Nintendo got a big fine for problems with controllers

The French authorities have punished the deception of consumers

The French Directorate General for Market Competition, Consumer Affairs and Anti-Fraud (DGCCRF) fined Nintendo of Europe 35 million euros, which is more than 40 million US dollars. According to the regulator, the fine was imposed because the company failed to timely notify consumers of technical defects that cause “drift” on the Joy-Con controllers.

The investigation found that Nintendo was aware of the problem as early as 2018, but did not publicly acknowledge it until two years later, in 2020. For this reason, the DGCCRF accused the company of misleading business practices in the period between 2018 and 2023. Nintendo of Europe agreed to pay the fine, but they emphasized that the settlement “does not represent an admission of guilt and only represents an amicable resolution of legal proceedings”.

In addition to paying the fine, Nintendo will, as part of the settlement, have to display a notice of the judgment for misleading business practices on the home page of its French website.

The long-standing problem of “Joy-Con drift”

The “Joy-Con drift” saga has been going on since the release of the Nintendo Switch console in 2017. Soon after the purchase, users began to notice that the analog sticks on their controllers “self-register” movements, which significantly interferes with gameplay. The problem has become so widespread that it has led to numerous class action lawsuits and investigations around the world.

British Consumer Protection Association “Which?” claims that the problem is caused by a fundamental flaw in the design of the plastic assemblies inside the controller, which show significant wear and tear on most after a few months of use. Their analysis showed that “drift” affected more than 40 percent of the original Joy-Con controllers. Accumulation of dust and dirt inside the bat mechanism is also mentioned as a possible cause.

The legal battles and Nintendo’s reaction

In addition to the fine in France, Nintendo has faced legal challenges in other parts of the world. A class-action lawsuit filed in the United States in 2019 was dismissed in 2024, but a lawsuit filed in the Canadian province of Quebec in 2021 received the green light to continue the court process.

In response to numerous complaints, Nintendo began offering free repairs to affected users back in 2019, and in 2023 expanded its European repair policy to include controllers out of standard warranty.

The future of Nintendo controllers

The whole situation put pressure on Nintendo in view of the release of the successor to the popular console, which is expected in 2025. There is great hope among gamers that the “Joy-Con 2” controllers, which will come with the new console, will be redesigned to avoid the problems that plagued the previous generation. Many are hoping for the implementation of technology based on the Hall effect, which uses magnets to register movements and is much more resistant to wear and drift.