Issues with Nintendo Switch’s detachable ‘Joy-Con’ controllers are the result of a mechanical fault and “design flaws”, according to an investigation by Which?.

Some users of the games console have complained of ‘Joy-Con drift’, where the detachable controllers appear to move the on-screen controls without the user doing anything.

A previous survey from the consumer organisation found that two-fifths of UK Nintendo Switch Classic owners had reported experiencing drift.

“Nintendo Switch ‘drift’ has been plaguing gamers for years now and we’ve found evidence that mechanical issues are likely to blame,” said Rocio Concha, Which? director of policy and advocacy. “Nintendo must get a grip on the problem and provide free repairs, compensation, refunds or replacements for any consumers who have been impacted by this issue since the launch of the console.”

Which? tested five sets of Joy-Con controllers from consumers and their Nintendo Switch Classic consoles, all of which had reported instances of drift.

A specialist lab verified that there was a drift issue on all five Joy-Con sets of controllers sourced and that there were likely mechanical issues pointing to design flaws.

It found that while there are dust proofing cowls on the joystick components, there was dust and other contaminants in the internal components.

All the plastic circuit boards exhibited noticeable wear on the joystick slider contact points, despite only being used for months.
It was concluded that this wear, and the drift issue that resulted from it, were likely due to a mechanical issue.

Its findings align with a report commissioned by French consumer organisation UFC-Que Choisir.

The investigation also follows BEUC, the European Consumer Organisation, filing a formal complaint to the European Commission over the Nintendo Switch Joy-Con Drift issue in 2021.

"The percentage of Joy-Con controllers that have been reported as experiencing issues with the analogue stick in the past is small, and we have been making continuous improvements to the Joy-Con analogue stick since its launch in 2017," said a spokesperson from Nintendo. "We expect all our hardware to perform as designed, and, if anything falls short of this goal, we always encourage consumers to contact Nintendo customer support, who will be happy to openly and leniently resolve any consumer issues related to the Joy-Con controllers’ analogue sticks, including in cases where the warranty may no longer apply."

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