Nintendo Switch Joy-Con drift due to “design flaw”, UK consumer group reports
Nintendo Switch Joy-Con drift due to “design flaw”, UK consumer group reports
by CerebralTiger
42 Comments
Sivick314
Fix it fix it fix it fix it fix it fix it!
-Philip J Fry
Squish_the_android
I would be really interesting to know what the actual numbers on this drift problem are.
I’ve had to repair 2/3 of my joycons.
ConorW1
Wasn’t this discovered like 2 years ago when this first came about?
Stumpy493
The fact they have continued selling something with a known design flaw for several years is disgusting to me.
Crunchberries77
I bought 3rd party joycons, I’ve had them for a year now and no drift. It’s probably the only case in which 3rd party is better than a 1st party controller. Repairs are a waste of time.
jjamm420
And water is wet…no shit it’s a “design flaw” 🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️
Smokeyrainbow
My switch stopped working (probably a dead battery) although i miss having a nintendo console and all the great games im done with them. I rarely used my switch the first year or two i had it, yet i had to replace drifting controllers more than once. Sure i miss out on great content but i refuse to be a brainless consumer.
Supportive_Bard648
Thankfully I haven’t got any drift yet, but I do have the dreadful feeling knowing that it could happen any moment now and it gets me paranoid whenever I feel like there has been a false input during a play through.
ErikMaekir
For a bit more detail, the design flaw is that the base of the joystick is a little too small and a little too loose, so a bit of wear and tear will mess with the sensors and cause drift. Adding a thin piece of cardboard under the joystick will compress it just enough to fix this issue in most joycons. This is also why third party pieces often last longer, because they’re a little more robust
Which makes the fact that Nintendo haven’t bothered to fix this all the more negligent.
jomjomepitaph
In other news; water is wet.
Corronchilejano
I’ve had my switch for three years, have four joycons and never had any issues, but I’m terrified of when they start drifting because the only place you can get them fixed oficially here (Colombia) is awful with their work.
Akky1989
Amazing how i still haven’t encountered drift at all
NES_Classical_Music
We know.
Just stop buying Joy-Cons.
epicmenio
I just keep sending mines to repair, they last for a few months they back to repair.
OhNoUNintendidnt
I must be really lucky. I’ve had my switch since launch and have played hundreds of hours on Zelda and xenoblade and have not had an issue. Although this means with my luck it’ll happen me next time I use it!
Captain_Hucklebuck
Playstation sticks are fucking garbage too they only last about 6 months tops. Pretty sure the analog parts across platforms all come from the same manfacturing source.
YouPeopleAreGarbage
This issue shouldn’t exist. It’s been solved for decades. Yet, all major console controllers have varying degrees of drift.
It isn’t a “design flaw” it’s planned obsolescence to sell more controllers.
AdamFeoras
I sent mine in and they replaced them free of charge.
NeedlenoseMusic
I have had two issues with my joycons. One was the drift, which I had repaired for free here in the US a few years ago.
Drift issues have been resolved, but the connection to the switch itself is also bad – if they aren’t in the perfect spot they will repeatedly disconnect when I’m in handheld mode, to the point I can’t even play like that because it’s constantly freezing and asking me to connect a controller.
Dark Souls loves when that happens.
Ninty96zie
Its a problem common to most first party controllers. My PS5 controller drifts, but none of my Nintendo controllers do.
This shit is because all these companies are cheaping out on shit parts.
Strobetrode
I just bought a new procontroller and the drift was already apparent when I used it for the first time. My switch says it can’t calibrate this controller and the shop I bought it at says to send it to Nintendo for repairs. The switch controllers are so bad it is ruining the entire consol experience for me. I use my GameCube controller that I originally used for melee for smash ultimate because all the other controllers I have bought have joystick issues. The GameCube procontroller stopped inputting to the left after 3 months of use. My original joycons have been sent in twice and I still have issues.
THE_GR8_MIKE
I knew a lot of great detectives have come from the UK, but *wow*.
notathinganymore
Launch switch from 2017. Left joycon started drifting last month. 🙁
What a pain in the ass, the other night I looked away like five seconds to talk to my wife and when I looked at the screen again my guy was literally walking on lava. :/
AmaraSylvari
I haven’t run into this problem yet on my Lite or OLEd, but the continued reports always make me nervous. Is this also widespread for the pro controllers?
robjapan
I’ve still got and use a gamecube controller I bought the day it was released in the UK.
Excellent quality products reflect on your entire company.
I feel with the switch that despite its popularity, the joy cons a few “Nintendo” games like Marion gold and tennis that the demand for quality has left Nintendo.
just-bair
Both of my joycons drift so I can’t use them. I did buy the hori splitpad tough and I really like it
Nukeradiation77
Even my pro controller drifts, it’s insane
THATONEGUY69699
Remember when Nintendo cared about the products they made, when you could drop a GameCube off the side of a building and the thing would still work… how did they fuck up this badly on the switch
Smash_Nerd
No shit?
SinnerIxim
I refuse to buy new joycons, i just have a permanently docked switch now, not sure ill ever buy another nintendo console, they clearly put in way less effort than Sony or MS
8esteban8
I sent my joycons in for drift repair three times in the first year I had a switch. Nintendo sent a replacement rather than a repair on the second time, but same story…was so, so frustrating. The Nintendo customer service was friendly, but that only helps so much when the product was so infuriatingly and obviously inherently broken. Each time the JoyCons became unusable after only 10 weeks of fairly heavy use, even though I was meticulous in how gently I used them and the care with cleanliness/storage.
Bought a Pro Controller and have since totally avoided JoyCons outside of occasional multiplayer. The Pro Controller worked great for almost three years, but just recently began to drift some. It is still playable though. Don’t know if I’ll buy another or what; definitely will be more hesitant to buy Nintendo products.
Lightningx91
Why don’t they tell nintendo how to fix it, since apparently they know what’s wrong with it.
SmoothOpX
Well no shit it’s a design flaw. I could have saved the UK consumer group time and money on that deep dive.
uh_buh
Uh duh? Nintendo hates their consumers
future_chili
I have yet to experience joycon drift in my legs go Pikachu and Eevee switch, however my husband has a base switch and is about to need a third pair of joycons because he just got drift in the second pair
tbdakotam
Just so you guys know my uncle works for Nintendo and if you talk bad about Nintendo he’s going to ban your account
lilj1123
I sold my switch after the second set started drifting 3 month after buying them. Bought a Xbox One X and still using the controller it came with 3 years later.
NotXiJinpingGoUSA
Well you dont fuckin say!
“This shit dont work ‘cause its broken”
Nir91
I have 4 joycons and all have a degree of drift issues. One pair lasted about 3 days before the problems started. Awful durability.
formulated
Ah.. can the dock that scratches and marks the screen be finally recognised as a design flaw too?
cyan_reynolds
How is this still a thing?
Afresian
And here I thought the drift was due to “magic”. Thanks a lot, consumer group, where do I sign up for this shit.
42 Comments
Fix it fix it fix it fix it fix it fix it!
-Philip J Fry
I would be really interesting to know what the actual numbers on this drift problem are.
I’ve had to repair 2/3 of my joycons.
Wasn’t this discovered like 2 years ago when this first came about?
The fact they have continued selling something with a known design flaw for several years is disgusting to me.
I bought 3rd party joycons, I’ve had them for a year now and no drift. It’s probably the only case in which 3rd party is better than a 1st party controller. Repairs are a waste of time.
And water is wet…no shit it’s a “design flaw” 🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️
My switch stopped working (probably a dead battery) although i miss having a nintendo console and all the great games im done with them. I rarely used my switch the first year or two i had it, yet i had to replace drifting controllers more than once. Sure i miss out on great content but i refuse to be a brainless consumer.
Thankfully I haven’t got any drift yet, but I do have the dreadful feeling knowing that it could happen any moment now and it gets me paranoid whenever I feel like there has been a false input during a play through.
For a bit more detail, the design flaw is that the base of the joystick is a little too small and a little too loose, so a bit of wear and tear will mess with the sensors and cause drift. Adding a thin piece of cardboard under the joystick will compress it just enough to fix this issue in most joycons. This is also why third party pieces often last longer, because they’re a little more robust
Which makes the fact that Nintendo haven’t bothered to fix this all the more negligent.
In other news; water is wet.
I’ve had my switch for three years, have four joycons and never had any issues, but I’m terrified of when they start drifting because the only place you can get them fixed oficially here (Colombia) is awful with their work.
Amazing how i still haven’t encountered drift at all
We know.
Just stop buying Joy-Cons.
I just keep sending mines to repair, they last for a few months they back to repair.
I must be really lucky. I’ve had my switch since launch and have played hundreds of hours on Zelda and xenoblade and have not had an issue. Although this means with my luck it’ll happen me next time I use it!
Playstation sticks are fucking garbage too they only last about 6 months tops. Pretty sure the analog parts across platforms all come from the same manfacturing source.
This issue shouldn’t exist. It’s been solved for decades. Yet, all major console controllers have varying degrees of drift.
It isn’t a “design flaw” it’s planned obsolescence to sell more controllers.
I sent mine in and they replaced them free of charge.
I have had two issues with my joycons. One was the drift, which I had repaired for free here in the US a few years ago.
Drift issues have been resolved, but the connection to the switch itself is also bad – if they aren’t in the perfect spot they will repeatedly disconnect when I’m in handheld mode, to the point I can’t even play like that because it’s constantly freezing and asking me to connect a controller.
Dark Souls loves when that happens.
Its a problem common to most first party controllers. My PS5 controller drifts, but none of my Nintendo controllers do.
This shit is because all these companies are cheaping out on shit parts.
I just bought a new procontroller and the drift was already apparent when I used it for the first time. My switch says it can’t calibrate this controller and the shop I bought it at says to send it to Nintendo for repairs. The switch controllers are so bad it is ruining the entire consol experience for me. I use my GameCube controller that I originally used for melee for smash ultimate because all the other controllers I have bought have joystick issues. The GameCube procontroller stopped inputting to the left after 3 months of use. My original joycons have been sent in twice and I still have issues.
I knew a lot of great detectives have come from the UK, but *wow*.
Launch switch from 2017. Left joycon started drifting last month. 🙁
What a pain in the ass, the other night I looked away like five seconds to talk to my wife and when I looked at the screen again my guy was literally walking on lava. :/
I haven’t run into this problem yet on my Lite or OLEd, but the continued reports always make me nervous. Is this also widespread for the pro controllers?
I’ve still got and use a gamecube controller I bought the day it was released in the UK.
Excellent quality products reflect on your entire company.
I feel with the switch that despite its popularity, the joy cons a few “Nintendo” games like Marion gold and tennis that the demand for quality has left Nintendo.
Both of my joycons drift so I can’t use them. I did buy the hori splitpad tough and I really like it
Even my pro controller drifts, it’s insane
Remember when Nintendo cared about the products they made, when you could drop a GameCube off the side of a building and the thing would still work… how did they fuck up this badly on the switch
No shit?
I refuse to buy new joycons, i just have a permanently docked switch now, not sure ill ever buy another nintendo console, they clearly put in way less effort than Sony or MS
I sent my joycons in for drift repair three times in the first year I had a switch. Nintendo sent a replacement rather than a repair on the second time, but same story…was so, so frustrating. The Nintendo customer service was friendly, but that only helps so much when the product was so infuriatingly and obviously inherently broken. Each time the JoyCons became unusable after only 10 weeks of fairly heavy use, even though I was meticulous in how gently I used them and the care with cleanliness/storage.
Bought a Pro Controller and have since totally avoided JoyCons outside of occasional multiplayer. The Pro Controller worked great for almost three years, but just recently began to drift some. It is still playable though. Don’t know if I’ll buy another or what; definitely will be more hesitant to buy Nintendo products.
Why don’t they tell nintendo how to fix it, since apparently they know what’s wrong with it.
Well no shit it’s a design flaw. I could have saved the UK consumer group time and money on that deep dive.
Uh duh? Nintendo hates their consumers
I have yet to experience joycon drift in my legs go Pikachu and Eevee switch, however my husband has a base switch and is about to need a third pair of joycons because he just got drift in the second pair
Just so you guys know my uncle works for Nintendo and if you talk bad about Nintendo he’s going to ban your account
I sold my switch after the second set started drifting 3 month after buying them. Bought a Xbox One X and still using the controller it came with 3 years later.
Well you dont fuckin say!
“This shit dont work ‘cause its broken”
I have 4 joycons and all have a degree of drift issues. One pair lasted about 3 days before the problems started. Awful durability.
Ah.. can the dock that scratches and marks the screen be finally recognised as a design flaw too?
How is this still a thing?
And here I thought the drift was due to “magic”. Thanks a lot, consumer group, where do I sign up for this shit.