The Nintendo Switch was released five years ago, but has been reported to “drift” – when the console records motion, even though the joysticks are not in use. Nintendo said only a small number of devices are affected and customers with problems should contact them. Which? said it examined 919 holders of the original UK-based Switch. About 40% noticed problems with the drift, but only 73% of those who contacted Nintendo about it. This is despite the fact that the gaming company offered a two-year warranty on the console. About 19% of those who complained did not receive repair or replacement. Which? Rocio Concha, director of policy and defense, said: “Our research shows that drift problems still plague Nintendo Switch owners, but they can often take over the account of replacing defective controllers or face a lottery when they contact with Nintendo for support. “Nintendo needs to commission an urgent independent investigation into why this is happening and make the findings public. “The video game giant must also commit to completely free repairs or replacements for those affected by the problem and must promote this program so that consumers know that support is available.” Which? She said her own tests on the Switch console found no problems with the drift, adding that this proved how difficult it was to diagnose the problem, which meant the search was the best route. Nintendo said: “The percentage of Joy-Con controllers that have been reported to have problems with the analog stick in the past is small and we have been making continuous improvements to the Joy-Con analog stick since its release in 2017. “We expect all of our hardware to work as planned and if anything falls short of this goal, we always encourage consumers to contact Nintendo Customer Support, which will be happy to resolve openly and leniently any related customer issues. Joy-Con sticks controllers, including cases where the warranty may no longer be valid. “
