Nintendo of Europe fined over Switch Joy-Con drift
❗This article is a stub. You can help by expanding it.
#appeals channel in either Zulip or Discord to request removal.An article may be flagged as a stub when it is missing major elements needed to make it useful to a reader. You can help by adding missing sections, verifiable sources, relevant company policies and communications, etc. to make the article more complete.
The French regulator General Directorate for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF) investigated Nintendo and found that Nintendo engaged in a "misleading commercial practice"[1] by failing to inform the users about the premature failure of the Switch controller's analogue sticks, and charging the users 45€ for repairs.
Background
[edit | edit source]In November 2019, after Nintendo silently started a Joy-Con repair program in the US but still quoted French consumers 45€ per repair,[2] the French association for consumer protection Que Choisir Ensemble made a call for testimonies from Switch users. The association received more than 7000 testimonies in less than ten days. Sixty-five percent of the users who shared their testimony said the issue started less than a year after purchase, and half of the testimonies declared playing five hours per week at most. Following this, the association sued Nintendo, alleging programmed obsolescence.[3] The lawsuit ended in 2023 by Nintendo agreeing to repair affected Joy-Cons for free no matter the purchase date.[4].
Following the lawsuit, the French regulator DGCCRF started investigating Nintendo.
Findings
[edit | edit source]The French regulator found that Nintendo was aware of the defect in the Switch's Joy-Con as early as 2018, that Nintendo waited until 2020 to communicate about it to its users, and until 2023 and losing the lawsuit against the consumer association Que Choisir Ensemble to offer a solution to the consumers. The DGCCRF added that Nintendo's complete or partial silence on the matter led to consumers buying new controllers, constituting a misleading commercial practice.
Nintendo of Europe's response
[edit | edit source]Nintendo of Europe said in a statement that it did not "intentionally mislead consumers" and that agreeing to the settlement "does not constitute an admission of guilt and reflects only the amicable resolution of legal proceedings."[5]
Lawsuit
[edit | edit source]
Nintendo of Europe has agreed to pay a €35 million fine after the French regulator found the company misled customers about Joy-Con drift defects on original Switch controllers.
Consumer response
[edit | edit source]
References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ Lamy, Corentin (2026-06-09). "Nintendo fined €35 million in France over defect in Switch Joy-Con controllers". Le Monde. Retrieved 2026-08-12.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ Tual, Morgane (2020-09-22). "L'UFC-Que choisir porte plainte contre Nintendo pour obsolescence programmée". Le Monde. Retrieved 2026-08-12.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Nintendo Switch - L'UFC-Que Choisir dénonce l'obsolescence programmée des manettes Joy-Con". Que Choisir. 2020-09-22. Retrieved 2026-08-12.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Nintendo Switch - Victoire de l'UFC-Que Choisir contre l'obsolescence : réparation illimitée des manettes pour les consommateurs". Que Choisir. 2023-04-04. Retrieved 2026-08-12.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ McEvoy, Sophie (8 Jun 2026). "Nintendo of Europe agrees to pay €35m fine for Joy-Con drift defects". Games Industry.biz. Archived from the original on 8 Jun 2026. Retrieved 16 Jun 2026.