It has been three and a half years ever since Nintendo shocked the gaming community with the launch of the Switch console. Of course, it is important to remember that the release of the Switch has been a vital move on Nintendo's part, especially after the lackluster release of the company's previous flagship home console, the Wii U.
Now, players are eagerly-anticipating on what's next for the Nintendo Switch. Last year, the company released a refreshed version of the original with better battery life and the Nintendo Switch Lite, which is the dedicated handheld version of the console. Several months ago, rumors surfaced that Nintendo is already developing a Pro version of the console, which will reportedly feature a 4K resolution, among other improvements. However, if a new Switch is indeed on the way, it is important for Nintendo to introduce a fix to a long-standing flaw on the hybrid console, which is Joy-Con drift.
Joy-Con Drift
Although the Nintendo Switch received glowing reviews during its launch, time proved that the console is not perfect after all. Players from all over reported that their Switch consoles were experiencing a phenomenon called Joy-Con drift, which has resulted in a class-action lawsuit against the company. Joy-Con drift occurs when the controllers register input when there is none, which means that the player's character or cursor could move in a direction for no reason whatsoever. Of course, this soon prove to be problematic for Switch players, with some forced to replace their Joy-Cons in order to fix the problem.
At the moment, the exact cause of Joy-Con drift is still unknown, and it is unclear if Nintendo has already pinpointed the problem but doesn't want to disclose specifics. Some theorize that Joy-Con drift happens after some wear and tear on the controllers, while other blame dust and other debris getting stuck on the Joy-Cons causing the problem. When the refreshed version of the Switch was released last year, many hope that it will fix the issue. However, given that the design of the refreshed version of the Switch remain the same as the original, the problem persisted, which many see as proof that the cause of the issue is the design of the Switch itself.
How the Nintendo Switch Pro Could Fix Joy-Con Drift
If the Switch's design is indeed to blame, then the only course of action that could potentially fix Joy-Con drift is a total redesign of the Switch's chassis. At the moment, given that the rumored Switch Pro remains unconfirmed, it is unclear whether any significant physical changes will be introduced in the rumored Pro device, but given that removable Joy-Cons should still be the forefront feature of the Pro console, then Nintendo should ensure that dust and other debris won't easily penetrate the device, assuming that this is the source of the problem.
One thing that Nintendo should do before it releases the rumored Nintendo Switch Pro is to actually reveal what causes the problem, rather than just making apologies and trying to dismiss lawsuits against it. Should Nintendo decide to go business as usual without explaining the truth behind Joy-Con drift, that could lead to poor sales of the Pro console, given that players may not want to upgrade if the problem will persist. No matter how awesome the new features of the Nintendo Switch Pro will be, there will still be those who will be hesitant to support it, which is a shame given that the Nintendo Switch has always been a revolutionary gaming system.
In the end, the best course of action for Nintendo is to offer a better response regarding the issue. Of course, it is likely that Nintendo has already identified the issue, given that it is offering players free repairs to fix Joy-Con drift, but Nintendo should also release the cause of the problem to the public and offer an explanation on how the Nintendo Switch Pro, once it's announced, would fix the issue.