Nintendo Faces $46 Million Fine Due to Joy-Con Controller Issues

Owners of the original Switch have one major concern: stick drift. Nintendo’s detachable controllers gained a notorious reputation during the last generation for their tendency to malfunction. This issue was significant enough that the company’s president issued an apology, leading to a program for free Joy-Con repairs. Fast forward to today, and Nintendo is finally facing repercussions for this apparent design flaw.

Even as Nintendo shifts focus to a new console, the pressure regarding the original Joy-Con has been building for years. In 2022, a European consumer group claimed that Nintendo’s hardware components showed significant wear after just a few months of use, leading to many Joy-Con units breaking down. While these controllers remained functional, they often exhibited stick drift, causing the joystick to register constant input in one direction. This made gameplay frustrating, especially considering the controllers’ high price tag.

Recently, Nintendo was hit with a €35 million fine by France’s consumer rights office over the Joy-Con situation (approximately $46 million at current exchange rates). The Consumer Affairs office imposed this penalty after an internal investigation revealed that Nintendo “did not fairly inform consumers about the malfunctions affecting certain controllers,” according to reports.

The office claims that Nintendo was aware of the hardware defect but chose to remain silent for years. It wasn’t until European advocacy groups raised alarms about potential planned obsolescence and a class-action lawsuit was filed that the company acknowledged the issue. The lack of transparency, the office argues, led many fans to miss out on free repairs, pushing them instead to “buy more controllers” after experiencing stick drift.

Nintendo has denied any wrongdoing regarding consumer misinformation, describing the $46 million fine as “the amicable resolution of legal proceedings.” In 2021, Nintendo claimed that its OLED Switch model featured improved Joy-Con, yet reports of stick drift continued to surface.

While the fine may seem substantial, it could be viewed as a mere slap on the wrist for Nintendo. Last year, the company reportedly raked in billions in profit following the successful launch of the Switch 2. Although stick drift can affect any controller, its occurrence has decreased with the introduction of the new, advanced Joy-Con designs for the Switch 2.

The Joy-Con 2 feel great, sound great, and work surprisingly well.