Nintendo sued by European gamers hampered by broken controllers

Some 25,000 gamers and other consumers across Europe, including France, Belgium and the Netherlands, complained about a ‘recurring technical problem with Nintendo Switch controllers, commonly referred to as Joy-Con Drift’, according to a statement on Jan 27. — Dreamstime/TNS

Nintendo Co faces a complaint from BEUC, a European consumer group, over what it calls “systematic problems” with the controllers for the company’s popular Switch games console.

BEUC said it filed a complaint with the European Union and national consumer protection organisations after evidence from users showed that in 88% of cases, “the game controllers broke within the first two years”.

The group said some 25,000 gamers and other consumers across Europe, including France, Belgium and the Netherlands, complained about a “recurring technical problem with Nintendo Switch controllers, commonly referred to as ‘Joy-Con Drift’,” according to a statement on Jan 27.

The problem causes a glitch where characters can move within games without any input from the user. The company was sued over the issue in the US in 2019.

“We are aware of allegations but decline to comment on individual cases,” Nintendo said, adding the company will “respond appropriately if the investigation has started”.

The consumer groups seek a Europe-wide investigation into the problems, seeking an order for Nintendo to address “the premature failures of its product”. BEUC said until then, “faulty game controllers should be repaired for free and consumers should be properly informed”. – Bloomberg