New Survey States 40 Percent of Switch Users Experience Joy-Con Drift

gamerant.com:

The Nintendo Switch initially impressed the gaming community when it was first unveiled back in 2017. Part handheld, part home system, the new console gave fans the ability to take some of their favorite Nintendo titles with them wherever they went. However, since the Switch's release, some gamers have realized that after hours of extended play, there is a major hardware problem with the console. Specifically, the problem resides within the Nintendo Switch's controllers, and is known to many as Joy-Con drift.

Joy-Con drift has been compared to the wear and tear of a car tire by Nintendo. As gamers spend hours on their Switch fighting Calamity Ganon in Breath of the Wild or ending friendships with a blue shell in Mario Kart, eventually they will cause Joy-Con drift, which is when the analogue sticks will act as if they are moving without player input. This can be incredibly frustrating when it becomes a major issue, as players will feel as though the control of their game is out of their hands.

Nintendo Switch Joy-Con Drift Repair Center Was Inundated With Requests

While the latest OLED Switch allegedly prevents Joy-Con drift to an extent, the problem is becoming more prevalent among the users of Nintendo's newest console. According to UK consumer group Which?, 40 percent of Nintendo Switch users report that they have experienced issues with Joy-Con drift. However, out of the numerous customers that have experienced a fault with their Joy-Cons, only 73 percent actually spoke to Nintendo about it.

Which? found the latter of these statistics to be especially concerning, as it meant that consumers can «be left footing the bill themselves to replace faulty controllers.» They then urged Nintendo to investigate the issue properly,