The Nintendo Switch OLED has improved the Joy-Con controllers, according to the company
In conjunction with the release of the Nintendo Switch OLED Model, Nintendo claims that the Joy-Con controllers have been improved over the original.
To commemorate the release of the Nintendo Switch OLED Model, Nintendo has published an Ask the Developer discussion about the new model and its improvements.
At this point, everyone is familiar with the fundamentals of the OLED Model, such as the improved screen and the ability to plug a LAN cable into the dock. However, Nintendo has used this opportunity to discuss the Joy-Con controllers, stating that the ones included with the OLED Model have been upgraded.
According to Ko Shiota and Toru Yamashita of the Technology Development Division, the controllers have been continuously improved over time, particularly in terms of wear resistance and durability.
‘As we have always been trying to improve it as well, we have investigated the Joy-Con controllers used by the customers and repeatedly improved the wear resistance and durability,’ says Yamashita.
‘The parts of the Joy-Con analogue sticks are not something that can be bought off the shelf but are specially designed, so we have undergone a lot of considerations to improve them. In addition, we improved the reliability test itself, and we have continued to make changes to improve durability and clear this new test.’
He adds that, once the effects of these improvements were confirmed, they were incorporated into all Joy-Con controllers, whether they were bundled with Nintendo Switch consoles or sold separately. This applies to the controllers for the Switch Lite, which can’t be detached from the console.
While the infamous Joy-Con drift is never mentioned (most likely for legal reasons), it is implied that the issue can never be truly fixed, only mitigated, because wear and tear is an inevitability.
‘For example, car tyres wear out as the car moves, as they are in constant friction with the ground to rotate. So, with that same premise, we asked ourselves how we can improve durability, and not only that, but how can both operability and durability coexist? It’s something we are continuously tackling,’ says Shiota.
To recap, Joy-Con drift occurs when the controller reads analogue stick inputs even when the player is not touching the stick. It’s been a widespread problem since the release of the Nintendo Switch, prompting several lawsuits against the company.
It’s unusual for Nintendo to provide this level of insight into how it develops its hardware, so the full discussion is worth reading. It’s especially intriguing given that Nintendo previously told Axios reporter Stephen Totilo that the controllers for the OLED Model had not been changed at all.
It’s not surprising that they didn’t, given that we’re talking about Nintendo. The company rarely comments on new hardware or hardware revisions, and only denied the ongoing Switch Pro rumours when there was a risk that they would impact OLED Model sales.