If you have a Nintendo Switch at home or know someone who does, you may have encountered the infamous Nintendo issue – Joycon drift. Drift is a common issue that severely impacts the Joycon’s performance and can affect gameplay because of unresponsive or slow controllers. However, Nintendo is now offering free Joycon repairs for drifting issues.
A typical repair for Joycon drift will take a few days, plus shipping times. Because shipping times factor heavily, this process can take a few weeks, depending on where you live. And, because Nintendo is offering this service for free, you may encounter long wait times.
To get a better idea of how this service by Nintendo works and what is needed to complete the process, keep reading this article for information. Because there is a process to send your information to Nintendo, it’s crucial to follow the steps carefully, so you face no issues during your Joycon repair.
Sending Out Your Joycon for Repair
For years now, fans of the Nintendo Switch have been pointing out a common issue they experience as they use the gaming device. When this happens, the controller sticks move in unexpected and unpredictable ways. Because of this, the experience of playing a game can be seriously affected.
While Nintendo has repeatedly denied the issue, there is now a customer support page on the website wholly dedicated to Joycon drift issues. So how do you file a customer support ticket and send it off? Here is the process:
- Find the customer support page dedicated to Joycon Repair on Nintendo’s website.
- Fill out your personal information, shipping data, and information about your Joycon.
- Agree to the repair terms and submit your ticket to Nintendo.
The company will correspond with you further, and then you can ship out the Joycon (not the Nintendo Switch console) to their location!
Important Things To Remember
When sending your Joycon out for repair, there are some things to consider about the process. For one, as of now, the repairing method for the Nintendo Joycon is completely free. This change is a massive relief for avid fans, who would have previously had to pay repair fees close to the cost of a new Joycon controller.
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Another thing to remember is that creating a ticket on the site, and shipping out Joycons, is a feature available based on your region. The Nintendo website has only opened tickets for Joycon repair in the United States and Canada. For people residing in other countries, repairs may be available at official Nintendo service centers.
If you have a unique, one-of-a-kind, or limited edition controller, you might want to think twice about this process. If you send in your controller, and the same color is no longer available, the build may be replaced by the standard available colors – gray, neon blue, or neon red.
Another thing worrying people facing Joycon drifting problems is that their warranty may have expired. If that is the case for you, Nintendo provides free repairs for the Joycon even if your warranty has expired. So make sure to avail this accessible facility while it is still available.
Joycon Repairs At Home
Because Nintendo took so long to respond to this issue, many have resorted to fixing the problem themselves. Some use paper and isopropyl alcohol, and some have even figured out a way to open up the Joycon and have a look inside. While at-home repairs can provide some relief, they can cause issues further down the line if they damage the body of the device. If you have problems, for example, with a Joycon switching off, you could try non-abrasive repairs at home.
Consider all available options before opening up your Joycon or repairing it at home. For example, Nintendo may not fix Joycons damaged from at-home repairs. It’s always good to go to a service center or contact Nintendo customer support and repairs teams. Meddling with the Joycon at home can also cancel any warranty you may have on your device.
Other Ways To Fix Control Stick Issues
According to Nintendo, there are other ways to combat issues with your Joycon control sticks. These methods are great to fix minor problems in Joycons, such as configuration, update management, and game bugs. Here are some of the precautions you can take before opting for a repair:
- Check your controller configuration and whether you have set it to the standard controls.
- Attach your Joycons to the console.
- Make sure the console can register the Joycons. You can see this through the Home screen.
- Make sure that your software has updated to the most recent version.
- Also, check if the Joycons have updated to the most recent firmware version.
- Calibrate the control sticks to check for software issues.
- If there are still persistent issues, it’s time to check if your Joycon can be repaired.
For issues relating to a controller not registering or attaching at all, you will need to troubleshoot each controller individually. This step helps reduce the risk of sending out a functional Joycon for repair. You can also try restarting and resetting the controller and attempting to attach it again. However, if this still doesn’t work, you may have to opt for a repair.
Before you start a ticket at the Nintendo Customer Support page, go through all of these steps to eliminate software issues. There may also be issues with certain games, in which case you can try a few changes. In that case, you will need to update the game to the most recent version.
Conclusion
Problems arising from the Joycon controller are nothing new. In fact, there are repeated claims from Nintendo buyers that point to an issue within the Joycon itself. However, if you have a Joycon that creates problems, you have paths of recourse and repair available.
Now that Nintendo is taking Joycon drifting seriously, you can ask for help on the customer support page. Not only that, for people in the United States or Canada, free repairs can make a huge difference. The process is relatively simple, and while it may take a few weeks depending on where you are, it is undoubtedly worth it.