Nintendo has extended its free repair service for Joy-Con drift issues to Europe, the UK, and Switzerland. The company has been offering the same program in North America since 2019 and in France and Latin America in the years since. The repair service is unlimited and available even for controllers that are no longer under warranty, and it will cover drift caused by wear and tear.
Switch players in Europe are already protected by a warranty that lasts for 24 months instead of the standard 12, and the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) noted that 88% of the 25,000 complaints it received about the Joy-Con drift issue were made within the first two years of use. Despite this, the BEUC still regards Nintendo’s repair program as a “tangible win for consumers” but notes that it is only a “short-term fix.” The group hopes that products with known defects leading to early failure will eventually be banned in Europe.
Joy-Con drift is a persistent issue that has been a source of frustration for gamers since the Switch’s release. The issue is characterized by the console detecting movement even when the player isn’t touching the controllers’ analog sticks. Nintendo has faced lawsuits accusing it of selling defective Joy-Con controllers, and company president Shuntaro Furukawa issued an apology for the issue in 2020. Nevertheless, the problem continues to impact players.
