I have day 1 Joy-Con and a day 1 Switch Lite which has gotten 90% of my game play since release and have yet to experience drift. That being said, I've always worried about how fragile the sticks look, am concerned by so many talking about problems they have and really baby my stuff. I'm overly worried about it. My PS4 and XBO controllers would just be tossed into a bag, thrown around, but I actually have cases for my precious little fragile Joy-Con so they don't get hurt. That's really sad.
@Fido007 As other have mentioned they and I didn't have such flaws. There are those that are legit and some are user caused. So unless that is documented for the flawed Joy-Cons it's all hearsay on the problem. One does have the option to get it replaced if flawed but if you keep playing a defective device and calling if flawed isn't helping either. I played on Portable and Docked with Joy-cons and Pro controller and don't experience the flaw happening.
@Jayofmaya Oh wow - In my mind I Usually think consumers have better protection in Europe than here.
Hopefully that gets resolved soon
I have had my Switch for about two years now. I got drift on my left joy-con (after a year) so purchased a replacement.. but soon after it started drifting on the right joy-con as well. My sister was contemplating buying a Switch herself but decided against it after all the trouble that I have had with mine. Why should I have to fork over money because of THEIR issue?.. For a pair, they cost about $120 in Australia.
Can't we try and sue them ourselves? I don't think they care that they're not finding out what the heck is wrong with these Joy-Cons. I believe it's because dust forms wherever it can, and that's probably why my Joy-Cons weren't working. I broke my Switch Switch altogether because of it. It's started working correctly, but there were small times where it would not. I plan on buying another one, but if it does happen again and again, I'll just keep sending them in for repair regardless.
I love you too, but you're better than this, Nintendo! Shame on you!
Had my one joycon experience drifting pretty bad (left side), fixed it myself, with no problems since. Bought some WD40 electrical contact cleaner, lifted the little flap under the joystick with a toothpick, sprayed, good as new. Idk why people are making such a big deal about it...maybe I'm lucky, or maybe you people are too damn hard on your controllers, in which case, that's kinda your fault.
I love my Nintendo obviously, but they deserve this and I hope the suit is a huge success. It says a lot that they would actually release the Switch Lite just last year with those same POS sticks long after they were well aware of this major problem with them. Like nessisonett noted, think how much of our hard earned money they raked in on Switch owners being forced to purchase multiple sets of Joycons. They didn't deserve that money. I don't know how much it costs them to actually manufacture a pair of Joycons, but those crappy things are outrageously expensive...
@KingBowser86 "This by itself wouldn't be so bad, but then the rubbery sticks are causing flaking and issues for the Pro Controllers too (and that's before we talk about the D-Pad)."
Thank you for bringing attention this! While the Pro Controller is much better than those garbage Joycons, it has design flaws too. The sticks literally start to grind away the face plate. This happened to the left stick on my Pro Controller and just got worse over time. Eventually it got so bad I would be playing Splatoon 2 and my Octoling wouldn't even move forward because the stick would actually leave the zone where it could detect the input. I ended up having to buy another Pro Controller because the controller was no longer under warranty. I'm an old 39 year old man who has owned every Nintendo home console since the NES and I have never had these problems with their controllers before. Something went seriously wrong when they were designing the controllers for the Switch.
@Desrever
I just had to send in another joy-con to Nintendo (this is now the 4th issue I’ve had with drift). Nintendo of America will fix or replace your joy-con for free. I think it’s worth sending it in.
I’ve had 4 issues with drifting. Unbelievably, some users on here still think we drop kick our switches down the steps every morning when we get out of bed.
“Take better care of your stuff” they say.
I’ve had Nintendo products my entire life, and I’ve never encountered so many issues than with these joy-cons. Drift is a huge problem, and I still can’t believe Nintendo hasn’t figured out a solution yet. Sure they’ll fix them for free in the US, but wouldn’t it just be easier to solve the problem, than to just keep fixing and replacing joy-cons?? Extremely disappointing coming from joy-cons that cost $80.
as a simple fan who has all 4 of my joycons drifting, yes anything the make nintendo accept this is a real issue and actually do something about it
This is a problem that just needs to go away.
There's a reason why I'm perfectly okay with just waiting on getting a Switch or Switch Lite for myself.
@vio I can definitely applaud their mindset when deciding to use a softer material for comfort...
But really, how long has Nintendo been making controllers? They should know that softer materials are going to flake and cause contact issues.
@legoVwehttaM you can't physically attach Joy cons to a Switch Lite, so how are you going to play it handheld as it is designed to be if it drifts?
If you want us to use customer support, Nintendo, then how about providing equal quality of it EVERYWHERE? North America can get their joycons fixed for free, yes. My choice is either get them repaired locally for the price of a brand new pair, DIY it, or send them cross the border to Czech Republic, where the nearest repair center of Nintendo's is. You're not even in my damn country!
@Baker1000 mine comes and goes. usually one dose it on menu screens and goes away after i either tap my controllers together or lift up the rubber & blow under it.
I seem to be getting the drift more in Pokemon Shield than any other game
Joined the club two weeks ago. Left stick drifts up half the time which can make for interesting gameplay for sure.
$100 to replace em as well. 😐
@Heavyarms55
I think 3 pairs drifting out of 3 is either incredibly bad luck or a design flaw. I've been playing games since the 90's and never had this type of thing happen.
I’ve personally owned 4 pairs of joy cons of all colours I could get. Every one except the purple and orange combo went screwy. All replaced thankfully. I’ve investigated too by tearing my controllers down. The analogue units on the purple orange joycons are no different to the others. God knows what’s going on. But I do have fixes that work 100% of the time now after experimenting. I might make a video explaining how to fix them I just gotta find out how to make the time to start up a popular YouTube channel.
Poor design is not something new to Nintendo. I've had issues with the DS / 3DS clamshell design, & more recently, the Switch Pro Controllers on 3 occasions. It's odd though that I've not had the same bad luck with the Joy-Cons, but maybe it's because I don't use them as much shrugs
@cyrus_zuo Sadly, this actually is an issue with the Pro Controller. It does seem to take quite a bit more usage before it crops up, but it will eventually happen. There is another advantage with the Pro, though: the potentiometers in the Pro Controller can be replaced with off-the-shelf parts from Amazon, and those parts will not have the degradation issues present in the stock parts, so once you fix it, you've actually fixed it. The Joycons, in their present state, can't be fixed permanently by the end user, as they are sealed units that can only be replaced by the exact same part, which will also eventually be defective. What we need is for some enterprising individual to make upgraded replacement joystick modules for the joycons, since Nintendo clearly has zero interest in actually fixing this.
If Nintendo agrees to fix this issue, then the lawsuits are a simple matter of overreaction. Otherwise, it's valid.
@fredtoy Keep us updated.
@vio Clear nail polish, friend.
Take you Pro Controller apart, very carefully, so that you have the face plate and both joysticks fully separated from all other components. Make sure you test a very small spot on both materials, first, to ensure that the polish doesn't actually damage the materials, as that would defeat the purpose. After it's dried, and you're certain your clear polish is safe, apply a thin layer to the inside of the rings around the joysticks on the face plate, and around the shaft of each joystick. Once they've all dried, reassemble the controller.
This should, and I stress "should", stop the components from grinding apart. I would actually recommend you test your polish on some other disposable items first, though, to see how well they handle contact and friction with each other. Most clear polishes or "finishing polishes/top coats" will work quote well for this, but some cheaper ones can become gummy, and you don't want that. I strongly recommend testing and experimenting a bit to find the best product before using on your controller. I do not recommend crazy glue or similar products, as they will eat into the plastic and can make it brittle.
My Switch JoyCon from summer 2018 still work perfectly. In Canada so can get them replaced free if necessary. With that said I completely agree that Nintendo should be doing more to address the situation. I don't understand why they appear so opposed to making a revision, this wasn't an issue with the Classic Controller Pro or the Wii Remote Plus.
all of my Joycons i have bought have drift its annoying the first day i got my switch it would constantly drift now its less often but it still happens, i don't want to play another £60 for joycons. its mainly in my red joycon because i replaced my blue one with a zelda d-pad
@Dethmunk
Play with them, then attach them to the console or put them In a draw with my other controllers. Not sure what else you'd do with a controller really. Like I've said previously I've owned consoles since the snes, and never had this kind of issue before. Maybe it's to do with the type of games people play. I've racked up the most hours on rocket league, xenoblade and fighting games. You shouldn't really have to avoid playing a game to preserve the controllers though. They should be fit for purpose
If your in NA Nintendo you can ask them to replace them if you send them and request new Joy-Con. So if your not doing this then that also the user fault for not making the replace defect units. If you don't do this then debating has no value then.
@Wargoose That does suck. But it's strange because I have 4 pairs and none of them have had the issue.
I’m going to be honest with you people I’m not sure what the heck is going on? I never experienced my joy con controllers drifting? My Nintendo switch is brand new I had it since day one the fact that some of you are trying to blame Nintendo having a design flaw doesn’t clearly know what they’re talking about it has nothing to do with Nintendo’s design The real fault should be the seller who sold you a defective product and that person needs to be held accountable because I got mines brand new from Gamestop and I’m using my switch right now with my joy con controllers attached still no drifting whatsoever😍 if there’s one thing I always do I always buy something new if I never owned it before which actually helps increase the longevity of the product😉👍However if you’re planning to get the switch pre-owned or used please make sure it’s certified by Nintendo which means it’s guaranteed to work like new and you won’t experience drifting😁👍
They need to fix this. My Joycon has started to drift especially in 16 bit games where it makes it close to impossible to advance through a level. Nintendo has made a great console but a crap controller.
@Commander91_YT .
I also never had an issue and mine is a bit over over two years old and now it is drifting in a bad way. There is nothing more frustrating then to lose when the Joycon starts moving the character on its own. From what I see it happens to nearly everyone based on the time played. I hope you are lucky but don't count on it.
@Commander91_YT
I bought my joycon brand new from Argos, they worked for at least a year before they started drifting. From the articles I've read online. It seems to be wear and tear combined with dust which is the main issue. If the controller was faulty to begin with its a retailer issue. If its develops the fault over a year later, its a design/user issue. As I've owned over 30 controllers in my time, and only the joy cons have developed this fault. I'm gonna go with it being a design flaw.
@carlos82 Well, the stick assembly is the same.
@Razer Join the right stick drift club.
@noswitchbutidc well that's not good then and they deserve to be sued
@carlos82 I'm saying that from seeing Spawn Wave's video.
@carlos82 https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2019/09/second_nintendo_switch_lite_teardown_hints_at_different_analogue_stick_design
Second Nintendo Switch Lite Teardown Hints At Different ...
@Zidentia
I'm going to be honest with you I didn't get the launch model That's the one thing I never do is pre-order the launch model or purchase the launch model because there's always going to be a hardware issue that is why I always purchase the new model one year later because the new model will have patched up hardware issues or any design flaw for that matter I got my Nintendo switch during Christmas December 2018 and still no drifting Not many people don't even know this but Nintendo quietly released a new Nintendo switch model that already fixed the drifting problem The drifting issue is only happening with the launch model The reason I know this is because the model number is different the launch model number is HAC-000 However the new switch model is HAC-001 same thing with the new Joy-Con controllers has a new model number It's not the first time Nintendo Microsoft or Sony has quietly released new models to permanently fix hardware problems just like I got the 2018 PS4 Pro and it's ridiculously quiet But if you have the 2017 model It's going to sound like a jet plane flying at Mach 3 lol But I am one of the lucky ones I even got 2 extra black joycon controllers brand new for Christmas 2019 And I immediately knew the model number is different compared to the launch model Joy con controllers which means Nintendo already solved the drifting problem But still facing a massive lawsuit I guess you could say it was a design flaw with the launch model but it was quietly patched in 2018 one year after the launch model was released 😎👍
@Commander91_YT
My Switch is not a launch model. I also purchased it in December of 2018 and purchased an extended warranty of two years. I have the the new model HAC-001. I had no issues until late Dec 2019. It became progressively worse in 2020 and is most apparent in 8 and 16 bit games where precise movements are needed as opposed to newer games which are less skill based. I can get it "repaired" but all of the research i have done indicates the newer model Joycon exhibits the same issues eventually. Nintendo said my turn around time before the pandemic was 6-8 weeks due to high volume. I can live with that but it is unacceptable when it is a known defect and no real fix is available. If it was a software issue I would be more confident in a resolution but this is a flawed design and they apparently cannot fix it without a major financial hit.
Honestly I cannot say Nintendo makes a poor quality products as this is the first issue I have ever had in all of the consoles I have owned since the NES. I just expected more from them in this matter since the hardware really is not an inexpensive purchase..
I was one of the lucky people that bought the ACNH limited edition switch for me and my fiancé. I bought a wireless controller for myself and my fiancé has been using the pastel green and blue joy cons. Well, in 3 days we would’ve had them for a month and guess what! The joy cons are drifting 🤨. This is extremely frustrating because 1. Due to quarantine we can’t send them in to be fixed. 2. Even when they do fix them, it’s going to happen again. So when it does happen again, what am I suppose to do? Buy non-matching joycons since they don’t sell these? I’m livid, and you can’t tell me this isn’t a scam that they are making THOUSANDS on! I hope that lawsuit kicks them in the ass, and I can guarantee you they tried to buy out the Plaintiff, who luckily didn’t take the money. How can a problem like this be happening for THREE years, and even on newer models, like the ACNH switch, and its still not fixed. “They don’t make the joysticks themselves though” Well why don’t they start finding someone else that will make them better? I mean, their fans must not mean a lot to them imo. Sadly, my fiancé only plays handheld so she will not be playing until I can get these joycons fixed. Has anyone also bought the ACNH switch and their joycons are already drifting? What company updates their console before their controllers that cost 1/3 of the original switch price. A scamming company, that’s who.
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