The Nintendo Switch brought a transformative experience to gaming with its hybrid design and expansive library of titles. Yet, despite its innovation, one significant flaw dampened its legacy: Joy-Con drift. This recurring issue caused controllers to register unintended inputs, leading to widespread frustration among players. For Nintendo’s next console, fixing this problem is essential to secure player confidence and preserve its reputation.
Players began reporting Joy-Con drift shortly after the Switch’s release. This hardware flaw stemmed from wear on the analog stick components, resulting in phantom movements or inputs. For a console built around its unique and detachable controllers, such a problem was a glaring oversight. Despite multiple updates to the Switch hardware over its lifespan, including the Switch OLED model, Nintendo never fully resolved the issue. It remained a constant source of complaints, litigation, and a blemish on an otherwise beloved system.
Related
Millions of Gamers Will Be Losing Access to Switch Online in 2026
Millions of gamers are set to lose access to the Nintendo Switch Online service in 2026, leaving them unable to play online among other things.
Joy-Con Drift Demands Nintendo’s Full Attention
As Nintendo prepares for its next console, it cannot afford to repeat the mistakes of the Switch. Backward compatibility is widely speculated to be a feature of the upcoming system, meaning Joy-Cons—or a similar design—are likely to remain integral. This makes solving Joy-Con drift a top priority.
Currently, the only alternative for frustrated players is to purchase and use the Pro Controller. While the Pro Controller is reliable, it undermines the Switch’s core selling point: portability. This issue becomes especially pronounced in handheld mode, where Joy-Cons are the sole control method. The next generation must provide a durable, drift-free solution that supports the flexibility of the console’s hybrid format.
There are technological advancements Nintendo could leverage to prevent drift entirely. Hall-effect sensors, for example, potentially eliminate the physical wear that causes drift by using magnetic fields to detect motion. Other companies have already adopted similar innovations, proving their viability in consumer electronics. If Nintendo is serious about hardware quality, it needs to incorporate these or similar technologies into its next-generation controllers.
Hardware Durability Can Rebuild Trust in Nintendo
Joy-Con drift did more than disrupt gameplay—it eroded consumer confidence in Nintendo’s hardware. The Switch gained a reputation for fragile controllers, a perception that has somewhat tarnished the company’s history of reliable designs. If Nintendo wants its next console to succeed without controversy, it must address this issue to restore trust among its players.
Reliable controllers not only improve the user experience but also reflect a commitment to quality. The Joy-Con’s versatility was one of its greatest strengths, enabling features like motion controls, modular multiplayer, and unique accessories for games like Ring Fit Adventure. However, those strengths were overshadowed by their lack of durability. With a more robust design, Nintendo can expand on these capabilities without alienating players through recurring technical failures.
Additionally, improved controller reliability could inspire new gameplay innovations. The Joy-Con enabled unique experiences that distinguished the Switch from its competitors like Xbox and Playstation. By ensuring their successors are dependable, Nintendo can continue to push creative boundaries, offering players new ways to engage with games without compromising on hardware quality.
Nintendo’s Next Console Is Its Redemption Arc
The new console is more than just a successor to the Switch—it represents an opportunity for Nintendo to fix the past and set a new standard for the future. Joy-Con drift turned one of the most innovative controllers in gaming history into a liability for some Switch owners. It arguably created hesitancy among some players regarding the next console. To atone for this, Nintendo should release hardware that lives up to the expectations it set with the Switch’s groundbreaking design.
Drift-free controllers would also help avoid the legal and financial fallout that plagued the Switch era. Class-action lawsuits and negative press somewhat damaged Nintendo’s reputation, despite its proactive repair programs in some regions. By prioritizing hardware durability, Nintendo can eliminate this source of controversy entirely, allowing it to focus on showcasing the strengths of its next console. Ultimately, Nintendo’s future hinges on learning from its missteps. The Switch changed the gaming industry by introducing a hybrid model that appealed to millions, and its successor has the potential to build on that legacy, provided it avoids being undermined by avoidable flaws.
Nintendo Switch
The Nintendo Switch is a hybrid console launched in 2017, capable of being played in handheld mode or docked to a television. The Switch Lite, a handheld-only model, followed in 2019, with an OLED refresh coming in 2021.