Last Edited: July 25, 2019 at 10:24 PM
This portion of the Nintendo Switch IGN wiki explains what Joy-Con Drift is and how to solve this problem. For other Nintendo Switch issues, be sure to check out the Problems and Troubleshooting page.
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Joy-Con drift is when Joy-Con register input where there is none. This means your character, or a reticle, could move in a direction without your input. This problem was first reported early on in the Nintendo Switch’s lifecycle. Reports on Joy-Con drift could lead to a class action lawsuit as the law firm of Chimicles Schwartz Kriner & Donaldson-Smith (CSK&D) has already filed a class action lawsuit against Nintendo in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington.
It’s unclear what the cause of Joy-Con drift is but one Joy-Con teardown published on Reddit by user u/rainbopython back in April claims that the drift problem could be caused by wear-and-tear over time. Still, this is just speculation.
There are a few fixed for Joy-Con drift. Below are two solutions: recalibrating your joysticks and sending it in for a free repair.
Note: If you sent your Joy-Con in for repair and were charged, Nintendo will issue you a refund.
Recalibrate Your joysticks[edit]
It’s possible that you just need to recalibrate your controller. Here’s how to do it.
To calibrate the joysticks, go to:
- System Settings
- Controllers and Sensors
- Calibrate Control Sticks
Send it to Nintendo for a free repair (/get a refund for previous repairs)[edit]
As reported by Vice, Nintendo will now fix Joy-Con drift for free and issue a refund to anyone charged for previous repairs. This is according to an internal Nintendo document.
Nintendo has yet to provide an official statement but one of our reporters has been given a refund for a recent repair following this report. And was told by a customer service rep that “this was for all customers impacted by [Joy-Con drift].”
Here’s how to send your Joy-Con in for a repair:
Here’s how to request a refund for a previous repair:
- call in (US & Canada) to 1-855-548-4693 to get your refund.
The Nintendo Switch Lite doesn’t have detachable Joy-Con. While the design of the Nintendo Switch Lite, and the fact that it’s the newest iteration of the Switch, could mean it won’t have these problems users are concerned that drift could still be an issue.
If that’s the case, users would have to send in the entire console for a repair because the Nintendo Switch Lite does not have detachable Joy-Con.
The Nintendo Switch Lite comes out on September 20, 2019 for $199.99. Once it’s out, we will keep up to date on any reported issues.
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