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It’s no secret that the Nintendo Switch’s Joy-Con controllers aren’t the most stable pieces of hardware. For years now, players have reported problems with joystick drifting, if not outright hardware failure. Nintendo does offer services to repair Joy-Cons, and if you live in the European Union, those services have become a bit easier to access.
Nintendo Offering Complimentary Joy-Con Repair Service in EU
In a recent change to Nintendo’s EU website, the company explained that, for the foreseeable future, they will be offering complimentary Joy-Con repair services to any EU residents who request them. If you purchased your Switch and its accessories in the EEA, UK and Switzerland and your Joy-Cons are experiencing significant stick drift, you can send them in for a tune-up, no questions asked, even if they’re outside of Nintendo’s default two-year product warranty. The only exception to this is if your Joy-Con problems were caused by direct user damage, such as through the improper use of third-party accessories or add-ons or deliberate negligence. Basically, they’ll fix stick drift, but you’re out of luck if you smashed your Joy-Cons with a frying pan or something.
This is an expansion of an existing service that Nintendo has been providing to France and Belgium. Nintendo will cover the cost of repairs and shipping, so the only thing you have to do is mail them your Joy-Cons and wait for them to come back (though I hope you have a backup controller you can use in the interim).
How to Request Joy-Con Repairs in the EU
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If you check the Nintendo EU product support page, you’ll find a list of potential solutions for Joy-Con drift, also known as “responsiveness syndrome.” These solutions include:
- Verifying your Joy-Cons are properly synced to your Switch console
- Ensuring your Switch software is up to date
- Recalibrating the Joy-Con sticks
- Removing Joy-Con accessories like protective covers
- Ensuring game software is up to date
If you’re still having problems, then at the bottom of the page, you can begin the process to send your Joy-Cons in for repair. This step-by-step process goes as follows:
- Selecting what console/accessory you’re having problems with
- Identifying the precise problem
- Checking the exact consoles and/or accessories you want repaired
- Certifying you’re over 18
- Writing the serial number located on the bottom of your Switch console (even if you’re not sending the console itself)
- Writing the approximate date you purchased your console and/or accessories
- Describing the problem you’re experiencing
- Writing your address and personal info
- Selecting your postal method
If you have a printer available, Nintendo will provide you with a label you can stick to a box. Otherwise, just bring the postal code they provide to your local post office, and they’ll generate a label for you. Either way, just stick your Joy-Cons in a box, slap that label on there, and mail it out. There’s no hard and fast timeline on how long this process will take, but ideally, you’ll get your Joy-Cons back in around a week’s time.
It stinks when your Joy-Cons start drifting, but at the very least, the only thing it costs you to get them fixed is time. And maybe like five bucks or so for a cardboard box and some bubble wrap.
