Nintendo says it continually works to improve the durability of the Joy-Con, but wear and tear is “unavoidable.”

Along with the launch of the Switch OLED model, Nintendo has launched a new ‘Ask the developer‘discussion on their official website. While it goes into all sorts of details about the new system, towards the end there is a conversation about the Joy-Con controllers.

Joy-Con controllers have been subject to intense scrutiny in recent years due to consumer reports that the sticks ‘drift’ over time and register input even when the user does not touch them. Nintendo has been involved in lawsuits on the issue, and this week consumer advocacy group Euroconsumers criticized the Japanese firm for the problem.

Toru Yamashita from Nintendo’s Technology Development Division explains how the Japanese company has been continually improving the Joy-Con controllers since the original model was released and pointed out how the OLED Joy-Con Switch is the “latest version” with all the improvements. far.

We mentioned that the specifications of the Joy-Con controller had not changed in the sense that we did not add new functions like new buttons, but the analog sticks in the Joy-Con controllers included with Nintendo Switch – OLED model are the latest version with all the improvements. . Needless to say, so are the analog sticks included in the Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch Lite, Joy-Con controllers sold separately, and the Nintendo Switch Pro controller that are currently shipping.

Although Nintendo did not specifically state what has been improved within the controller over time, more generally, it focuses on improving the strength, durability, and reliability of analog sticks.

The analog stick on the first release passed Nintendo’s reliability test using the method of rotating the stick while continuously applying a load, using the same criteria as the analog stick on the Wii U GamePad. As we have always tried to improve it as well, we have researched the Joy-Con controllers used by customers and repeatedly improved the wear resistance and durability.

However, Ko Shiota, who also participated in this interview, admits that wear and tear is “inevitable”:

Do you mean that basically wear is unavoidable as long as the parts are in physical contact?

Yes, for example, car tires wear out as the car moves as they are in constant friction with the ground to turn. So with that same premise, we ask ourselves how can we improve durability, and not only that, but how can both operability and durability coexist? It is something that we are continually addressing.

Yamashita adds:

The degree of wear depends on factors such as the combination of materials and shapes, so we continue to make improvements by investigating which combinations are least likely to wear out. We mentioned that the specifications of the Joy-Con controller had not changed in the sense that we did not add new functions like new buttons, but the analog sticks in the Joy-Con controllers included with Nintendo Switch – OLED model are the latest version with all the improvements. . Needless to say, so are the analog sticks included in the Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch Lite, Joy-Con controllers sold separately, and the Nintendo Switch Pro controller that are currently shipping.

What do you think of Nintendo’s continued efforts to improve its Joy-Con controllers and reduce the drift problem? Do you think the reliability of the Joy-Con has improved over time? Leave your own comments below.