Please support Game Informer. Print magazine subscriptions are less than $2 per issue
Report: JoyCon Wireless Issues Caused By "Manufacturing Variation"
Nintendo released a statement to Kotaku today addressing the Switch's left JoyCon connectivity issue, saying that the widespread problem is a "manufacturing variation." The statement insists that there is nothing wrong with the JoyCon hardware that would be cause for replacement, and that the variation has already been corrected at a factory level.
In the statement, Nintendo writes:
There is no design issue with the Joy-Con controllers, and no widespread proactive repair or replacement effort is underway. 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.
We have determined a simple fix can be made to any affected Joy-Con to improve connectivity.
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.
Nintendo is also offering anybody affected by the issue the chance to send their JoyCon in to them for an adjustment free of charge, which is a good move. The JoyCon sync issue has been widespread since the launch of the Switch, even affecting Game Informer's own Andrew Reiner. He wrote a piece about some of the other tribulations of his time with the Switch, which you can read about here.
[Source: Kotaku]
Our Take
Although it is unfortunate such an issue exists in the first place, it's nonetheless good to see Nintendo get in front of this issue, and that there's not a serious problem with the Switch's hardware. Whether or not the factory-level fix does it's job remains to be seen, but having players send their JoyCons in for fixing in the meantime is a solid, if not inconvenient, solution.
I’d like to ask you to support Game Informer’s continued coverage of games with a subscription. For less than two dollars per issue, we mail you a full year of 10 print magazines, each with cover stories and preview features filled with exclusive details about the most exciting upcoming games. We profile and interview game creators. We look back on the rich history of gaming, and we celebrate what’s next.
Here on the website, we offer much of our content for free, including game reviews, daily news, videos, event coverage, and more – all with minimal ads.
We do so with a small editorial team, alongside contributing paid writers from around the world – over 65 individuals from 9 countries around the world, just in the last couple of years.
It’s not possible without support.
In a time when game makers and games coverage have faced hard struggles and layoffs, the future of this 30+ year magazine and community is at risk. Our new standalone magazine subscription is the number one way you can keep us alive – and we believe you’ll get a pretty fantastic gaming magazine in your mailbox every few weeks for your trouble.
Thank you.
