How to get Nintendo to repair your Joy-Con controllers for free
The Nintendo Switch is a very celebrated piece of hardware, with it making a big impact during its 2017 launch. However, one of the biggest issues with the console is Joy-Con drift, an issue that affects the thumbsticks of the controllers and causes them to move on their own.
The problem of Joy-Con drift has even become so common that regulatory bodies have had to step in and tell Nintendo to start fixing the issue more permanently. So, if you need to know how to get Nintendo to repair your Joy-Con controllers for free, we've got you covered.
How to get Nintendo to repair your controllers
Nintendo has formally confirmed that they will begin repairing faulty Switch Joy-Con controllers for free for consumers that live in the UK, European Economic Area (EEA), or Switzerland.
It posted a statement on its Nintendo UK support page confirming the new policy. "Nintendo takes great pride in creating high-quality and durable products and is continuously making improvements to them", the statement began.
"Therefore and until further notice, Nintendo offers to consumers who purchased the respective product in EEA, UK, and Switzerland that repairs for responsiveness syndrome relating to control sticks will be conducted at no charge by official Nintendo repair centers.
"This applies even if the syndrome is caused by wear and tear and even if the 24-month manufacturer's warranty provided by Nintendo has expired."
If you've been affected by Joy-Con drift and live in one of the regions mentioned above, you can visit the Nintendo repairs page here and book a repair. Here are the steps for getting an appointment:
- Visit the repairs page on the Nintendo website (linked here and above).
- Select 'Joy-Con'.
- On the next page, click the option that reads, 'Joy-Con control sticks are no responding or respond incorrectly'.
- Scroll down to the bottom of the following page, and select 'No, I want to book a repair'.
- On the next page, select your console version and the accessory you want to send off for repair.
- Click 'Continue' and then fill out a form that asks for details about your console, and then the form that asks about your address.
- Finally, you can select a postal method to send off your hardware, where it will be fixed and mailed back to you after a short period.
When you get your Switch and Joy-Cons back, the drift issue should be fixed so you can begin playing games normally again.
For more Nintendo guides, keep reading GGRecon.
