The anger of users and consumer associations has finally paid off.
Through a publication on its official website, the association UFC-Que Choisir is not a little proud to announce a great victory for all opponents of programmed obsolescence. Indeed, it should be known that the Nintendo Switch console has been affected since its release in 2017 by a particularly annoying bug. The two small controllers delivered with the console - the famous Joy-Con - actually encounter an almost systematic problem of loss of precision of the analog sticks. The sticks wear out prematurely and are then unable to keep a central, neutral position: even without any direction pointed by the player, the controller sends a signal to the console and the character, the vehicle or any other element under the player's control moves.
The problem is all the more annoying because video games require a certain degree of precision, but it has been raised even by gamers who are far from experts. Nintendo has consistently refused to cover the repair or exchange of these faulty Joy-Cons beyond the standard warranty the company offers with its consoles. Many customers felt aggrieved by the lack of consideration of the Japanese company, which compared this wear and tear of the Joy-Con to the " inevitable wear and tear of a car's tires ".
Faced with this refusal by Nintendo, many users got together to file a complaint, helped by associations such as UFC-Que Choisir. The objective was obviously to make the Japanese company bend by taking the case to court and, in particular, to the European Commission. After three and a half years of struggle, the complaint filed in France ended with a victory on all fronts for UFC-Que Choisir. Not only does " Nintendo officially recognize the problem of wear and tear affecting its controllers ", but it has also committed to implementing " an unlimited warranty allowing free repair of any controller " affected by the problem.
To benefit from this guarantee, UFC-Que Choisir explains that you have to contact Nintendo's after-sales service to get the defective Joy-Con repaired. The association specifies that a " step-by-step guide " is available on its official website, by following this link. In addition, UFC-Que Choisir explains that it will remain " mobilized in the coming months alongside consumers to verify with them that the commitments of Nintendo are well respected ", before adding that "a form is available on its website to report difficulties encountered.
