Nintendo Have Resolved Left Joy-Con Issues Going Forward

One of the more high profile technical issues with the Nintendo Switch’s launch has surrounded the wireless connectivity of the Joy-Con, with the left Joy-Con having a noticeably weaker Bluetooth signal compared to the right.

In a statement to CNET, Nintendo said that this is not a fundamental flaw in the design. Instead, “A manufacturing variation has resulted in wireless interference with a small number of the left Joy-Con. Moving forward this will not be an issue, as the manufacturing variation has been addressed and corrected at the factory level.”

Additionally, they’ve figured out how to fix Joy-Con that aren’t up to snuff. Sadly, it’s not a software fix that can be rolled out in a system update, but required CNET’s Sean Hollister to send his faulty Joy-Con to Nintendo for repairs. As it turns out, all it took was for Nintendo to add a small block of foam in a key spot, with the theory being that it’s been treated with trace amounts of nickel or copper to help shield from interference. Removing that foam saw the controller’s spotty connectivity return.

Image credit: Sean Hollister/CNET

Hollister also bought a new controller from Amazon, and discovered that the new controller did not exhibit the same flaws as his original controller. Different codes on the PCB indicated that this is a revision of the design and didn’t require the foam block to function as intended.

Nintendo’s statement continued:

There are other reasons consumers may be experiencing wireless interference. We are asking consumers to contact our customer support team so we can help them determine if a repair is necessary. If it is, consumers can send their controller directly to Nintendo for the adjustment, free of charge, with an anticipated quick return of less than a week. Repair timing may vary by region. For help with any hardware or software questions, please visit http://support.nintendo.com.

And, you know, keep your Switch away from that aquarium…

Source: CNET, [1, 2]