The company officially stated they would repair faulty Nintendo Switch Joy-Con controllers for free in specific European regions.
Following numerous complaints from Switch users on the dreaded Joy-Con controller drift, Nintendo has formally pledged to repair faulty Switch Joy-Con controllers free of charge in the UK, European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland. This would be applicable to those whose warranties have way past expired as well. The official statement has solidified what many Switch users have been complaining about for the portable system.
“Nintendo takes great pride in creating high-quality and durable products and is continuously making improvements to them,” a statement posted to Nintendo UK’s support page on “so-called ‘drifting'” now states. It continued: “Therefore and until further notice, Nintendo offers to consumers who purchased the respective product in the EEA, UK and Switzerland that repairs for responsiveness syndrome relating to control sticks will be conducted at no charge by official Nintendo repair centres.”
This does not mean that anyone who takes their systems to these regions can have their Joy-Cons repaired for free, but they have to be purchased in these places as well. “This applies even if the syndrome is caused by wear and tear and even if the 24-month manufacturer’s warranty provided by Nintendo has expired. The manufacturer’s warranty does not affect any statutory rights which you may have under consumer protection legislation as the purchaser of goods. The benefits described here are in addition to those rights.”
The creators of Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda have come under much scrutiny for this ongoing issue, and public outcry noted that it was not their fault for the faulty equipment. It led to many class-action lawsuits and warnings from consumer groups from various regions like the UK and North America. Back in June 2020, the company president Shuntaro Furukawa issued a formal apology for the continued Joy-Con drift problems.
In the US, the company’s policy of no-quibble repairs has already been in place for some time. Some reports noted that Nintendo UK has already quietly repaired some Nintendo Switch Joy-Con even out of warranty too. Hopefully, Joy-Con controller drift could be an issue of the past as more places are offered free repairs.
