PSA: Remember To Update Your Joy-Con, As Well As Your Nintendo Switch

Really we don't recall how to do this....

I still have absolutely no clue what updating your controllers is all about. Like... it’s a controller? I don’t remember doing that with any other controller or actually what it does.

Already done before I games tonight. Although I don’t rally notice anything different, it still feels nice to update your console, y’know?

Well, they upgraded the firmware of the Joycon to... uh... improve drift compatibility, maybe? Y'know, for when you want the sync the Joycon to your brain to minimize input lag...

It's a non-issue, but I do wonder why controllers would need to be updated at all.

Holy shmo! I don't know if it's just me but my drift is gone!... I probably just jinxed it.

@Heavyarms55 Yeah, I have no idea either. Maybe optimizing that joycon code or something.

@NookMiler Thinking about it, I suppose it could be that HD rumble. It gets pretty specific sometimes.

Right Joy con disconnects alot on hand-held mode. Hope this fixes it.

The controllers don't need to be attached, but they do need to be active and connected. If you search for all controllers and then start the update, it will update all of them.

If my Joy-con weren't completely dead, I'd update them but alas, they're completely dead.

wow a cup full of joycon, must be the drift pile

@seph_patrick
OMG you too?! When it happens I put it out of the console and immediately put it back. Hope they fix it soon.

@seph_patrick This is because contact at the botton of the slide side is failing. It started to happen to me last 2 weeks and fixed it by putting some slight pressure on it to the interior to ensure that contact doesn't get lost during gameplay.

Worked for me up to now, but be careful not to put too much pressure and break it!

Just got my 2 left joy cons back from Nintendo repair- they replaced parts to fix drift issues! Took 3 weeks and they feel sturdier than my right Joy Cons.

Will update this evening

@nessisonett well, I don't recall any other controllers I've ever used that would change their configuration on the fly, including the ability to work separately or combine their functions into one gamepad. Heck, it's my first controller (I didn't have a Wii) that can work when "disjointed" and held in separate hands at all. I'm hardly surprised that stunts like these come with some dedicated "brains" on board, and the ability/need to update those.

That Joy-Con cocktail looks delicious.

This would assume people are still using Joy-Con in 2020!!

@nessisonett if there were no controller updates, they would sure drift. It's a small price to pay to have 100% reliable controllers

@nessisonett updating controllers is actually common for all the big three consoles.

We had an issue on my son’s XBox One where he couldn’t speak to friends through his headset (headset has to be plugged into controller on that console). It worked one minute was broken the next.

After lots of trial and error, the fix came from updating the controller through the console.

But agreed, no idea why it didn’t work one minute and why it worked after the update.

@nessisonett Xbox One controllers got firmware updates as well.

Time to update the drift prevention software, ay? 🤪 What else could they possibly need to constantly update. Do playstation and xbox update their controllers every year?

EDIT: I just saw @hobbitgamer's post above. haha Ok. I guess the other companies do. Interesting. I learned something. Thanks @hobbitgamer

Folders and themes or gtfo, Nintendo. Killing me with stability.

@tanasten I'm guessing getting new joy cons won't fix the problem. Thanks for the info.

@Patendo 3 weeks huh? I just printed out the UPS slip last night, figuring out how to pack them. Both my left Joycon drift up. I didn't think it would be a problem w/ a lame game like Animal Crossing but my character always face the back, so all I see is the back.

So was it really free free? No shipping charge or anything? I'm in NY and my repair center is as well. Hope I don't need them for Paper Mario Friday. 🤞

@seph_patrick It's possible that you just need to clean the contacts on the joycon and on the switch itself with a toothbrush. Check out https://youtu.be/zlq5EsWbGWM starting around the 2 minute mark.

@rjejr I just got confirmation that my Joy Con are being shipped back after being fixed at the NY Nintendo Repair Center. Completely free (Even after the warranty expired)!

@rjejr I was pleasantly surprised how quick and good they were. No charges at all- printed label for post and fixed free and gave me 1 year additional warranty.

I am in the UK so not sure if it will be the same for you but fingers crossed.

@seph_patrick Wait. That's happening for other people? I thought it was maybe because my controller is getting really old and I was a little abusive towards it. Add me to the pile of people who occasionally has to disconnect and reconnect the right Joycon when in handheld.

That controller update was live at least a day or two before the system update. Because that's when I updated them (I think it was the day before).

@nessisonett Ah, another dev in the comment section I see. This stuff must be so easy for you.

Seriously though, why do computers need BIOS updates? To add in security patches, optimize low level code, fix bugs. The joycons are just like any other firmware or microcontroller (think Arduino) out there. They need updates for all of this

@Link506 Hilariously, I’m actually 3 years into a degree in Software Engineering. BIOS is one thing since it’s literally the foundation for system-level I/O functions on a PC. I plug a DualShock 4 into my PS4 and it works. Controllers having updates is just a strange concept, the Joy-Cons don’t have any functionality that would justify updates as far as I know, the HD rumble is the only thing that I can think of but surely it’s just interacted with the same way as digital rumble? Wouldn’t it be a lot simpler to update the drivers that interact with the controller, rather than having inbuilt software on the controller itself?

Guys! Brushing the contacts of the joy cons worked. My joy cons are no longer randomly disconecting. Follow the video @Bleubird2 posted. Thanks! You saved me some money hehe.

Obviously there is firmware in the controllers that is beneficial to update. Nintendo has been designing hardware for a very long time, and I doubt they did this needlessly.

@SmaggTheSmug
I was thinking the exact same thing when reading the article. The joy-cons don't have to be attached; you should update the article @Liam_Doolan

@Heavyarms55 Controllers need to be updated for various reasons from improvements in input latency via new protocols, as well as battery saving functions, or even to just patch security vulnerabilities. We have no idea what this update does, but I'd assume it's for security vulnerabilities.

I see joycons get updated, but do other controllers ever get updated? (Pro, NES, SNES)

@RodSD64 The joy-con don't "need" to be attached but they do need to be powered on and synced to the console. There also seems to be an update for the Pro controller as well (though it could be from the last update). From my experience Pro controllers on the other hand only seem to update when connected to the dock via USB.

@Susurrus Pro controllers get updated, and I'm assuming the NES and SNES do as well. I just haven't ever updated mine personally. I'll have to give it a try when I get home.

@nhSnork it shows that you didn't have the Wii. The left hand nunchuck controller used to plug into the main WiiMote, so they were not wirelessly separate controllers. The weirder thing was plugging a Classic Controller into the WiiMote...

Oh man, you did it, now I suddenly got nostalgic for the Wii and have to dig it up and play a round.

@seph_patrick You can try to erase the controller from the console and then pair them again

@Heavyarms55 i think is for HD rumble, i have an issue with Bleed 1, when is handle mode the game don't rumble, but if is table or tv mode or with the pro controller it rumble

Good Lord Nintendo, is the Switch that unstable.................

Thanks for the reminder, I have forgotten about the fact you can do that on the Switch. I should also see if there is an update for 8bitdo SN30. 🎮

@nessisonett I can't tell if you are really studying software engineering or if you are just attending classes so that you can say so, ironically. There used to be a time where consoles and games werent updated at all. Most computer peripherals have firmware. A controller is not an exception. While the dualshock hasn't received any obvious updates to its firmware, the wireless headsets and VR have. Countless controllers, adapters, and other detachable computer devices have all had firmware updates ever since the internet has existed.

the article's title suggests there is any real reason to update the joycons. I mean there really isn't. The only issue that Nintendo knows for years now, the joycondrifting, isn't gonna be fixed so who the hell cares. I know its not a software thing, but that makes the update even more useless.

@tabzer still for a family oriented company, this is indeed a weird thing to do.
A very large amount of the Switch audience probably doesn't even know how to update controllers, not because theye stupid but because they aren't Nintendo fans who would crawl all sots of Nintendo websites. Most people just don't care about these things and Nintendo used to be quite good at serving that audience.

@valcoholic Nobody has recommended it. Nobody can verify what it does, which is why the author of the article asked people to mention if they experience any changes in the comments. Nintendo has been having updates ever since their devices were online. Nobody has been prevented from playing games without updating their controller, and if they are, that is when they are spoon fed on how to do so. Consider your family safe, for now.

Since updating my joy con my right joy con has the light on while attached to my Switch. I can barely see the light through the plastic. The left one is off while attached. weird

@nessisonett vibration patterns, analog axis behavior, dead zones, analog linearity, sensibility, connection behavior, auto-sleep time. Those are the parameters I can think of. There is also the IR sensor that is not much used RN, and the notification light that is not used at all.

There is a lot to be done on controllers updates, that's why first party (sony, ninty and MS) and good third party (logitech, 8bitdo, etc) always release updates for their controllers.

@nessisonett, Xbox One controllers have needed firmware updates. Had to do it for my kid when his headset wasn't working.

Firmware updates generally fix connection issues/connection speed, or bring new functionality. With new firmwares sometimes it can cause issues with other functionality. Just be glad you don;t have to manually update them like 8bitdo lol.

@HobbitGamer Do they? I know the Elite controllers have updates because of the mapping features and so forth, they have a mini-OS on board, but the stock ones do? I haven't noticed that.

If so, I imagine Sony does too, they just make it entirely invisible.

@NEStalgia I think with Sony, they just update the controller's firmware as they continue to produce them, so older controllers have older firmware, and we (the players) wouldn't necessarily know.

@seph_patrick it’s the left side for me. Disconnects constantly in handheld mode and its just been returned from repair for drifting too!

I enjoy playing my switch but man oh man the hardware is trrrrrrash!

@OorWullie Depending on what country you’re in, you can get them fixed by Nintendo for free. I had the same issue and they just replaced mine straight up instead of repairing the existing ones so I got brand new joy con!