Pexels
Nintendo has been hit with a $40 million fine after French regulators found the company failed to properly inform customers about the long-running Joy-Con drift issues of some of its Nintendo Switch controllers.
Joy-Con drift has been the subject of consumer complaints, investigations, and lawsuits in multiple regions since the Nintendo Switch launched in 2017. It stems from players around the world reporting issues regarding frustrating movement inputs, even when the controllers aren’t in use.
According to France’s consumer protection authority, Nintendo was aware of problems affecting Joy-Con controllers before it publicly addressed them in 2020. The regulator found that the company did not provide consumers with clear and timely information about the issue between 2018 and 2023.
Joy-Con Drift leads to $40 million payout
Authorities argued that Nintendo’s handling of the issue may have led some players to buy replacement controllers instead of contacting the company for repairs. As a result, Nintendo of Europe agreed to pay a roughly $40 million settlement and publish a notice about the ruling on its French website.
Joy-Con drift has been a recurring problem since the Nintendo Switch launched in 2017, prompting lawsuits, consumer complaints, and free repair programs in multiple regions.
Nintendo
Nintendo expanded its European repair policy in 2023, allowing affected controllers to be fixed free of charge even outside the standard warranty period.
The ruling is the latest development in the long-running Joy-Con drift controversy, which has prompted lawsuits and consumer complaints in multiple regions since the Nintendo Switch launched in 2017.
