Since even before the Nintendo Switch came out, reports have been circulating about the left Joy-Con losing connectivity with the console while in docked mode.
Now one enterprising YouTuber has claimed to have found a fix, but be warned - it’s not easy.
The YouTuber, Spawn Wave, found the fix by tearing apart the controller, and discovered that the right Joy-Con (ie the working one) has a detachable antenna, while the left’s (ie the problem child) is printed on the circuit board directly.
It seems that this PCB mounting of the antenna is causing its connectivity issues, so by extending the antenna with a piece of soldered wire, Spawn Wave claims to have solved the connectivity issues.
Don't try this at home
When Xbox 360 consoles were experiencing red rings of death, home repair kits became quite common. Although involved, users could take their console apart, replace some thermal paste and remove a heat-sink to fix the console's overheating problems.
That said, we wouldn’t recommend attempting the fix yourself for a couple of reasons. First is the fact that the video itself doesn’t show the repair being completed - only its seemingly successful result. Secondly, the video itself warns you to not attempt the repair which is hardly a great endorsement.
But thirdly, and most importantly, is the fact that Nintendo has corrected such issues in the past. When it emerged that the Wii’s controller straps weren’t enough to stop them flying out of people’s hands and smashing TVs, the company not only sent reinforced controller straps out to people free of charge, but also produced Wii controller jackets to cushion the hard plastic when it did go flying.
Given how widespread the issue is - we’ve managed to replicate it just by putting our leg between the left Joy-Con and our docked console - we’re hoping for a full response from Nintendo soon.
- Check out our full Nintendo Switch review
