Nintendo – Photo by Sara Kurfeß on Unsplash
(BRUSSELS) – Japanese video game company Nintendo agreed Tuesday to offer all consumers the right to repair affected controllers of the ‘Nintendo Switch’ gaming console free of charge, even out of warranty.
Consumers using the Nintendo Switch console had reported to CPC authorities and consumer associations that they have been dealing with deterioration and a loss of control of the console. As the problem rendered controllers useless, consumers who could not repair them easily or free of charge were obliged to replace them, resulting in unnecessary electronic waste.
This technical problem known as the “Joy-Con drift” affected both Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch Lite consoles. BEUC, the European Consumer Organisation had received nearly 25,000 consumer complaints about the Nintendo Switch console by January 2021.
As a result of the action, Nintendo has now agreed to offer and indicate clearly that defective Joy-Con controllers will be repaired without charge by Nintendo’s repair centers, irrespective of whether this has been caused by a defect or by wear and tear, and even if the manufacturer’s guarantee given by Nintendo has expired.
The Commission adopted a proposal on the right to repair in March. The proposal will make it easier and more cost-effective for consumers to repair as opposed to replace goods. Once the new rules are in place, they will ensure that more products are repaired within the legal guarantee, and that consumers have easier and cheaper options to repair products that are technically repairable (such as electronic displays for example) when the legal guarantee has expired or when the good is not functional anymore as a result of wear and tear.
