The Nintendo Switch is just one week away from launch, unfortunately some people are reporting serious input problems with Joy-Con L.
Polygon noted in its Nintendo Switch preview that, when playing certain games, Joy-Con L becomes unresponsive, particularly with left analogue stick input. At times Link will continue wandering aimlessly with the player unable to do anything to alter his path, leading to a very frustrating experience.
GameXplain provided a very good explainer video to show what exactly is happening with the Joy-Con controller, and it seems that, when the controller’s signal is obscured, its input is seriously affected.
In personal testing, I’ve been able to replicate the exact same problems with the left Joy-Con, and have also experienced the same severe input issues whilst playing Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. However, the problem wasn’t apparent with the right Joy-Con.
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If this issue persists at the launch of the Nintendo Switch, it could be a huge problem for the company. Reliability concerns will no doubt cause jitters for players currently sitting on a pre-order.
There is a day one system software patch which will introduce many of the Switch’s functions, including the eShop and News bulletins. Perhaps the Joy-Con problems can be fixed within this patch. One thing that definitely won’t be available at launch, though, is the Virtual Console.
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TrustedReviews has reached out to Nintendo for further comment on the matter.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
