How Much Does It Cost To Repair Two Joycons

If you lot owned a Nintendo Switch over the terminal few years, you've probably heard about, or go a victim of, the dreaded "Joy-Con drift" issue that's plagued the console'southward gamepads since its launch.

At that place's nothing worse than trying to return to bed on fourth dimension in Stardew Valley and fighting with the controller to move in the correct direction or failing to dodge an assault in Hades because your dash will only move up. Super Smash Bros. is essentially unplayable with Joy-Con drift, and Mario Kart 8 Palatial is an (fifty-fifty bigger) lesson in frustration.

The Issue

Joy-Con drift is the common name for a hardware problem that causes the control stick on Nintendo'south Switch controllers to not answer or annals the wrong input even when the gamepad buttons are not pressed.

Since buying my ain Switch at launch (and my husband getting his a little later), my household has experienced the outcome on iii separate sets of Joy-Cons. Each time resulted in the purchase of new controllers or forced me to play the Switch just while docked with a Pro Controller.

"After pressure from several class-action lawsuits, Nintendo has started to offering free Joy-Con repairs through its client service portal."

Nintendo has repeatedly denied whatever issue exists with the Switch's Joy-Cons — or at least won't admit that the drift problem is as bad equally the internet makes it out to be. Yet, the problem is widespread plenty that Joy-Con habitation repair guides have become commonplace and several class-action lawsuits have been filed. Pressurized air, rubbing alcohol, bits of paper, and more take all been cited as potential solutions to the issue.

I've tried every trick I could find that didn't involve opening the hardware upward myself. Some of the techniques, such as rubbing alcohol, seemed to solve the consequence at first. Notwithstanding, the problem would e'er return after a few hours to a twenty-four hour period, which caused more frustration.

Switch red and blue Joy-Cons

Subsequently force per unit area from several class-action lawsuits, Nintendo has started to offering free Joy-Con repairs through its client service portal. The process is straightforward; fill out an online grade (or call a customer service representative), post out the equipment, and and so wait. Nintendo doesn't offer any indication of how long the process will take, however.

With the launch of Monster Hunter Rise and Pokémon Unite, I finally felt motivated enough to beginning the repair procedure and so I could finally return to gaming on my burrow, upside downwardly and under a blanket, just like I used to when I was viii and had to use a flashlight with a Game Male child.

Repair Process

Since I owned more iv Joy-Cons with drift, I was required to call Nintendo's customer service line (the company explains that this is due to lithium-ion battery shipping restrictions). If you want to accept less than 4 Joy-Cons repaired, you demand to fill up out this form.

In order to procedure the repair, the agent I spoke to asked the aforementioned questions I had previously entered into the form to send less than five Joy-Cons. I was asked to provide my address, describe the problem, and answer bones troubleshooting questions. I was then requested to provide the serial number of my Switch system, even though I was not sending the console itself in for repair.

Switch repairs

After finishing my call with the agent, I checked my inbox to see eight split up emails from Nintendo. Four of these were different repair orders (with their own repair order numbers), and the others were iv carve up UPS waybills.

Assuming it would be fine to combine all of them into ane box, I packaged upward my Joy-Cons as best I could and dropped them off the next day. Afterwards, Nintendo sends your inquiries to its repair tracking website.

Two weeks subsequently dropping the Joy-Cons at my local UPS Store (this is the curse of mailing anything to/from Newfoundland) I received a fresh gear up of six new emails. Of these emails, two of them had new repair numbers from the original set.

"The entire repair procedure was straightforward (except for the bombardment of emails) and didn't require much more than from me other than dropping off a box of electronics at a UPS branch."

2 days after this, I received another set of vi emails notifying me that each Joy-Con had completed its repair process and was heading back to me from across a continent.

A few weeks subsequently, a single cardboard box arrived in my kitchen. The Joy-Cons seemed to take been completely replaced (or at least swapped with refurbished controllers).

It's important to note that Nintendo never confirmed either the issue I was experiencing or that it plant a trouble to begin with. The repair summary sent back with the controllers listed every possible issue as blank. I, unfortunately, can't speak to what issue was causing the problem with my Joy-Cons. While there was no accuse for the repair procedure, Nintendo alerted me that I would take paid to repair any concrete damage.

Drift-Free?

The entire repair procedure was straightforward (except for the bombardment of emails) and didn't crave much more than from me other than dropping off a box of electronics at a UPS branch. Aside from a lengthy shipping time of nearly six weeks, information technology was mostly painless. Since getting my new-to-me controllers back, I have been pestering friends and family unit to commencement the process themselves then that they tin finally relish their game library again.

It's unclear if Nintendo plans to update the Switch'south hardware to avert migrate in the time to come, and hope that the new OLED model fixes the upshot seems to be misplaced. It's too an outcome plaguing some owners of Nintendo Switch Light consoles. Since the switch Lite does not let users to swap out its congenital-in joystick and buttons, this is even more frustrating than the standard Switch.

Joy-Con repair

With this in mind, information technology could exist worth picking up an extra prepare of Joy-Cons or a Pro controller to have a backup if drift is encountered. This is besides something to consider if yous're deciding between ownership the Lite and the standard Switch.

If you're experiencing Joy-Con drift with your controllers, I highly recommend yous begin the repair process. It may have several weeks to meet your Joy-Cons again, but I consider it worth it to avoid spending more money on new controllers that may end up with the same consequence anyway.

I've been playing with my Joy-Cons again for several days, and I'm pleased to say I haven't seen whatever signs of the drift issue returning. Nintendo has not mentioned to me any recourse options if the issue returns, and then I'g hopeful I won't need to cantankerous that bridge once more.