game console
Free repair of Nintendo Switch controllers
The European consumer association Beuc has complained to the Commission about the defective Joy-Con controllers on the Nintendo Switch games console. photo
© Benjamin Nolte/dpa/dpa-tmn
After more than 25,000 complaints, there is good news for Nintendo Switch users. In future, defective Joy-Con controllers can be repaired for life.
Owners of the Nintendo Switch game console can now have defective Joy-Con controllers repaired for life. “This avoids the disposal of unrepaired controllers and unnecessary waste,” Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders said in a press release from the EU Commission.
According to the Commission, the problem known as “joy-con drift” renders the controllers unusable. It affects both Nintendo Switch and the slightly newer Nintendo Switch Lite consoles. According to the announcement, Nintendo has agreed to carry out the repairs.
The European consumer association Beuc had previously complained to the Commission about the problem with the games console. According to Beuc, there were almost 25,000 complaints about the controller defect by January 2021 alone.
User groups suspect that it is a case of premature wear. The Nintendo Switch is one of the world’s most popular gaming consoles. The Japanese company reported more than 122 million Switch units sold worldwide at the end of last year.