How "bad" is Joycon? Nintendo Switch Joycon Problems Summarize
Jul 12,2024 | FUNLAB-Cheriko
Hey gamers, Cheriko here :), have you ever heard Nintendo Switch Joycon Problems? Like those interesting Joycon drift memes.
Nintendo Switch has won the hearts of a large number of gamers with its creative design and rich game library. The Joycon, which come with every brand new Switch, are one of the great hallmark of Switch, and show off Switch's features perfectly.
However, the original Joycon are not without problems, or simply problematic. Many gamers have encountered some troubling issues on Joycon, which deeply affects the gaming experience and is really loved and hated.
Common Issues
The Joycon, while revolutionary and flexibility in its design, does have a number of issues that happen in actual use. Although these issues don't affect all Switch gamers, the high probability of these is enough to cause a great deal of concern.
1. Joystick Drift
Joystick drift can be said the most notorious problem of Joycon! Many gamers found that the character in game would move automatically even without touching the joystick. This seriously affects the precision and controllability of gameplay, and has caused a great deal of complaints and dissatisfaction from gamers.
Factor
It's important to note that the Joycon itself has a design flaw, its internals are easy to significant wear and tear, which causes the joystick drift. As a result, Joycon is always more likely to experience joystick drift than many other controller.
In addition, joystick drift can also be caused by dust or other impurities inside the joystick, causing the controller to misread the position. These problems may be more obvious after prolonged and frequent use, affecting overall durability and reliability.
Solution
You can try to ease the issue by cleaning the area around the joysticks or adjusting your controller usage habits.
2. Discomfort Design
The physical design of Joycon is also a really big problem. It's too small and very flat in shape that it's really uncomfortable to hold in your hand. While such issues are usually subjective, they may seem more noticeable and lower the gaming experience when using it longer or when high precision moves are required.
As I mentioned in , I am prone to sweaty palms when I play games, and the Joycon's design simply zoom in the discomfort of sweaty palms for me.
Factor
Design discomfort might from controller feel, button layout, weight, etc. For different sizes of hands, there may be large individual differences in design feel, so some gamers may feel that the Joycon is not comfortable enough while using, and this feeling should be more pronounced for adults.
Solution
You can choose to use accessories such as Joycon housings or grips to improve comfort.
3. Poor Durability
Some gamers have also reported that the Joycon's durability is not as good as expected after using it longer, such as damage to the casing, unresponsive, and so on, so it's no wonder that many gamers have joked that "the Joycon is an expendable item".
Factor
Durability issues can stem from controller material, construction, or frequent use. Defects in the quality of the controller itself, or prolonged high-frequency use may cause wear of controller components.
Solution
You can use a Joycon case or perform regular cleaning and maintenance to extend the life of your Joycon.
4. Unstable Connection
Connection problems are also one of the main issues with Joycon, with many gamers reporting sudden connection interruptions or signal loss during gameplay. This kind of problem seriously affects the stability and smoothness of the gaming experience, especially in games that require high-precision moves, such as competitive games or action games.
Like I had a Joycon that produced serious connection problems, because from time to time I had to readjust the connection, it was difficult to play the game coherently, seriously affecting my level of operation, the experience is really very poor.
Factor
Connection problems can usually caused by abnormal wireless signal transmission between Joycon and Switch. Possible causes include signal interference, malfunctioning internal components of Joycon or Switch, and compatibility issues that may be introduced with software updates.
Solution
You'll need to take care to ensure a good connection environment between Joycon and Switch, and Nintendo will also help with these issues through software updates and user service programs.
Other Issues
These issues shows the diversity of problems that can happen with Joycon in certain situations.
5. Decreased Battery Life
While the Joycon's battery life is usually trouble-free and many gamers are satisfied, there has been some feedback from gamers that their battery life may decrease after extended use. This problem can lead to sudden power outages during gameplay or the need for frequent recharging, causing inconvenience to gamers.
Factor
Problems such as high usage, improper charge or aging of the batteries inside the controller can cause battery life issues. Although Joycon's battery life is generally long, this may still occur under extreme conditions.
Solution
You can extend battery life by standardizing your charging habits and avoiding long periods of intense use.
6. Strange Sound
A few gamers have reported that Joycon may make unusual sounds, such as a cacophony or a slight clicking sound, in certain situations. While this issue is relatively rare, it can affect the player's gaming experience.
Factor
Abnormal sounds may from the improper functioning of internal components of Joycon, or loosening of connecting parts. This may be more noticeable when the Joycon is subjected to physical shock or after prolonged use.
Solution
You can try reconnecting Joycon, but it probably won't solve.
7. Cannot Charge
A few gamers have reported that their Joycon may experience issues with not or slow charging. While this is relatively rare, it's really annoying to imagine that you've been charging for so long but still not enough to start a game.
Factor
Charging problems may be due to a loose Joycon charging port, a faulty charging cable or power adapter, or a problem with the Joycon's internal charging circuitry.
Solution
You can try replacing the charging cable or checking the status of the power adapter.
8. Slow Button Response
A very small number of gamers may experience issues with Joycon's buttons being slow to respond. This can affect game moves that require a quick response and can have a huge impact on the gaming experience.
Unfortunately, I have encountered this problem: I have used a Joycon with the A button that had serious response problems, and playing games with it was like having glue on my game character, and it felt very unresponsive.
Factor
Delayed button response can be caused by faulty electronics within the controller, connection problems, or software issues.
Solution
You can try reconnecting the Joycon or restarting Nintendo Switch.
9. High Price
Don't laugh XD, this issue is really important too! Besides, Joycon is really too expensive, its standard price on Nintendo's website is actually $79.99!
We can say that Joycon does have some high technology, for example, accelerometers, gyroscopes and other sensors, HD vibration, wireless connectivity and so on, but also take into account small size, lightweight, portable; we can also say that Joycon is very in line with Nintendo's gaming philosophy, and can provide the best gaming experience for some of the Switch's characteristic motion sensing games such as Ring Fit Adventure, Arms, Nintendo Switch Sports, and so on.
They say "you get what you pay for", but even if it has such unique features, it's still not enough to justify the high price. And given the Joycon's design flaws, it's prone to the types of problems mentioned above, with the added cost of time and money invested in repairs and replacements, making it feel even less worth it to gamers.
Alternative
So are there any good alternative options to avoid some of the flaws of the original Joycon? Definitely there is, such as FUNLAB Luminous Joypad, effectively avoid many of the Joycon flaws and makes many features as well:
Design Features
Shape
As you can see, the shape of Luminous Joypad is not flat, but rather conforms more to the shape of your hand, and is also designed with a comfortable, non-slip diamond texture so that when using Luminous Joypad, you are less likely to feel tired as you would with a Joycon, and instead are as comfortable as you would be with a Pro Controller.
Size
Also, Luminous Joypad is bigger than Joycon, and the buttons are more responsive than Joycon, so it fits more players' hands. Even though I definitely have small hands, the size of Luminous Joypad is not a problem for me.
Aesthetics
In addition, most of the original Joycon is aesthetically pleasing with a solid color clash design, which looks good but can be a little simple, whereas the Hidden-Til-Lit design used by Luminous Joypad has a sense of surprise and atmosphere, as well as the ability to adjust the light color and blinking mode to your liking, which is much more show-off worthy.
Functional Features
Battery
The Luminous Joypad has a 950 mAh battery, and when you fully charge it, it can support 12 hours of play, which is really long, not to mention that you can usually often plug it into your Switch like a Joycon, so it's really hard to run out of power.
Cross-platform
If you are not only a Nintendo Switch gamer, but also love to play games on many other platforms, don't worry, because Luminous Joypad offers cross-platform Bluetooth support, which allows you to connect to Windows, Android, SteamOS, and Apple in addition to Switch.
Turbo Function
Luminous Joypad offers turbo control and turbo shift that are not available on original Joycon, and when you're playing games such as Animal Crossing: New Horizons, you may understand how important turbo functions really are! And these can also help you pull off some moves in action games more easily and smoothly!
If you're curious about how good is turbo function controller actually while playing Animal Crossing, here's .
Vibration
Although Luminous Joypad can't provide you with the most perfect HD vibration, its vibration has already been able to create a good experience for you. In order to get the most comfortable gaming experience for everyone, you can also adjust the strenth of the vibration, to avoid a bad experience caused by it too strong or too weak.
Other Features
Better Price
Luminous Joypad has a lot of features and avoids many of the shortcomings of Joycon, and it's even cheaper. Because FUNLAB hold events from time to time to thanks for the support, you can keep following FUNLAB's social media, Discord channel or official website to get more information about the events and get your Luminous Joypad at an even lower price!
Reliable Warranty
Meanwhile, FUNLAB has exact and favorable after-sale guarantee for customers, even though Luminous Joypad will not have quality problems caused by design faults like original Joycon, it's impossible not to have substandard products with these issues. If you buy a substandard product, you can apply for a free refund or a brand new compensatory product as long as you provide reasonable proof and the purchase is less than 1 year.