Nintendo has pledged to fix faulty Switch Joy-Con controllers in more territories, including the UK, even if they are out-of-warranty.
In an update on the official Nintendo Support page (thanks, Nintendo Life), the company says, "Nintendo takes great pride in creating high-quality and durable products and is continuously making improvements to them. Therefore and until further notice, Nintendo offers to consumers who purchased the respective product in the EEA, UK and Switzerland that repairs for responsiveness syndrome relating to control sticks will be conducted at no charge by official Nintendo repair centres."
What Nintendo refers to as "responsiveness syndrome" is better known as drifting and is when a Joy-Con detects a directional input when the joysticks aren't being used. Nintendo says this offer applies even if the issue is caused by wear and tear and the 24-month manufacturer's warranty has expired. However, the company reserves the right to refuse free repairs if the Joy-Con drift has been caused by accidental damage, unreasonable use, modification or use with products not supplied.
Though not usually game-breaking, Joy-Con drift is an annoying defect that's been a problem for many Switch players, so it's good to see Nintendo rolling out hassle-free repairs at no cost to more territories. This is already offered in some regions, including North America.
Earlier this year, a federal judge dismissed a Joy-Con drift class-action lawsuit because players signed up to Nintendo's end user agreement. Meanwhile, in the UK, consumer group Which? published a report which claims Switch's Joy-Con drift is on Nintendo, not consumers, as the issue is down to a "design flaw."
Switch fans will want their controllers in full working order when The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom launches on May 12. Last week we got another look at the highly anticipated follow-up with a gameplay trailer that showcased new traversal and abilities for Link. On top of that, Nintendo has revealed a stunning Tears of the Kingdom-themed Nintendo Switch OLED console that will arrive shortly before the game on April 28 and retails for $359.99
Check out our upcoming Switch games guide for all the great titles coming to Nintendo's latest console.
