Nintendo of Europe will pay a €35 million fine in France following an investigation into malfunctions in certain Joy-Con controllers for the original Nintendo Switch. The penalty targets misleading business practices related to consumer information provided between 2018 and 2023. The case concerns the infamous Joy-Con drift: a lack of responsiveness in the analog stick that caused unintended on-screen movements. Characters could move on their own, respond in reverse, react unexpectedly, or become stuck. In some cases, normal console use became difficult or even impossible.
The French Directorate General for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF) has accused Nintendo of Europe of failing to provide consumers with sufficiently transparent information about these malfunctions. The investigation concluded that the company only began communicating about them in 2020, whereas the problems had been addressed during the period under review, dating back to 2018.
Players pressured to buy new controllers
Due to a lack of clear information, some consumers did not contact Nintendo's customer service. Others replaced their controllers at their own expense. According to the DGCCRF (French Directorate General for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control), this late and incomplete information may have influenced consumers' economic behavior: repairing the controllers, requesting compensation, or purchasing new Joy-Cons.
The investigation was opened following a complaint filed by UFC-Que Choisir in September 2020. The National Investigation Service of the DGCCRF then transmitted its conclusions in 2025 to the public prosecutor of Nanterre.
35 million euros and a mandatory publication
Following approval from the prosecutor, a €35 million plea bargain was offered to Nintendo of Europe. The company accepted it. The procedure also includes the publication of a statement on the homepage of Nintendo's website. Nintendo agreed to pay the fine, while denying that it intentionally misled consumers. The company presents the agreement as an amicable resolution of the proceedings, not an admission of guilt.
Free repairs are still possible
Since 2023, as part of a coordinated European effort, Nintendo of Europe has committed to repairing Joy-Con controllers affected by this bug free of charge, even beyond the legal warranty period. On its French support page, Nintendo states that customers in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland are not being charged, until further notice, for repairs to a joystick responsiveness bug related to a manufacturing defect or normal wear and tear. The console does not need to be sent in; only the affected controllers need to be sent for repair.
What Switch owners need to know
Owners of Joy-Con controllers affected by the drift issue should first check the stick calibration, console updates, and the controllers' internal software. If the problem persists, Nintendo plans to offer a repair service for the affected controllers.
It should be noted that this sanction does not apply to the Switch 2 or to all Nintendo accessories. It concerns malfunctions in certain Joy-Con controllers of the Nintendo Switch 1, launched in March 2017, and especially the way in which consumers were informed over several years.
