The Nintendo Switch Lite may have a Joy-Con drift problem of its own according to some users, who have taken to social media to alert other consumers that the persistent analog stick issue is already cropping up in new Switch Lite models. The Nintendo Switch Joy-Con drift issue has existed since the first model of the console released years ago and, despite insistence from fans that the problem needs addressing, the most Nintendo has acknowledged the issue thus far is in a recently-adopted policy to broaden the qualifications for malfunctioning controllers to be sent in for repair for free.
Joy-Con drift is a problem within the Nintendo Switch's controller, and is widely thought to be a hardware problem inherent in the design of the controller itself rather than a specific piece of technology that can easily be swapped out. The problem can crop up at any time, and manifests as an analog stick believing it is being pushed in a direction even when it isn't. This can range from a minor annoyance to some users to something that completely ruins a play experience, especially for games that require specific positioning or combinations of analog stick inputs to execute maneuvers on a tight timeframe. Either way, it's been a problem for a long time, but Nintendo hasn't acknowledged it in such a way that suggests the company has a permanent fix for the Nintendo Switch Joy-Con drift issue.
While many hoped the Nintendo Switch Lite might not have drift issues since the controllers are built into the system itself and can't be detached, it appears that won't be the case. A video uploaded to Reddit earlier today by user TorteDeLini and originally posted by YouTube user Alexis Javier shows that their Nintendo Switch Lite device drift issues have already begun, leaving the system flat on its back on a table and not touching it as the screen, displaying The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, begins to rotate the camera on its own, something that requires input on the analog stick.
The video has once again called to attention the need for Nintendo to address this issue. The company has already been made aware that a Nintendo Switch Joy-Con drift lawsuit is in the works, while many were reserving final judgment before seeing if the Nintendo Switch Lite and new model of the Switch would have the issue quietly addressed and solved. With that appearing to not have happened, it will be interesting to see what consumer response is, especially with an important holiday season for a device that, drift issues aside, has reviewed extraordinarily well and appears set to have a strong few months of sales to close 2019.
As it stands, the Nintendo Switch Lite drift issue is quite frankly unacceptable. The company has had years to find a fix for the technological issue and has not only failed to do so, but has failed to publicly acknowledge that it is even trying. While it's still early to tell and could be a defect in this specific Switch Lite model, if more drift issues begin cropping up for the Nintendo Switch Lite, the backlash could be dramatic.
Source: Alexis Javier/YouTube (via /u/TorteDeLini)