Nintendo Updates Joy-Con Drift Policy, Will Reportedly Fix Defective Joy-Cons for Free

Joy-Con drift, in which the dual Nintendo Switch motion controllers will move in-game assets without any input from the user, is an issue that has been affecting more and more Switch users as of late. Just two years after the console’s release, reports of Joy-Con drift are quickly increasing among players.

Nintendo has issued a public statement to various outlets concerning Joy-Con drift:

At Nintendo, we take great pride in creating quality products and we are continuously making improvements to them. We are aware of recent reports that some Joy-Con controllers are not responding correctly. We want our consumers to have fun with Nintendo Switch, and if anything falls short of this goal we always encourage them to visit http://support.nintendo.com so we can help.

Nintendo’s response doesn’t really explain why Joy-Con drift is happening to so many players, but their included support link will allow those experiencing the issue to have their controllers repaired free of charge.

Vice also reported Tuesday they had obtained an internal Nintendo memo that instructs the company’s customer service team to repair Joy-Cons that are experiencing drift for free, and also issue refunds for previous repairs without any need of proof of purchase.

“Customers will no longer be requested to provide proof of purchase for Joy-Con repairs,” the memo reportedly reads. “Additionally it is not necessary to confirm warranty status. If a customer requests a refund for a previously paid Joy-Con repair […] confirm the prior repair and then issue a refund.”

Asked by various outlets to confirm the policy, Nintendo would only point back to its previous statement.

Whether Joy-Con drift will affect the forthcoming Nintendo Switch Lite probably depends on if the catalyst of the problem has to do with the controllers being removable or not—if it’s a full-console issue, then the Switch Lite may be in trouble.