Deleted member 81119

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I don't think I've seen much (if any) of that in the last few threads on the subject, honestly. I think people are generally accepting of the fact that there's something seriously wrong with Joy-Con, these days.
You'll still get a few people denying it's a problem. But you're right most accept it is. When I say downplaying, I mean downplaying how much this is Nintendo's fault. And there's absolutely loads of it even in this thread. "All controllers drift" "it's the stick manufacturers fault" "it's actually not possible for them to have designed a stick that doesn't drift". It's honestly exhausting just to read.

Its gone through phases too as the problems become more rife. Firstly people said it was a problem, but it wasn't widespread. Then people said it was a widespread problem but it was probably to do with the way you were using or storing your joycons. And now finally it is that it is widespread, it can happen to anyone, but it's still not Nintendo's fault.

Nintendo are great at games, but this shit is inexcusable.
 

Doskoi Panda

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 27, 2017
15,120
I wonder...

...if I picked up a set of brand new Joy-Con today...
...as well as a brand new Logitech gaming mouse...
...which would fail first?

My money's on the Logitech, but it's a real toss-up.

You could bet money on two things, though:

1) they're both gonna fail within a year, and that's a year if you're lucky
2) reviews for neither product are ever going to mention SHIT about their abysmal failure rates

I'm constantly stunned by how these two companies manage to dodge industry-wide criticism for their quality control failures this generation. Nintendo's a known quantity around here, but let me tell you, Logitech is right there next to Nintendo. Logitech still shows up constantly on mice recommendation articles and such. dodge that shit. The switches used for Logitech mice will fail. Usually very quickly.
 

Skittzo

Member
Oct 25, 2017
41,037
It wasn't a scam when the console launched, sure.

Now that they have been selling them for more than 3 years without doing anything at all about the issue, it's definitely a scam.

This is what recalls and extended warranties are for.

Definitely agree with you about extended warranties but I've seen so many threads about this issue (understandably) yet I haven't seen anyone actually come up with a way for Nintendo to make joycons that have the same exact dimensions but do not suffer from drift. Couldn't it be possible that this is simply a limitation that comes with controllers being this size?

Not to say that absolves Nintendo of any blame here but I'm trying to put on my engineer hat to figure out how they could permanently fix this issue.
 

Rodney McKay

Member
Oct 26, 2017
12,311
Unfortunately that's a deal breaker for me. I don't care about wireless, since when docked I always use the Pro Controller anyways. But gyro is a must. I hope they release a new version with gyro eventually.
There are the Vivefox joycons that were mentioned earlier (that I literally just ordered a pair of myself, haha).


I should get my pair this weekend, but they have gyro, rumble, wireless, and full sized analog sticks. And they're only $40 for the pair.

Pretty promising, I just need to make sure the buttons and triggers are acceptable to me.
 
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Alvis

Alvis

Saw the truth behind the copied door
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Oct 25, 2017
11,280
Definitely agree with you about extended warranties but I've seen so many threads about this issue (understandably) yet I haven't seen anyone actually come up with a way for Nintendo to make joycons that have the same exact dimensions but do not suffer from drift. Couldn't it be possible that this is simply a limitation that comes with controllers being this size?

Not to say that absolves Nintendo of any blame here but I'm trying to put on my engineer hat to figure out how they could permanently fix this issue.
Maybe it's insanely hard to fix. I don't care and I don't need to care. It's their problem. It's literally irrelevant to the fact that it's a scam.
 

Big_Erk

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,364
Chief's Kingdom
It wasn't a scam when the console launched, sure.

Now that they have been selling them for more than 3 years without doing anything at all about the issue, it's definitely a scam.

This is what recalls and extended warranties are for.
I agree with the fact that something needs to be done. I don't understand why NOA is the only one to fix the issue free of charge.
That said, I don't use my Joycons very much. My Pro Controller however has hundreds of hours of use without any issues.
 
Oct 25, 2017
15,070
Definitely agree with you about extended warranties but I've seen so many threads about this issue (understandably) yet I haven't seen anyone actually come up with a way for Nintendo to make joycons that have the same exact dimensions but do not suffer from drift. Couldn't it be possible that this is simply a limitation that comes with controllers being this size?

Not to say that absolves Nintendo of any blame here but I'm trying to put on my engineer hat to figure out how they could permanently fix this issue.
That's the problem I have.

Dude up there said it's exhausting to hear people say or hint that it's not possible to make an analogue that doesn't drift yet has no argument on whether it IS possible to design one and how.
 
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Alvis

Alvis

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Oct 25, 2017
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There are the Vivefox joycons that were mentioned earlier (that I literally just ordered a pair of myself, haha).


I should get my pair this weekend, but they have gyro, rumble, wireless, and full sized analog sticks. And they're only $40 for the pair.

Pretty promising, I just need to make sure the buttons and triggers are acceptable to me.

That's ugly as sin, but hey, I might get it anyways. I mean, I'm certainly not getting official joycons. Thanks!
 

astro

Member
Oct 25, 2017
57,296
They definitely do. The n64 stick is obviously known for it as it breaks down, the 360 controller is very well known for drift. It's something that's plagued the industry forever and it'd be nice for someone to fix it.
I've not once experienced this with a single controller in all my gears gaming. Had many gamepads on many consoles.

Have i just been incredibly lucky?
 

DeadDuck144

One Winged Slayer
Member
Jan 16, 2020
659
I've been really lucky that my launch Joy-Cons still haven't developed any issue. I refuse to buy any additional ones because of build quality complaints like these though.
 

Kamek

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,981
Anyone have a good tutorial to fix an L button that no longer works :( I've never had an issue with nintendo hardware and i have every main console except VB since NES
 
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Alvis

Alvis

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Oct 25, 2017
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That's the problem I have.

Dude up there said it's exhausting to hear people say or hint that it's not possible to make an analogue that doesn't drift yet has no argument on whether it IS possible to design one and how.
Dude, it's their fucking problem. Imagine if Microsoft during the 360 era said "yeah we don't know how to make a 360 that doesn't get the ring of death lol". Okay? I don't care, it's your problem, fix it or recall the product.
 

Rat King

Member
Oct 27, 2017
4,021
Portugal
Mine still function properly to this day but I mostly use my Pro Controller anyway. A good friend of mine is in his 3rd set. Probably the worst controllers Nintendo have put out to this day.
 
Oct 25, 2017
15,070
By the way, Hori Joycons with d-pad are just as bad as the official ones as far as drift is concerned.

Maybe they use the same mechanism.
 
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Alvis

Alvis

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I've not once experienced this with a single controller in all my gears gaming. Had many gamepads on many consoles.

Have i just been incredibly lucky?
No, the notion that drift is a normal thing in any console other than the Switch is a lie.
 

Trup1aya

Literally a train safety expert
Member
Oct 25, 2017
21,569
You ever heard of planned obsolescence? It's literally built into modern capitalism.
Let's not forget that Nintendo isn't the first one to have build issues like this. I'm still shocked nothing significant came out of the 360's severe RROD issues. I went through 3 of them, one of my friends went through 9 of them, 9!

Having said that, I'm still using my original pair of joy cons from my launch switch and they're working fine. YMMV.

For RROD, microsoft launched a $1 billion warranty replacement program.

Nintendo wont even acknowledge this issue.
 

Skittzo

Member
Oct 25, 2017
41,037
It is because other controllers don't fail anywhere near as quickly?
Yes but the issue is most other controllers have a lot more internal room to put in better functioning mechanics.

Nintendo has put themselves into a bind by designing the console and most of the peripherals to require joycons that have very specific dimensions, and anything bigger than that will not be compatible with a number of products. So the question is, is it possible to put in sticks that last as long as other controllers into the tiny amount of space they've allotted for themselves?
 

Toxi

The Fallen
Oct 27, 2017
17,553
Arguing that all controllers get drift eventually to defend the Joy-Con is like arguing all cars die eventually to defend the Ford Pinto.
 

Toxi

The Fallen
Oct 27, 2017
17,553
Yes but the issue is most other controllers have a lot more internal room to put in better functioning mechanics.

Nintendo has put themselves into a bind by designing the console and most of the peripherals to require joycons that have very specific dimensions, and anything bigger than that will not be compatible with a number of products. So the question is, is it possible to put in sticks that last as long as other controllers into the tiny amount of space they've allotted for themselves?
The question isn't "Can they put in sticks that last as long as other controllers?" The question is "Can they put in sticks that last more than two fucking months?"
 

Skittzo

Member
Oct 25, 2017
41,037
For RROD, microsoft launched a $1 billion warranty replacement program.

Nintendo wont even acknowledge this issue.
I mean, NOA is not acknowledging it because they're currently facing a lawsuit about it. If Microsoft was being sued for RROD issues then there is no way they would've acknowledged it. No business is that stupid.

Now, I also don't really expect b Nintendo to acknowledge it or offer much even after the lawsuit is concluded (assuming they win) but hopefully they don't win and have to pony up.
 

Deleted member 81119

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Sep 19, 2020
8,308
Yes but the issue is most other controllers have a lot more internal room to put in better functioning mechanics.

Nintendo has put themselves into a bind by designing the console and most of the peripherals to require joycons that have very specific dimensions, and anything bigger than that will not be compatible with a number of products. So the question is, is it possible to put in sticks that last as long as other controllers into the tiny amount of space they've allotted for themselves?
Could not agree more.
 
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Alvis

Alvis

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Oct 25, 2017
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Arguing that all controllers get drift eventually to defend the Joy-Con is like arguing all cars die eventually to defend the Ford Pinto.
And it's also a lie. I have like 6-7 GameCube controllers, some are purple from the actual GameCube era, some are the Wii U versions, some ware the Switch versions. All of them have been abused like crazy. Not a single one has drift. I don't know a single person who has experienced drift on a GameCube controller. Not a single one.

I also have never experienced or heard about drift on Xbox One controllers. Same with Wii U Pro controllers. Same with the Nunchuck. Same with the Wii Classic Controller. Same with the Original Xbox controller. Same with the PS2 controller. Same with... you get the point.
 

Joe

Member
Oct 25, 2017
8,694
It really is a huge disappointment. The Switch is one of my all time favorite consoles, but I've already had to send back to pairs for the drift issue, and one of the replacement pairs I got is now showing it as well.
 

Skittzo

Member
Oct 25, 2017
41,037
The question isn't "Can they put in sticks that last as long as other controllers?" The question is "Can they put in sticks that last more than two fucking months?"

That too. Basically I mean is there some sort of mechanism that can function in the same amount of space that is a lot more reliable. Or even a little more reliable.
 

EggmaniMN

Banned
May 17, 2020
3,465
No, the notion that drift is a normal thing in any console other than the Switch is a lie.

No, it absolutely isn't. I have, in my possession right here, a 360 controller that I no longer use because it drifts. It might not have the same cause but the effect is exactly the same. It holds a direction and I can't get it to stop without forcing it myself.
 
Oct 25, 2017
15,070
And it's also a lie. I have like 6-7 GameCube controllers, some are purple from the actual GameCube era, some are the Wii U versions, some ware the Switch versions. All of them have been abused like crazy. Not a single one has drift. I don't know a single person who has experienced drift on a GameCube controller. Not a single one.

I also have never experienced or heard about drift on Xbox One controllers. Same with Wii U Pro controllers. Same with the Nunchuck. Same with the Wii Classic Controller. Same with the Original Xbox controller. Same with the PS2 controller. Same with... you get the point.
I've had drift on two of those you mentioned.

Stop with the "lie" well.......lie.
 

Toxi

The Fallen
Oct 27, 2017
17,553
And it's also a lie. I have like 6-7 GameCube controllers, some are purple from the actual GameCube era, some are the Wii U versions, some ware the Switch versions. All of them have been abused like crazy. Not a single one has drift. I don't know a single person who has experienced drift on a GameCube controller. Not a single one.

I also have never experienced or heard about drift on Xbox One controllers. Same with Wii U Pro controllers. Same with the Nunchuck. Same with the Wii Classic Controller. Same with the Original Xbox controller. Same with the PS2 controller. Same with... you get the point.
The only thing that comes close to Drift for me is defective springs in PS4 shoulder triggers, but those are a simple fix (Just open the controller and remove the springs) and the problem took MUCH longer than the Joy-Con drift to show up.

My 3DS started having severe dust build-up problems, but that was after thousands of hours. And a single can of compressed air fixed it.

I have a pair of dead Joy-cons and a pair of "fixed" Joy-Cons I refuse to even use.
 

Eoin

Member
Oct 27, 2017
7,110
Nintendo has put themselves into a bind by designing the console and most of the peripherals to require joycons that have very specific dimensions, and anything bigger than that will not be compatible with a number of products. So the question is, is it possible to put in sticks that last as long as other controllers into the tiny amount of space they've allotted for themselves?
If there's no engineering solution then they need to step up, email an apology to every single registered Switch owner and put a banner on all their official websites, saying that from now on they will offer free repairs or replacements on every single JoyCon they have ever sold everywhere in the world, with no time limit and no questions asked, and start putting leaflets in every JoyCon box explaining that to new owners.

Also they should do most of that anyway even if they can fix the issue.

They have fucked this controller up so spectacularly that if they can't fix it on a component level then they need to fix it on a corporate level and if that costs them obscene amounts of money then fucking good.
 
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Alvis

Alvis

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Oct 25, 2017
11,280
I've had drift on two of those you mentioned.

Stop with the "lie" well.......lie.
Hm? Two out of all of these? I thought you had drift on every controller you ever used
I've had drift on every controller I've ever used and I've gamed a long time.

It's a general problem but yes, it's worse and more frequent with the Joycon.

I don't want a controller to last longer before it drifts, I want one that doesn't drift.
 

ss_lemonade

Member
Oct 27, 2017
6,712
You don't read well at all, I've hated on this issue here and in the past.

Like already mentioned, all analogue sticks have this issue, Nintendo and otherwise.

All makers of analogue sticks must be scammers then.
I've had slight drift with other controllers before, but it's usually the controllers being off center due to a loose stick so deadzone becomes a problem (was a big issue with our 360 controllers). The joycons are strange in that (at least in my experience) they still feel stiff but decide to just randomly move on their own once you get hit with drifting.
 

Rodney McKay

Member
Oct 26, 2017
12,311
By the way, Hori Joycons with d-pad are just as bad as the official ones as far as drift is concerned.

Maybe they use the same mechanism.
Yeah, I figured those probably had the same analog stick mechanism, but at least I only paid like $10-20 for it (I think I got it on sale at Target last year).

When mine eventually start drifting I won't feel nearly as bad as when my main joycons do.
 
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Alvis

Alvis

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Oct 25, 2017
11,280
Again that was their lawyer team. And nobody in their right mind would expect lawyers to say anything else.
Well, does it matter that they said "sorry" if they haven't offered any sort of solution, plan, or explanation on what they're going to do to adress the problem?
 

James

Member
Oct 25, 2017
271
US
It's shitty that Nintendo haven't publicly addressed the concerns about Joy-Cons in any meaningful way.

With that said...

The Joy-Cons are really cool tech packed into a small factor. The balance of size, comfort, flexibility, and utility completely blew me away at launch.

Some amount of failure is expected in this sort of product. The small form factor will increase that somewhat. Quite a few people seem to think that the failure rate is higher than it should be, but I haven't had an issue with any of mine. I haven't seen any estimate of Joy-Con failure rates that are likely to be in any way accurate.

Almost all Joy-Con drift is just dirty contacts. It seems gamers are gross and filthy.
www.youtube.com

How to Fix Joy-Con Drift at Home! No tools required! | Nintendrew

In this video, I'll share my own method for fixing joy-con thumbstick drifting at home. Thanks for watching! BECOME A MEMBER! ▶▶ http://bit.ly/drewcrew Patre...
 
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Alvis

Alvis

Saw the truth behind the copied door
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Oct 25, 2017
11,280
If there's no engineering solution then they need to step up, email an apology to every single registered Switch owner and put a banner on all their official websites, saying that from now on they will offer free repairs or replacements on every single JoyCon they have ever sold everywhere in the world, with no time limit and no questions asked, and start putting leaflets in every JoyCon box explaining that to new owners.

Also they should do most of that anyway even if they can fix the issue.

They have fucked this controller up so spectacularly that if they can't fix it on a component level then they need to fix it on a corporate level and if that costs them obscene amounts of money then fucking good.
Yeah, this is the whole point.

Maybe adressing this problem properly would cost Nintendo a fortune.

Good. It should cost them a fortune. It's their problem and they should deal with it.
 

Deleted member 81119

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Sep 19, 2020
8,308
If there's no engineering solution then they need to step up, email an apology to every single registered Switch owner and put a banner on all their official websites, saying that from now on they will offer free repairs or replacements on every single JoyCon they have ever sold everywhere in the world, with no time limit and no questions asked, and start putting leaflets in every JoyCon box explaining that to new owners.
There absolutely is an engineering solution, just not in the tiny form factor that the joy cons currently have. But their current form factor is badly designed.
 

PRrambo_

PlayStation.jif
Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,921
My left joy con stafted drifting after 2 months. Bought a new one and 3 months later drifting again. Then I bought a Pro Controller.

Sucks that I never get to enjoy the switch as a portable.
 

Last_colossi

The Fallen
Oct 27, 2017
4,267
Australia
Maybe it's insanely hard to fix. I don't care and I don't need to care. It's their problem. It's literally irrelevant to the fact that it's a scam.

This Reddit post theorises that it might be a design oversight that causes dust and debris to enter sensitive parts of the controller which may cause the drift, so maybe dustier environments are more prone to joycon drift?

Either all Nintendo should have setup a global free repair program and a joycon revision that fixed the issue long ago. Although at this point I wouldn't be surprised if Nintendo just decided to fix it once the Switch Pro releases as they might also be redesigning the standard Switch for release around that time as well.
 

Biske

Member
Nov 11, 2017
8,294
I've still never had this issue with any of my joycons from launch but it's clearly an issue. I did get a pro controller with a bad dpad but the second one I got has been fine.

Meanwhile all of my Microsoft controllers have it to some degree.

Same. Been fine for me. I am not a fan of the DPAD on the pro controller, although its only ever a problem in tetris, every other game the issues with it don't really matter.
 

Barn

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,137
Los Angeles
I don't believe the conspiracy that Joy-Con were intended as a planned obsolescence scam, but Nintendo's lack of action addressing their faulty design is completely inexcusable, and immensely frustrating. I like the Joy-Con in concept, but as a day-one Switch owner who spends way too much money on the whole Switch ecosystem, I'm rocking one pair of horribly drifting launch-day JCs, one pair of badly drifting Splatoon JCs, and another pair of launch JCs that just went inexplicably and completely dead. The Splatoon Joy-Cons also have horrendous connectivity issues, where they either just flat out un-pair themselves or it'll take three button presses to register one hit.

I think this is a case where leadership like Iwata's is sorely missed. Nintendo has obviously been trucking on just fine, but Iwata's history of taking personal responsibility tells me that he would have likely ensured that Nintendo took responsibility for this, eaten the costs (which they can certainly afford at this juncture) and moved past it. Free repairs (where available) are nice, but the fact that Nintendo is still using analog components that they know to have an overwhelmingly high failure rate -- on an $80 controller or a controller built in to the system, no less -- is really disgusting.
 

Doskoi Panda

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 27, 2017
15,120
It's shitty that Nintendo haven't publicly addressed the concerns about Joy-Cons in any meaningful way.

With that said...

The Joy-Cons are really cool tech packed into a small factor. The balance of size, comfort, flexibility, and utility completely blew me away at launch.

Some amount of failure is expected in this sort of product. The small form factor will increase that somewhat. Quite a few people seem to think that the failure rate is higher than it should be, but I haven't had an issue with any of mine. I haven't seen any estimate of Joy-Con failure rates that are likely to be in any way accurate.

Almost all Joy-Con drift is just dirty contacts. It seems gamers are gross and filthy.
www.youtube.com

How to Fix Joy-Con Drift at Home! No tools required! | Nintendrew

In this video, I'll share my own method for fixing joy-con thumbstick drifting at home. Thanks for watching! BECOME A MEMBER! ▶▶ http://bit.ly/drewcrew Patre...
I've been keeping my Joy-Con ridiculously clean since launch. Doubly-so since my first drift incident, and it just keeps happening.

You seem to be unaware of this, but the 'dirt' that's being cleaned away by contact cleaner... is the same graphite that the Switch's analog mechanism is coated with. It gets scratched off over time by the pins underneath the joystick. That graphite, resting on the electronic pad which the controller uses to determine the analog stick's position, will cause the controller to report incorrect analog values. That's what causes the drift.

Typically, a little bit of dirt, dust, or grime inside the mechanism won't even cause drift on its own, because for the most part that shit's not conductive, like graphite is.

And electronic contact cleaner is only a temporary fix. An application will usually fix the issue for a little while, but not much longer. No matter how clean you keep your Joy-Con before or after the fact. Plenty of us here can corroborate that.

Trust me, you'll probably find yourself quite a bit less likely to call out filthiness as the root cause once your Joy-Con start drifting. And they almost certainly will... because drift is caused by simply using the analog stick until it wears down.
 
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