Since its release five years ago, the Nintendo Switch has been plagued by reports of “drift,” which occurs when the console recognizes movement even when the joysticks are not in use.
Which? recommends that Nintendo commission an independent study into a problem with their Switch console’s Joy-Con controllers.
Since its release five years ago, the Nintendo Switch has been plagued by reports of “drift,” which occurs when the console recognizes movement even when the joysticks are not in use.
Nintendo has stated that only a limited number of devices are affected, and users who have issues should contact the company.
Which? conducted a study of 919 Switch owners in the United Kingdom.
40 percent of users reported drift issues, however, only 73 percent of those users contacted Nintendo about it.
This was even though the gaming company provided a two-year warranty on the console.
19% of individuals who lodged complaints did not receive a repair or a replacement.
Which? head of policy and advocacy Rocio Concha stated, “Our data indicate that Nintendo Switch owners continue to be plagued by drift issues, yet they are often required to pay to repair damaged controllers or face a lottery when contacting Nintendo support.
“Nintendo must immediately conduct an independent inquiry into the cause of this issue and make the findings public.
“The video game giant must also agree to provide free repairs or replacements to anyone affected by the issue and must market this program so that consumers are aware that assistance is available.”
Which? stated that its testing on the Switch console had not shown any drift issues, adding that this demonstrated how difficult it was to discover the issue, making an investigation the appropriate course of action.
Nintendo stated, “The proportion of Joy-Con controllers claimed to have experienced analog stick issues in the past is tiny, and we have made constant enhancements to the Joy-Con analog stick since its release in 2017.
“We expect all of our products to function as intended, and if it doesn’t, we always urge consumers to contact Nintendo customer service, who will be pleased to repair any issues with the Joy-Con controllers’ analog sticks, even if the warranty has expired.”
