One of the historical problems of the Nintendo switch is the driftdrift) that is detected on the Joy-Con after a period of use. It causes the analog sticks to register movements when the player does not touch them.
To be more specific, the cause of the problem in the Joy-Con is that the metal flaps at the base of the sticks are loosened. This results in a loss of contact between the pads and the metal tips that record revenue. This defect in the controls of the Nintendo Switch has brought several headaches to the directors of Nintendo, and now the company has implied that there will never be a definitive solution.
A couple of engineers from the Japanese company made reference to the issue in the question and answer session Ask the Developer. It took place within the framework of the arrival on the market of the Nintendo Switch OLED, which is officially available from today. Toru yamashita, Deputy General Manager of Nintendo’s Technology Development Department, discussed the progress in controller development:
The Joy-Con have many different functions, so we have continued to make improvements that may not always be visible. […] The analog stick parts have been continuously optimized since launch and we are still working on improvements.
The parts of the analog Joy-Con joysticks are not something that can be purchased from the factory, they are specially designed. That is why we have gone through many considerations to improve them. Additionally, we have improved the reliability test itself and continue to make changes to improve durability and pass this new test.
But beyond what Yamashita said, the most interesting came through Ko Shiota. The also director of the Department of Technology Development was asked if they believed that the wear on the controls of the Nintendo Switch it was inevitable because they were pieces in permanent physical contact. This was his answer:
Yes. As an example, car tires wear out as the car moves as they are in constant friction with the ground to turn. So, with that same premise, we ask ourselves: How can we improve durability ?; And not only that, but how can both operability and durability coexist? It is something we continually address.
For Nintendo, the drift in the Joy-Con of the Switch is inevitable
What Yamashita and Shiota have done is acknowledge that, no matter how much better the analog sticks on the Nintendo Switch controllers improve, the problem will reappear sooner or later. What is peculiar in this story is that many of the users who have suffered the drift in the Joy-Con they have not been subjected to intensive punishment.
In addition, it has been shown that the problem is easily solvable with a hack home. In July we told you that you only need a small piece of paper one millimeter thick to repair the controls. It is responsible for maintaining the pressure between the components of the lever to prevent them from coming loose and losing contact.
Nintendo says that since the launch of the Switch in 2017, continuous improvements have been made to the controls. However, it’s hard to believe that the company is resigned to the player experience being affected forever. blaming the “wear” of the componentseven when they are new. Even more so when drift it was the only real glitch the console has suffered since it hit the market.