Latest news with #JoyConDrift
The Verge
5 days ago
- Business
- The Verge
iFixit is retroactively giving the Nintendo Switch a 4/10 on repairability
Would you call the Nintendo Switch easy to repair, what with its infamously drifting joysticks, glued-in battery, tiny and easy-to-damage ribbon cables, and lack of official repair instructions and replacement parts? iFixit doesn't think so anymore. After giving Nintendo's handheld a rosy welcome at its 2017 debut, the online repair site says the Switch no longer lives up to 2025 standards — and so iFixit is cutting the Switch's repairability score in half, from 8 out of 10 to 4 out of 10. We've never put too much stock into repairability scores, but iFixit's reasoning (in this blog post) makes some sense to me, as a person who happens to open every handheld game system I test for The Verge. It's not Joy-Con drift — it's that the industry has moved on. As of 2025, many handheld gaming PCs are far easier to get inside and repair, and devices are beginning to offer batteries that can be replaced without painstakingly prying a fragile and dangerous-to-damage object (the glued battery) away from their frames. Some iPhones now even let you remove battery adhesive with a jolt of electricity. Plus, the Steam Deck kicked off an expectation that companies that truly want to offer repairable handhelds will make their parts publicly available to purchase, perhaps even through iFixit itself. That's not a place where Nintendo is playing ball —- although New York right-to-repair law may require Nintendo to provide parts for the Switch 2 in the USA, as iFixit points out in its blog post. This isn't the first time iFixit has retroactively decided to diss a big gadget company after thinking better of it: iFixit broke up with Samsung in 2024 after Samsung wasn't forthcoming with official parts and required customers to buy batteries that were preglued to phone screens, among other restrictions. I wonder if they'll exert similar pressure on Logitech. iFixit isn't dissing Nintendo nearly as hard as Samsung, though. 'The original Switch still has bright spots: its modular design philosophy for the joysticks, replaceable (and expandable) storage, and mostly straightforward internal layout all remain commendable. But when compared to newer devices that also offer standardized M.2 slots, socketed components, and widely available parts and repair documentation, the Switch shows its age,' writes iFixit.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
New Nintendo of America policy asks users to give up their rights to a class-action lawsuit and call customer service instead: 'Most matters can be quickly resolved in this manner'
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Nintendo of America's latest End User License Agreement (EULA) includes a new segment asking users to agree to waive their right to join a class action lawsuit against the company. During the lifespan of the Nintendo Switch, Joy-Con drift was a hot topic, and one that got Nintendo a lot of heat from fans. It was the subject of two class action lawsuits – filed in 2019 and 2020 – that were eventually dismissed. And while Nintendo has confirmed that the new Joy-Con 2 controllers are designed from scratch with new sticks (although they don't have Hall effect sticks), there's been no confirmation that the problem is fixed for Nintendo Switch 2. Regardless of whether it's fixed or not, Nintendo clearly wants to avoid more class action legal issues, as a user on Reddit pointed out about the latest EULA for US Nintendo accounts. Clause 16 of the EULA reads: "This arbitration provision precludes you and Nintendo from suing in court, having a trial by jury, or participating in a class action. You and Nintendo agree that arbitration will be solely on an individual basis and not as a class arbitration, class action, or any other kind of representative proceeding. You and Nintendo are each waiving the right to trial by a jury." Nintendo does give users some other options to resolve issues through, such as contacting customer service, about which the company says, "Most matters can be quickly resolved in this manner to our customer's satisfaction." Users also are given the right to opt out of Nintendo's arbitration requirement by sending written notice of this decision to the company's Redmond, Washington HQ; however, you'll only have 30 days from the day you agree to the EULA to do so. Disney had a similar clause in the Disney+ terms, which came to light last year after it was used during a lawsuit a Disneyland customer filed when his wife died from a severe allergic reaction after eating at the park. The company later withdrew its right to arbitration following backlash. Switch 2 price could still rise, as Nintendo president says the company is racing to beat new tariffs.
