Joy-Cony in the OLED version of the Switch is said to solve the problem with -apkrig levers

With the launch of the Switch’s OLED model, Nintendo confirms that the Joy-Cony, which the new owners will discover in the box with the console, has improved storage for analog levers. These have been associated with serious problems in the past, when the levers began to show unwanted movement after some time and a phenomenon known as drifting occurred. Nintendo – like other manufacturers – wants to prevent this, for obvious reasons, and thus avoid not only the need to deal with complaints, but also the inconvenience of the European Union, which called on Nintendo to ensure the integrity of their products to avoid unnecessary burdening the planet with electronic and plastic waste. Developments in this field and expected improvements were commented on in the official series Ask the Developer by the general manager of the technology division, Nintendo Ko Shiyot, and his deputy, Tor Yamashit.

“Joy-Con drivers have a lot of different features, so we keep improving them, and that may not always be visible,” said Yamashita. He aimed specifically at analog levers, respectively. system of their storage, which, according to him, is undergoing constant development. “The analog lever passed the reliability test at the first release by rotating the lever under constant load. The criteria were the same as for the analog lever for the GamePad Wii U console, “the technology division manager revealed the testing system. However, the testing mechanism has changed in recent years as Nintendo has sought to respond to the demands of players and the ways in which both levers have been used, which have suffered mainly due to the lack of durability of the entire structure. And it was the mechanical wear of the components that should lead to the sensors no longer being so accurate over time, which is reflected in the external movement, which can be partially compensated by setting the so-called dead zone, but it does not go on indefinitely and mainly is not a real solution to the problem. .

Therefore, the next step is the Joy-Cony in the OLED model – identical in appearance to those that Switch users know well, but even more durable inside and therefore more functional.

Therefore, according to Nintendo, the durability of the entire control device was to be improved, which had a positive effect for the first time with the launch of the Switch Lite. “When the effects of our enhancements were confirmed, we immediately incorporated them into the Joy-Con drivers, which are part of the Lite model, as well as those sold separately,” said Shijota. Similar improvements were to be made to the Pro Controller, and Nintendo continued to work to make the result even better. Therefore, the next step is the Joy-Cony in the OLED model – identical in appearance to those that Switch users know well, but even more durable inside and therefore more functional. According to Yamashita, the composition of the material used has changed, as well as the forms in which the individual components are created and it is understandable that the technology will be newly deployed on a flat scale, so that separately sold Joy-Cony and those that are part of the standard or Lite model. The change is, of course, dependent on the sale of stock and the delivery of newly manufactured pieces, with the proviso that Nintendo will not withdraw older goods from stores. For this, it is most likely missing a larger number of reported cases or more litigation that has flared up in connection with drifting.

However, it must be pointed out that Nintendo is not the only one with similar problems. A class action lawsuit was also filed against Sony over the DualSense driver in February this year. The reason was the same – the controller contains a defect that leads to the spontaneous movement of characters or other game elements, which is again only a detailed definition of drifting. Nor is Microsoft, which was sued in April 2020 for the same reasons. However, in this case the dispute has been moved out of court and Microsoft will deal with the individual plaintiffs separately.