France Fines Nintendo €35 Million Over Undisclosed Switch Joy-Con Drift
Updated
Updated · Polygon · Jun 8
France Fines Nintendo €35 Million Over Undisclosed Switch Joy-Con Drift
3 articles · Updated · Polygon · Jun 8
Summary
€35 million in sanctions hit Nintendo after France’s consumer watchdog concluded the company failed to fairly inform buyers about Joy-Con malfunctions on the original Switch.
French authorities said Nintendo knew of the defect for years but stayed silent until European consumer groups raised planned-obsolescence concerns and a class-action suit was filed.
That lack of disclosure allegedly kept some players from seeking free repairs and instead pushed them to buy replacement controllers when sticks began drifting after months of use.
Nintendo denied misleading consumers and called the penalty an amicable resolution, even though it had already apologized for drift and offered free repairs; complaints persisted after the 2021 OLED model.
The case lands as Nintendo shifts to Switch 2, whose redesigned Joy-Cons appear less prone to drift, making the fine a late reckoning for a long-running flaw.