The Nintendo Switch OLED Uses The Same Joy-Cons As The Old Switch

Nintendo has finally announced the Nintendo Switch OLED model, but it comes with an annoying caveat, as it still uses the same Joy-Cons as the base version of the Nintendo Switch. The hybrid handheld/home console nature of the Nintendo Switch is one of its most praised aspects, but the Joy-Cons can’t keep up with daily use across multiple playstyles.

The Joy-Con controllers need to be adaptable, as it has to be both a handheld controller that bear the weight of the system as well as a regular controller when the Switch is docked. The issue that fans have with Joy-Cons is that they keep breaking. The individual joysticks often suffer from an issue called drift, where the controller thumbstick acts as if it’s being pushed, even when it isn’t. Joy-Con drift is a serious issue, as it causes controllers to become unusable. Nintendo has faced legal troubles over Joy-Con drift, with a lawsuit being filed earlier this year over the issue.

When rumors of the Nintendo Switch Pro started to make the rounds online, there were many fans who hoped that the hardware revision would come with new Joy-Cons. Nintendo has had plenty of time to learn its mistakes regarding the production of the Joy-Cons, so it would make sense for a new line of controllers to be released alongside the new system. The trailer for the Nintendo Switch OLED was released today and it can be seen on the official Nintendo UK YouTube channel. The official page for the system on the Nintendo UK website has more information about the console, and the support section confirms that the Nintendo Switch OLED model uses the same Joy-Cons as the regular Switch.

This revelation is bound to anger fans, as these are the controllers that are confirmed to break down over time. This was Nintendo’s chance to get everyone back on board with the Joy-Cons, but it looks like it’s going to keep selling merchandise that may eventually degrade with its systems.

The fact that the Nintendo Switch OLED uses the same Joy-Cons as the old Switch is made all the more frustrating by the fact that Nintendo is pushing the handheld aspects of the system. The Nintendo Switch OLED has a seven-inch OLED screen, a new stand for tabletop mode, and onboard speakers built into the system itself. All of these bells and whistles are nice, but it doesn’t matter much if the controllers are the same as the ones that have drifted for so many players around the world.

The Nintendo Switch OLED Model will be released on October 8, 2021.

Source: Nintendo UK, Nintendo UK/YouTube

About The Author

Scott Baird
(2519 Articles Published)

Scott has been writing for Screen Rant since 2016 and regularly contributes to The Gamer. He has previously written articles and video scripts for websites like Cracked, Dorkly, Topless Robot, and TopTenz.
A graduate of Edge Hill University in the UK, Scott started out as a film student before moving into journalism. It turned out that wasting a childhood playing video games, reading comic books, and watching movies could be used for finding employment, regardless of what any career advisor might tell you. Scott specializes in gaming and has loved the medium since the early ‘90s when his first console was a ZX Spectrum that used to take 40 minutes to load a game from a tape cassette player to a black and white TV set. Scott now writes game reviews for Screen Rant and The Gamer, as well as news reports, opinion pieces, and game guides. He can be contacted on LinkedIn.

See also  MCU's Black Knight Can Finally Deliver A Great King Arthur Movie

More From Scott Baird