Nintendo has just announced the latest model of their Switch gaming console, the Nintendo Switch OLED, which will be released later on this year. Besides improvements to its screen, it will feature an ethernet port and enhanced audio. Fans were quick to notice, though, that the OLED model won't be fixing one of the more notorious errors from the Switch era: Joy-Con drift.
The Nintendo Switch OLED is currently slated for an October 8 release, and comes following extensive rumors that a Nintendo Switch Pro was in the works. Given Nintendo's noted tendency to upgrade its handheld consoles in the years following initial release, it isn't much surprise that the Switch is being upgraded in some form or another. The trouble, however, is that the Nintendo Switch OLED model isn't coming with any of the notable features that fans were hoping for in a Switch upgrade, such as the inclusion of 4K.
Another glaring issue that could have used a fix was the well-known problem of Joy-Con drift, which is so notorious that as of December 2020 it was under investigation by nine different countries. Although Nintendo has offered redress in the past, the actual problem itself has no official and easily manageable fix, and even the release of the Nintendo Switch Lite model didn't resolve it. Due to reports that the OLED model will be utilizing the same Joy-Cons as the original Nintendo Switch, it appears the drift error won't be fixed this time around, either.
Why Joy-Con Drift Is Upsetting To So Many Nintendo Fans
Joy-Con drift is a sensitivity issue that causes the console to act as though the joystick is moving even when it isn't being touched. Particularly in games that prioritize features such as aim or steering, which heavily depend on a player's handling of the joysticks, it can become a major annoyance and even hinder player performance in competitive matches. It's also a problem that can get worse over time. It's been around since the console's release in 2017, and since then has come to be considered the Nintendo Switch's most widespread issue, particularly as the console gets older - widespread enough to result in multiple investigations and a lawsuit against Nintendo.
When the Nintendo Switch Lite model was released in 2019, many hoped that Nintendo would have taken the opportunity to fix the problem, especially given that the controllers are built into the unit itself. Unfortunately, this wasn't the case, and within just a few months Switch Lite s were reporting that the Joy-Con drift issue was happening on that model, too. Although players have found their own workarounds - such as utilizing the Nintendo Switch Android app as digital Joy-Cons in place of the standard physical ones - and Nintendo has offered refunds and free repairs, the lack of proper resolution in the release of the Nintendo Switch OLED model is a disappointing misstep in the eyes of many long-time Switch players and Nintendo fans.
