Stick Drift Strikes Again? Here's the Lowdown on Nintendo's Joy-Con 2 Repair Service
Hopeful Doomers with Switch 2 drifting Joy-Cons seek resolution through Nintendo's free repair service for faulty Joy-Con controllers.
Looks like the rumors about the Switch 2's Joy-Con analog sticks being a step up from the original have taken a hit. Early hardware breakdowns suggest that, under the hood, they're quite similar to the originals, and comparably prone to the dreaded analog stick drift that plagued the original console.
Fearing a repeat, some fans have leaped at the prospect of Nintendo's repair service. While some people boast about the 'free drift repair' Nintendo's offering, it's not totally accurate, but there is indeed a free repair option for busted controllers.
It's no surprise that busted Joy-Con 2 controllers have their own service request form in Nintendo's online customer support desk. If you select "controller" as your affected product under physical damage, and then specify Joy-Con 2, you'll be directed to a Joy-Con 2 repair request form.
The form provides a selection of symptoms for repair, but you'll notice a conspicuous absence of drift. Symptoms include:
- Unable to attach or detach Joy-Con 2 / Joy-Con from the console
- Joy-Con 2 / Joy-Con Stick feels loose
- Joy-Con 2 / Joy-Con R or L stick doesn't work
- Physical damage to Joy-Con 2 / Joy-Con
- Joy-Con 2 / Joy-Con buttons don't work
- Joy-Con 2 Mouse sensor isn't functioning
So, if you're suffering from good old-fashioned stick drift - and it rears its head so soon after launch, it's probably a manufacturing defect rather than wear and tear from use - you might be left scratching your head about what to select. "Doesn't work" feels pretty apt, but "loose" and "physical damage" aren't off-base either.
To confirm that you can indeed send in a faulty Joy-Con 2 free of charge, I went through the service process. And yep, it's free! No price, shipping, or tax, at least at this stage of the request.
While it's not the Hall Effect drift prevention that some Switch 2 hopefuls had been looking for, this repair service does offer some peace of mind. Just, uh, make do without your Joy-Cons while they're in transit purgatory.
On a brighter note, it's worth mentioning that the next big Switch 2 exclusive Donkey Kong Bananza is playable on Switch 1 after all, you just need a friend kind enough to share it to your dusty old relic of a console.
Feeling RNG-my luck's running thin, but I just might score an invite to the exclusive Steam Next Fest happening this June 16-20.*
Sources:[1] Nintendo's official repair service for Joy-Con 2 failure to function includes non-functional joy-cons in its repair categories, inferring that it can address stick drift issues as well.
[2] Teardown reports confirm that the internal components of the Joy-Con 2 thumb sticks are remarkably similar to those of the original Joy-Cons, raising concerns of repeated stick drift issues.
[3] Nintendo has made a dedicated Joy-Con 2 repair request form available on their online customer support system for users to submit requests for malfunctioning Joy-Con 2 controllers.
- Despite some hopes, the CD-ROM drives in the rumored Nintendo Switch 2 appear to be operating on similar hardware to the original console's Joy-Con controllers.
- With the prospect of the Joy-Con 2's analog sticks being susceptible to stick drift, many fans are eager to utilize Nintendo's repair service for their busted controllers.
- To request a repair for a faulty Joy-Con 2 controller, one must navigate to the Joy-Con 2 repair request form on Nintendo's online customer support desk after selecting "controller" as the affected product under physical damage.
- While the repair form offers options for symptoms such as loose sticks, physical damage, and button malfunctions, it does not include an option for stick drift specifically.
- If the Joy-Con 2's analog stick drift becomes an issue, users unsure of which option to select might find "doesn't work" or "loose" the most suitable choices.
- In the meantime, gamers can keep an eye on upcoming gadgets like the latest smartphones and technology for potential alternatives to the Joy-Con 2 controllers, or eke out some fun with action games on competing consoles like TV-connected hardware or a smartphone.
