Nintendo is being sued by a boy and his mother over Joy-Con drift. The pair have filed a class action lawsuit against Nintendo, alleging that the company hasn’t done enough to tackle the ongoing issue of Joy-Con drift.
Joy-Con drift is essentially described as a fault in the controller which, after a period of use, causes the analog stick to engage without any input. This can lead to characters or reticules moving on screen, and it’s annoying to say the least. Nintendo isn't the only one which has come under fire over drifting analog sticks, either, with one man suing Microsoft over the same problem.
The most recent complaint filed against Nintendo describes how Luz Sanchez, the mother of the Switch-playing child, noticed that the Joy-Con were registering movements even when her son wasn’t touching them within a month of buying the console.
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After a year, Sanchez said “the Joy-Con drift became so pronounced that the controllers became inoperable for general gameplay use.” Sanchez stated that she subsequently bought another pair of Joy-Con, but just seven months later, the issue of Joy-Con drift reared its ugly head once again.
Even though Nintendo has already been sued over the troublesome and alleged defect multiple times, it’s clear that this issue persists for many. Interestingly, Nintendo began fixing Joy-Con that exhibited drift for free, even after a user’s warranty had expired, in July 2019. Many took this move as a sly admission that there was indeed an issue, and Nintendo has since apologized.
Tokyo drift
Despite Nintendo’s willingness to offer free repairs, Sanchez’s lawyers believe Nintendo hasn’t done enough to warn consumers. “Defendant continues to market and sell the products with full knowledge of the defect and without disclosing the Joy-Con Drift defect to consumers in its marketing, promotion, or packaging,” the complaint reads.
It doesn't help that Joy-Con are expensive to replace and cost $80 for a brand new pair. Joy-Con drift is especially problematic for Nintendo Switch Lite users, too, as the Joy-Con cannot be removed, meaning users have to send their whole console to Nintendo for a repair.
It’s becoming clear that sooner or later, Nintendo will have to address Joy-Con drift in a more transparent fashion as this continues to be a contentious (and potentially costly) issue for many Nintendo Switch owners.
Via Wired
