Nintendo has started offering free repairs for faulty Joy-Cons in European countries, regardless of warranty status. On the support page of Nintendo’s UK website, the company says it will fix drifting Joy-Cons for free in the UK, Switzerland and the European Economic Area (EEA), even if the warranty has expired.

While Nintendo has offered free in-warranty repairs for Joy-Cons in North America, Latin America and France, this policy has not yet extended to the UK, Switzerland and all EEA countries. The company will only repair defective Joy-Cons in these countries for free if the warranty is valid.

However, Nintendo reserves the right to refuse repairs if the sticks drift is caused by third-party accessories, if it is due to accidental damage, or if the controller has been “opened, modified or repaired” by anyone not authorized by Nintendo. Nor will the company repair faulty Joy-Cons forever for free – the offer is only available “until further notice”.

Joy-Con drift has been an issue since the Switch was first released in 2017. Nintendo itself has suggested that the problem will never be solved and that the company is constantly struggling with drift. This issue has led to numerous lawsuits.

In 2021, the European Consumer Organization (BEUC) called on the European Commission to investigate the problem, and a study by a UK consumer group later found that a design flaw was causing the handle to shift. The problem can even occur with newer OLED Switch models, prompting some third-party companies to develop their own drift-proof Joy-Con designs.

Third-party sticks Gulikit solved the problem of “drift” on the Nintendo Switch – in six years, the manufacturer has not managed to solve it.

Source: The Verge