The Nintendo Switch Joy-Con has fundamental design flaws, which is the cause of the infamous “Joy-Con drift” that many people have complained about since the console launched five years ago, according to a report by Eurogamer.
This information comes from a study done by a U.K. consumer group called Which?, who has found evidence that the drift is caused by mechanical fault and is indicative of fundamental design flaws. The research shows that the controllers’ plastic circuit boards at certain contact points wear after just a few months of use.
Nintendo contends that the issue is not common. In response to the survey, the company said that only a small number of controllers were affected and that the design of the Joy-Cons has been improved since the launch of the console.
In addition to pointing out design flaws, Which? criticized the manner in which Nintendo responded to consumer complaints. Currently, there are no refunds for folks who have purchased replacement Joy-Cons, and instead, there’s a program where players need to send in their controllers for repair, leaving them without a way to play the game handheld for weeks.
The process is completely free for consumers, but many aren’t thrilled with having to send the Joy-Cons in and being without them for such a prolonged period of time, and there is no compensation for those who buy new Joy-Cons that may or may not have the same issue somewhere down the line.
Which? has called on Nintendo to implement such a program, but Nintendo stands by its product and encourages people to contact it if they have Joy-Con drift issues.
