Nintendo Switch's unending Joy-Con drift issues prompt new $5m class-action lawsuit

It has been more than three years since the Nintendo Switch launched to critical acclaim. The hybrid approach of the console made it an ideal platform middle-ground for gamers who want a handheld device that can output on a bigger display when needed. This allowed the manufacturer to catch up to Sony and Microsoft's head start and even unseat the latter in sales numbers. Unfortunately, despite its successes, one issue persists to this day – Joy-Con drift.

While not all Switch units are affected by the problem, there were more than enough to spark a class-action lawsuit filed in 2019 against the company. This reportedly prompted Nintendo to update its policies and repair faulty controllers for free. The Verge notes that Joy-Cons which are already beyond the original warranty period are still being serviced free of charge.

However, most gaming industry pundits remain puzzled as to why Nintendo still has not resolved the Joy-Con drift debacle. With rumours of a more powerful Switch already in development, consumers wonder if this will persist an in the new model. Until now, the ones that mostly exhibit the ghost movements are usually the left unit. Although there are reports that claim the right one is equally susceptible, it is more common on the former.

A statement previously released by the Japanese gaming firm to address the matter read: "At Nintendo, we take great pride in creating quality products and we are continuously making improvements to them. We are aware of recent reports that some Joy-Con controllers are not responding correctly. We want our consumers to have fun with Nintendo Switch, and if anything falls short of this goal we always encourage them to visit http://support.nintendo.com so we can help."

While it is not as rampant on the Switch Lite, Joy-Con drift has been confirmed. What makes it even more frustrating -- from a consumer standpoint -- is the fact that the analogue sticks are integrated. Unlike the Standard model – which can swap out the controllers – the entire system needs to be serviced by Nintendo. This led to another class-action lawsuit filed against the company earlier this month for $5 million.