Summary

• Two lawsuits over Nintendo Joy-Con drift are being quietly dismissed, impacting the future of the Switch 2 console
• It's unclear if the Switch 2 will use Joy-Cons or update them to avoid this issue in the future.
• Nintendo remains a step ahead legally, handling not only dismissed lawsuits but also taking down illegal emulators like Citra and Yuzu

Nintendo has gotten a decisive victory for the Nintendo Switch, which has been the center of multiple lawsuits over the years due to Joy-Con drift. However, a pair of these lawsuits have been filed for dismissal at the concession of those who filed them. The result of this could affect the Switch 2 console.

The dismissal was revealed by Stephen Totilo of Game File, who posted on the site and on X (formerly Twitter) that two lawsuits filed in court years ago have “all but ended in a whimper” thanks to these dismissal filings. The lawsuits were filed by parents who argued in court that Nintendo had sold defective Joy-Cons to their kids.

Could The Joy-Con Drift Issue Continue?

Nintendo Switch 2 Control System Still Unknown

“Joy-Con Drift,” as it is referred to, is caused by a malfunction where the controller sticks drift in one direction or the other without the person’s input. It was first seen as an annoyance during gameplay (although there are some games you can play to mitigate the issue), but then became more prevalent across Nintendo Switch s, and that led to many lawsuits against Nintendo. However, Nintendo promised to repair or replace controllers and noted that lawsuits couldn’t happen because of the Agreements that people accepted via its products. They felt that private arbitration was a more fair way of handling the problem.

The results of the dismissal, mixed with previous failed actions against Nintendo for Joy-Con Drift, paint an uncertain future regarding the company’s controllers. The Nintendo Switch 2 was recently confirmed during a financial briefing, and company President Shuntaro Furukawa noted some key elements of the new system. For example, it will be a hybrid handheld console like the original Switch, have physical media, and more. However, if the Joy-Cons are still the method of control, then the Joy-Con Drift issue could continue, especially if they aren’t updated to battle this issue.

It is not known whether the Nintendo Switch successor will have Joy-Cons or will get an updated model to go along with the new system. Shuntaro Furukawa has noted in the past that Nintendo knows the importance of nailing the transition from one system to the next, given the failures they have had in this field in the past. Regardless of the outcome, Nintendo can take heart in how well their legal team has been doing recently. Not only with the dismissal of these cases but in taking down illegal emulators like Citra, Yuzu, and similar copycats.

Source: GameFile, Stephen Totilo/X