Joy-Con drift seems to be affecting the new Switch Lite

Joy-Con drift appears to be also affecting the new Nintendo Switch Lite, a hardware issue that was notoriously problematic in its predecessor, the Nintendo Switch (via Nintendo Life).

Joy-Con drift is when the Switch reacts like you’ve moved the analog stick or D-pad even when you haven’t. It frustrated innumerable Switch players as their gameplay experience became significantly marred by the drift, and in some cases caused games to be unplayable. The prevalence of the problem led to a class action lawsuit filed against Nintendo in July, and now the company’s customer support team offers a specific Joy-Con support ticket for any problems players have.

The Switch Lite seems to be experiencing similar drift issues, despite having only hit the shelves a few days ago. Although the analogue stick uses a different design to the Nintendo Switch, there are videos of controller input being registered even when the player isn’t touching the console. 

If the console is drift-prone, this would be a big problem. Those who experienced Joy-Con drift with their Nintendo Switch could buy a new set of controllers if the problem was not resolved with Nintendo’s troubleshooting advice. Switch Lite players don’t have that option, as the controllers don’t detach from the console. UpMyTech has reported that — according to the official repair pricing guide for Japan — to fix a Switch Lite’s drifting controllers, it would set you back 4,860 yen or £36. This is more than sending in two Nintendo Switch controllers, which is charged at 4,320 yen or £32. 

Here’s hoping that Nintendo addresses the predicament and suggests a permanent solution soon.