Joy-Con drift is a bothersome phenomenon that causes the affected controller to detect directional input where there is none, which can be extremely frustrating to players as it inevitably causes them to make mistakes, like selecting the wrong attack in Pokemon or inadvertently moving a character to a place where they might be vulnerable in Mario + Rabbids. One New Pokemon Snap player became a victim of Joy-Con drift and had their hard-earned, perfect shot of the rare and notoriously skittish Meloetta ruined thanks to the infamous controller issue.
RELATED: Nintendo Planning Production Boost of Aging Switch
Gulikit has created replacement joysticks for affected Joy-Cons that use electromagnetic Hall sensors which it claims are not only far more durable than the original components, but also use less power and thus prolong the battery life of Joy-Cons. The main caveat here is that users will have to replace the component themselves using the provided tools to correct the issue, which is allegedly caused by an inherent design flaw in the Nintendo Switch.
A recent survey stated that 40% of Nintendo Switch users experience Joy-Con drift which is an alarming statistic. The Joy-Con drift issue cropped up relatively early in the Switch’s life cycle and as yet there have not been any significant change to the controller’s design, perhaps in the face of periodic lawsuits that might construe any design revisions as an admission of guilt on the part of Nintendo.
Nintendo has compared Joy-Cons to car tires in an effort to downplay the drift issue, saying that wear and tear are inevitable. This is true in a sense, but it is hard to ignore the sheer volume of players who are experiencing the dreaded drift. For those who are having issues within the 12-month warranty period, it would likely be best to pursue a claim through Nintendo rather than resorting to third-party measures to fix Joy-Cons.
MORE: Iconic Nintendo Franchises that Skipped the N64
Source: Gizmodo
