Nintendo is already offering Switch 2 Joy-Con 2 replacements for free amid concerns that they will suffer from joystick drift just like the original version.
It’s no secret that Joy-Con drift was the biggest issue that plagued the original Nintendo Switch. The joysticks in the smaller controller quickly wore out, causing thousands of them to break in the process.
Nintendo was quick to respond to the issue, however, and set up a program that allowed affected customers to send in their drifting Joy-Con for a free replacement, assuming the company concluded the issue was caused by a manufacturing defect and not misuse by the customer.
On Friday, June 6, just a day after the console came out, it was discovered that Nintendo is already offering free replacements for defective controllers, and teardowns have revealed that the joystick isn’t improved much.
Joy-Con drift may still be a thing
Notably, it’s impossible to tell how much of an issue Joy-Con drift will be until more people use their Switch 2 for a longer period, as a single day isn’t long enough to wear down the controller.
Nintendo revealed back in April that the new controllers don’t use Hall Effect sensors, which would nearly eliminate stick drift issues due to them not having a mechanical point that wears down, but claimed that they have been redesigned from the ground up with better potentiometer sticks.
According to iFixit, which tore down the controllers to check out the new joystick, the chances of the Joy-Con 2 having stick drift issues are still rather high.
The decision to use regular sensors on the Switch 2 has left many users befuddled, but there’s one major design reason that makes the lack of hall effect joysticks make a ton of sense.
And that is the magnetic attachment method for the Joy-Con 2. If Nintendo used Hall Effect sensors on the controller, they would likely suffer from interference when attached to the Switch 2 itself.
JerryRigEverything’s durability test revealed that the controller attaches to the device thanks to metal shoulder buttons that attach to the magnets inside the Switch 2.
