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On December 20, a British consumer group Which?, published the results of a research that there may be a structural defect causing the so-called drift in Nintendo Switch Joy-Con controllers.Addone.
Joy-Con drift is a phenomenon similar to the following video, where input is done without touching the analog stick. It is believed to be caused by a malfunction of internal parts.
This time, Which? received information from consumers about 5 sets of Joy-Cons that were purchased from 2017 to 2019 and subsequently showed symptoms of drift, and conducted a survey at a research institution. It seems that the drift symptoms mainly occurred in the Joy-Con analog stick on the left side, and they took it apart and looked for the cause.
The report points out that although the stick part has a dust cover, the inside is covered in dust and is not sufficiently protected. Furthermore, the wear of the contact part that detects the stick operation has been confirmed on all plastic substrates. Although each Joy-Con has a slightly different structure, dust intrusion and wear of the contact parts occur in common, and it is possible that structural problems are the cause of drift. .
The wear of the operation sensing part was also reported in a class action lawsuit filed in the United States earlier. Joy-Con stick input is a mechanism that transmits signals by contacting a conductive pad with a metal brush-like part. At that time, the plaintiff attached an electron photomicrograph and pointed out that the conductive pad was worn out due to the difference in surface hardness of each part, and the electrical resistance changed. Furthermore, they argued that the dust generated by scraping adheres to the brush and aggravates the wear of the pad, inferring a defect in the product (Related article）。
Which?, also introduces Nintendo’s comments in response to the results of this survey. According to the company, the percentage of Joy-Cons reported to have problems with the analog sticks in the past is small, but it’s been improving continuously since its launch in 2017. Also, if it doesn’t work as expected, even if the warranty period is expired, it will be resolved generously and it is recommended to contact support.
According to a survey conducted by Which?, in May this year, 40% of Nintendo Switch owners in the UK are experiencing drift symptoms. It was also reported that 79% of people who had drifted and contacted Nintendo Support were able to receive a free repair or replacement, while 19% received no such response.
And which? has promised Nintendo that it will request an independent investigation into the causes of Joy-Con drift and publish the findings, and that it will repair or replace any Joy-Con sold in the UK that has drifted free of charge. compensation or refunds to consumers who can demonstrate that they have purchased substitute products due to drift and publicizing these measures widely.
Some users have reported the Joy-Con drift issue since the launch of the Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa said at the annual general meeting of shareholders in June 2020, “We apologize for the inconvenience caused.” Doug Bowser, president of Nintendo of America, also said he was working on improvements (Related article). However, this time it has been pointed out once again by consumer groups, suggesting that this is a deep-rooted problem.
