THE SHORT VERSION:

The Joy-Con controllers for Nintendo Switch are fundamentally flawed with a drifting problem that is an inevitability. Nintendo needs to respond to this.

 

FURTHER INFORMATION:

Background:

The Nintendo Switch is one of the best-selling consoles of all time. Pitched as a family-friendly, affordable entry into both at-home and portable gaming, the Joy-Con controllers are central to the 'play it your way' versatility which sets it apart from the competition.

But they are flawed. People around the world are experiencing a phenomenon termed "Joy-Con Drift" which renders their ~$70 controllers unusable.

Despite this being a fundamental design flaw with the controllers which is affecting a large number of the player-base, Nintendo has remained silent on the issue. We ask only that Nintendo respond to our complaints and address the problem once and for all.

 

Evidence:

There is a mountain of evidence to support the claim that Joy-Con Drift is a common issue. This strongly implies a design flaw in the Joy-Con controllers themselves as the circumstances surrounding the various instances of Drift differ wildly.

• A search for "drift" on the r/NintendoSwitch subreddit—the largest Switch discussion forum in the world—produces over 3,500 threads.

Consider that this is limited primarily to English speakers, and consider further that each of those threads can contain literal thousands of comments from users who have had the same issue but didn't realise it wasn't just them experiencing it.

• The combined views of just the top six videos in a YouTube search for "Joy-Con Drift" is more than 1.8 million. That's a huge quantity to be searching for specific advice on how to fix this fault.

The fact that most of the solutions advocated by these videos void Nintendo's warranty is a poor reflection on the company's approach to dealing with the flawed product they have produced.

• There have been a multitude of articles on Joy-Con Drift from various mainstream outlets across the world:
  
  • Will busted analog sticks doom the Switch Lite? | Polygon
  • Switch owner with engineering background discovers Joy-Con drift design flaw | Nintendo Enthusiast
  • Is your Switch Joy-Con giving you issues? Here are Nintendo's suggestions for a fix | GamesRadar
  • Joy-Con Drift: How To Fix Nintendo Switch's Biggest Problem | TheGamer
  • Guide: How To Fix A Drifting Nintendo Switch Joy-Con Analogue Stick | NintendoLife

 

Impact:

The variety of conditions in which Joy-Con Drift arises—days after purchase, years after purchase; heavy use, light use—reveals a worrisome truth: anyone can be affected by this issue.

Whilst not everyone reading this will have first-hand experience of the problem, it's important that you recognise that you too could be affected at any time. Statistically, it's highly likely that there are lots of individuals who have had their Nintendo Switch since launch without issue. But these are exceptions, not the rule.

Joy-Con are a premium product which carry a premium price-tag. But the longevity of this product is not reflected by this expense. Nintendo needs to do better, and the first step would be to acknowledge the issue and offer clear support for dealing with it. We also need to know that Nintendo is aware of the causes of Drift and working to mitigate it in future releases.