Nintendo has said that Joy-Con connection issues are the result of a “manufacturing variation” after an investigation launched by CNET.
CNET sent away a left Joy-Con with connection problems for repair, and found the only difference upon its return was a single piece of black foam. The foam is likely conductive foam, which is used to shield electronics from RF interference — in this case, allowing for the proper Bluetooth connection between the Joy-Con and the Switch.
Nintendo didn’t issue a comment about the foam, but said new Joy-Cons will work as expected.
“There is no design issue with the Joy-Con controllers, and no widespread proactive repair or replacement effort is underway. A manufacturing variation has resulted in wireless interference with a small number of the left Joy-Con. Moving forward this will not be an issue, as the manufacturing variation has been addressed and corrected at the factory level,” Nintendo said. “We have determined a simple fix can be made to any affected Joy-Con to improve connectivity.
“There are other reasons consumers may be experiencing wireless interference. We are asking consumers to contact our customer support team so we can help them determine if a repair is necessary. If it is, consumers can send their controller directly to Nintendo for the adjustment, free of charge, with an anticipated quick return of less than a week. Repair timing may vary by region.”
New, working Joy-Cons do not have the foam inside, suggesting a manufacturing change from the publisher.
The Switch is available now. We reviewed it here.
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