While the Nintendo Switch has proven immensely successful, one recurring complaint has stood out among the rest over the last five year. We are, of course, talking about Joy-Con drift, a phenomenon in which the controller detects movement when there isn't any input. And now it's officially a design flaw.
Research from consumer group Which? has revealed that the issue is caused by a mechanical fault, with the area under the joysticks showing noticeable wear after just a few months. And the group has even suggested Nintendo should offer affected users compensation. (Fancy your chances? Check out the best Nintendo Switch deals available now.)
Joy-Con drift has been a well-known issue for years (Image credit: Chesnot/Getty Images)
As reported by Eurogamer, Which? also found Nintendo's handling of the situation to be lacking, calling on the company to replace or repair all afflicted Joy-Cons in the UK as part of a "no quibble" compensation plan.
The issue is particularly pertinent as Nintendo hasn't updated the design of the Joy-Cons since 2017. While Sony is already releasing new and updated DualSense controllers, those pesky Joy-Cons still have the same design – and design flaws – as they did when the Switch itself launched over five years ago. We just hope the much-rumoured Switch Pro doesn't feature the same problem.
Still, at least Nintendo can take some solace from the fact that it isn't the only major tech brand to face demands to cough up compensation for an imperfect design. This very much, Apple was finally ordered to pay up to $400 for users affected by its dodgy butterfly keyboards. But until Joy-Con drift is a thing of the past, you might want to think about a back-up pair – check out the best Nintendo Switch Joy-Con deals available now.
Daniel John is Design Editor at Creative Bloq. He reports on the worlds of design, branding and lifestyle tech, and has covered several industry events including Milan Design Week, OFFF Barcelona and Adobe Max in Los Angeles.
