Switch owners how are your Joycons holding up

[mikehaggar]

Neon blue bought in September with the console has drifting issues, yellow one, bought at the same time has disconnect issue, no drifting.

Yeah, not buying a new one, waiting for a decent redesign or a good third party replacement.

I'm using the yellow joycons for the time being.

Click to shrink...

Interesting. I bought the yellow joycons a few weeks ago and was getting the disconnect issue with the right joycon while playing docked even though I was only two feet from the dock... Really disappointing, honestly. You'd think newer units wouldn't have this issue any longer.

 

[traillaitor]

Generally, fine. However, the right joycon drifts down a little bit from time to time. Recalibrating didn't help either. First noticed it on DS1 when the camera would go birds eye view all of a sudden. Only had it a year.

 

[PlzUninstall]

Few stupid issues with mine. Had the poor connectivity issue with the left joycon, sent off, returned with the stick feeling a bit looser than expected so that's a bit annoying but wasn't enough of an issue to complain about. Then my right joycon's sync button stopped working entirely, sent off and had that replaced at cost to me.

Now they're okay mostly but will throw them in the trash if another issue crops up.

 

[Jakartalado]

Launch Unit. Left Blue Neon joy con doesn't charge properly. I'm pissed. It's the second launch unit with problem, first one was with the communicator problem (didn't even work if I placed the controller behind my back).

And two months ago I bought a black pair of joy con and started to miss the communication while playing. That also pisses me off so much while playing smash.

 

[sandboxgod]

We have a total of 6 joycons (3 pairs) for two Nintendo Switch consoles. one of the joycons is drifting bad. Been buying PowerA controllers myself

wasnt aware this issue was so common!

 

[thehellofitall]

My right Joycon disconnects fairly frequently if I'm more than 5ft from the Switch.

I have since rearranged my furniture to combat this.

 

[kami_sama]

The sr and sl buttons probably don't work either. Mine had the same problem.

Click to shrink...

Oh shit, I haven't tried that.
Edit: Yeah, they don't work :(

 

[Lampa]

Left Joycon is slightly harder to remove from the console, but otherwise, they're all good. Neon red and blue that came with the console, bought half a year ago.

 

[EatChildren]

Only the left stick is a little loose; will probably need to try blowing air into it at some point...

I had non-branded silicone grips that are exactly the same as these – they're okay, but I still found myself cramping up, so not that much of an improvement.

While they're a bit pricey, I'd recommend these Gametech grips;
https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B071J1W6P8/

Click to shrink...

Cheers for this. Main reason I want a grip/shell is for split dual joycon use. I primarily use my Pro, but if something like Prime 4 has gyro aiming I'd prefer to use the controllers split. It's just unfortunate how awfully uncomfortable they are. I want something that at least tries to replicate the comfort of the Wii.

 

[Soulsis]

All four of mine suffer from some drifting and weird discoloration around the buttons. Two of them also rattle and slide off the console pretty easily.

I hate these things. Cool innovation but the quality is so low by Nintendo standards.

 

[kami_sama]

The sr and sl buttons probably don't work either. Mine had the same problem.

Click to shrink...

It seems it's an issue with the connection, I opened the controller now it works.
The moment I try to put the joycon back, it stops working.

 

[JG_Lionheart]

well mine have the disconnecting issue on handheld mode. I don't know what causes it tho because when I'm using them on the grip they're fine.

 

[cucholix]

10/10 and I play handheld mode alot
I never detach the joy cons from the main unit though, I prefer to use my Pro Con instead in TV mode.

 

[Torpedo Vegas]

Really good so far, but then again I haven't played it in 8 or 9 months.

 

[Zoantharia]

This is a very curious phenomenon and I wonder if anyone can relate:

My launch pair, the grey ones which came in the kit, did not hold up. They got loose, they were wiggly and squeaked when I played in handheld, the left stick seemed to be coming loose.

I was gifted a pair of splatoon green and pink joycons last christmas. These, to this day, are good as new. Why is this?

 

[Deleted member 7148]

My launch joy-cons are fine for the most part, but both of them pop off the Switch if you bump the bottom of them with a fairly low amount of force. I bought two neon green ones and both of those are solid, so I'm not sure if the joy-con grip messed my old ones up or if sliding them in and out stripped the tracks on them.

 

[Deleted member 8752]

Mine are like new even on my launch unit. But I play a lot with the Pro Controller and don't use them for fighting games or smash.

 

[Deleted member 8752]

This is a very curious phenomenon and I wonder if anyone can relate:

My launch pair, the grey ones which came in the kit, did not hold up. They got loose, they were wiggly and squeaked when I played in handheld, the left stick seemed to be coming loose.

I was gifted a pair of splatoon green and pink joycons last christmas. These, to this day, are good as new. Why is this?

Click to shrink...

I think there is manufacturing variance. My two sets of joycons lock into place very securely but I've seen others which don't.

 

[Zoantharia]

I think there is manufacturing variance. My two sets of joycons lock into place very securely but I've seen others which don't.

Click to shrink...

Yup they feel much more securely locked into the tablet as well

 

[Cudpug]

I have a regularly occurring issue with two completely different sets of Joycons where the analogue stick, though physically where it needs to be, constantly pulls down. It's frustrating because there is nothing physically wrong with either set of Joycon and I've never dropped them or done anything that would damage them, but they still drag down constantly. It makes playing games really difficult.

 

[Deleted member 8752]

P.S. this thread is such a bummer. Wish everyone's joycons were of high quality.

 

[Zoantharia]

I have a regularly occurring issue with two completely different sets of Joycons where the analogue stick, though physically where it needs to be, constantly pulls down. It's frustrating because there is nothing physically wrong with either set of Joycon and I've never dropped them or done anything that would damage them, but they still drag down constantly. It makes playing games really difficult.

Click to shrink...

This was an issue with my launch pair. Clicking the stick would fix it temporarily, but the issue would return. Very irritating

 

[BareBear]

There was no need to take it apart for me. Just lift up this soft plastic skirt with tweezers etc and squirt a can of compressed air in there from different directions. It's not much hassle

Click to shrink...

As easy as that? I'll check it out - thanks.

 

[Sun's Resting Place]

Left stick is drifting.

 

[Disclaimer]

Two pairs of joy-cons. My launch pair has no issues, but my custom white pair creaks when attached, and the nubs that keep them tight on the Switch have been stripped, meaning they come out easily.

There's also a strange issue where the left joy-con will be dying or dead while the right has almost a full charge.

Haven't experienced any drifting.

 

[optimiss]

My left stick was drifting but I cleaned it out with compressed air, which fixed it.

 

[Pickleslips]

Mine have drifted since day 1 and the left has a notched spot in the top of the analog stick. They're shoddy as hell.

 

[Galava]

Started noticing a small drifting on my left JoyCon sometimes while playing Pokémon on handheld. I'm gonna wait and see if there is a revision coming and if not I guess I'll be replacing my joycons.

 

[ramoisdead]

I don't think any of the sticks on my Joy-cons suffer from drifting but I have noticed my blue left Joy-con happen to drain out of battery life faster than the right red one despite always having to use the right one to turn on the system first.

 

[Kyzer]

First pair starting to die, noticed when I would walk instead of run when I tried to go left in pokemon. Also both my joycons have ridiculously weak range, like I can't relax too hard or my legs will block the signal

 

[delete12345]

Owned an April 2017 Switch and an October 2017 Mario Oddyssey Switch. Both sets of joycon pairs hold up greatly, with no drifting as far as I can tell.

Note that the April 2017 Switch is about 2 to 3 weeks after Nintendo announced a revised design fix for the joycons in the retail stores, but before a second revision for the joycons, and the October Mario Oddyssey Switch is the first batches of Switch with a newer firmware 3.0.1 installed, after 2 joycon revisions. Prior to October 2017 Mario Oddyssey Switch, all Switches began at firmware <= 2.X.X.

 

[Paltheos]

Put in well over 100 hours so far. No problems with my joycons whatsoever. As a point of reference, I've detached them... 2? 3? times from the Switch.

I have noticed the finish has worn away a bit. That's all though.

 

[wrowa]

Generally fine, but I'm somewhat worried Smash will kill them sooner or later. Well, at least I'd only need to replace the controllers and not an entire handheld.

 

[Deleted member 9971]

Both have joycon drift and are out of warrenty nintendo are con men joycon wise. Fix dem already. Dualshock had issues too with the launch batches but they fixed it atleast with later batches and the small revision.

Hopefully nintendo does the same cuz i aint buying new ones till they fix this joycon issue lots of people have it its not a small problem its quite widespread and for 80 bucks we deserve better. They are supposed to work fine for years not months at that price.

 

[OmegaX]

I only hace my launch pair. Right joycons has always worked fine and has no issues at all. Left one had the disconnect problem from day one but it seemed to happen less after a firmware update. Lately I the left stick was getting stuck in one direction while playing, then lost connection and reconnected on its own after a while. I thought it was the drifting problem but it didn't happen when connected to the Switch so it must be still the disconnection issue. Last time it disconnected while its firmware was being updated but apparently it did finish because it still works and it won't let me reattempt the update. I did the conductive foam fix but I'm not sure it worked.

 

[cucholix]

Generally fine, but I'm somewhat worried Smash will kill them sooner or later. Well, at least I'd only need to replace the controllers and not an entire handheld.

Click to shrink...

Playing Smash with joy cons is a crime, use GCN adapter/GCN controller, Pro Controller instead

 

[bonch00ski]

Playing Smash with joy cons is a crime, use GCN adapter/GCN controller, Pro Controller instead

Click to shrink...

can i connect them to the sides of my switch to play anywhere??

 

[cucholix]

can i connect them to the sides of my switch to play anywhere??

Click to shrink...

To each its own, but joy cons sticks won't hold up intensive SmashU play, they eventually will get loose.

 

[Deleted member 2254]

Good, then again the Switch is only my secondary gaming device. There's weeks I play on it 10-20 hours, others in which I don't even touch it. I haven't played that many particularly "demanding" games (eg. motion-heavy) and I usually keep the Joy-Cons in as I mainly use it as a portable system.

 

[The Main Event]

Had to Google the Joy-Con drifting issue. Didn't know it was so common. Own 2 pairs and no issue. Then again I mainly use my Pros and all of my Joy-Cons are protected by plastic shells and Skull & Co. thumb grips.

 

[wrowa]

Playing Smash with joy cons is a crime, use GCN adapter/GCN controller, Pro Controller instead

Click to shrink...

It's fine, rarely the stick inputs register wrong, but I'm not playing on a level for that to matter much. I play with the Pro Controller when I'm on the TV, but, well, that didn't happen very much yet.

 

[honest_ry]

3 days. Stuck button and not built for my hands. Console returned.

I hope for a reworked version.

 

[Ambient80]

My left Joycon comes out if my Switch extremely easily when I'm playing in handheld mode. Kind of annoying.

 

[dabri]

My blue joycon has issues with losing connection to the console. Not disconnecting but there where be some commands issued by that go ignored/ dropped by the console. This only became and issue when I moved and the couch is now about the twice the distance from the dock as before.
Pro controller works fine. Joycons work fine when closer to the console or connected.

 

[Kanhir]

I have one with drifting issues and occasional unresponsiveness, one which won't hold a charge and two whose rails are worn a bit so they don't stay firmly attached to the Switch. Not great all round.

 

[Annoying Old Party Man]

Anyone knows any fixes to the SL SR issue? :-(

 

[Noppie]

They're still working perfect.

 

[Teppic]

The sticks were bad from the start. Unfortunately I don't think getting new ones will fix that.

 

[Saint-14]

There was no need to take it apart for me. Just lift up this soft plastic skirt with tweezers etc and squirt a can of compressed air in there from different directions. It's not much hassle

Click to shrink...

Dude thanks for this, mine is fixed now.

 

[OnePointZero]

Launch Switch here, Had to replace both of the original red & blue joycons, with a 9 month difference: the left one had the "characters keep walking straight" problem, and the right one SR, SL buttons and player lights stopped working.

Nintendo didn't charge for any of the repairs nor shipping (even though for the second joycon I was out of the first warranty year), so I'm happy with their customer service.

BTW, I have a green & pink pair since last summer and never had a problem with them.