Nintendo Switch Lite Not Safe From Joy-Con Drift And Its Lawsuit

Nintendo just launched its oddest Switch barely a little over a week ago and it's already in a bit of a bind. Depending on who you ask, it's either the perfect Switch on the go or a total waste of time. But market opinions and sales numbers may have nothing on the technical and legal problems the smaller handheld might have. Confirming fears, the Switch Lite may indeed be plagued by the notorious Joy-Con drift and it is joining the class action lawsuit its larger sibling is involved in.

It's really no surprise that, after weeks and even months of owners getting frustrated with both the problem itself and Nintendo's response or lack of it, the problem known as Joy-Con drift has escalated into a class action suit. Although the company never confirmed it, leaks suggest that Nintendo has instructed service centers to repair such problems free of charge, no questions asked.

At the heart of the matter is a design problem with the Joy-Cons that reportedly makes the pointer move even if the stick isn't. In other words, the controls are drifting, which could ruin the gaming experience especially for titles that require steady and precise movement.

One would think that, after the lawsuit became public, Nintendo would have taken steps to ensure that its next consoles won't have that problem. iFixit's teardown of the Switch Lite suggested that was not the case and, based on the growing number of complaints, it sadly seems that way. Not only did the Switch Lite use the same components and structure as the Switch's Joy-Con, it also suffered from the same malady as well.

Considering the design difference between the two, it's unfortunate that Nintendo didn't take the time fix that one up. Then again, a class action suit doesn't always end in a win for the plaintiffs and even if it does, Nintendo might be able to brush it off without a dent in its coffers.