Yes, Nintendo UK repairs Joy-Con and Switch Lite stick drift free of charge, even when the controller is out of warranty. It has done so since April 2023 and says the offer runs "until further notice". If your Joy-Con has never been opened, Nintendo is the first place to go, before you pay anyone, including me.
What Nintendo's free drift repair covers
Since April 2023, Nintendo has repaired stick drift free in the UK, the EEA and Switzerland. It covers:
- Joy-Con controllers for the original Switch and the OLED, whether or not they're still under warranty.
- The Switch Lite, where the sticks are built into the console, so the whole console goes to Nintendo. There's more on that in Switch Lite stick drift.
It covers drift. Other faults on the same controller, such as a snapped rail or water damage, fall under Nintendo's normal repair terms. Nintendo's published out-of-warranty cap for a Joy-Con is £26.40 each.
When Nintendo may refuse
Nintendo can refuse if the fault comes from modification or an unofficial repair. In practice, that means if the Joy-Con has been opened, whether by you, a friend or a repair shop, Nintendo may say no.
That matters both ways. If you've already had a go with a cheap replacement stick from an online kit, Nintendo's free route may be closed. And if you send a working-but-drifting Joy-Con to me for an upgrade, it will have been opened afterwards, so you should assume Nintendo's free drift repair won't be available for it later.
How to book it
You book through the repairs section of Nintendo UK's support website. Nintendo walks you through the details and tells you how to send the controller or console in. I'd rather not describe the exact form steps here, because Nintendo changes them from time to time, and its own pages will always be current.
Before you book, it's worth ruling out a software cause:
- Update the console and the controllers.
- Calibrate the sticks in System Settings > Controllers and Sensors > Calibrate Control Sticks.
- Test in a different game, and ideally on a different console.
How to fix Joy-Con drift goes through each of those checks in order.
If you're sending a Switch Lite, back up your saves first where you can. Here's how to back up Switch save data. Nintendo says a repair "might take up to 10 working days".
What Nintendo's repair gives you back
Nintendo fixes the drift with its own parts. The standard Joy-Con stick is a potentiometer: a small wiper slides across a resistive track, the track wears, and dust gets in. That's what causes drift in the first place. So a free repair gives you a working stick again, but it's the same design, and it can wear in the same way over time.
For a lot of people, that's absolutely fine. A free fix that lasts a good while is a good deal.
When a paid upgrade makes sense instead
My Joy-Con drift repair replaces the original sticks with Hall effect sticks, which sense position with magnets instead of a sliding contact. It's £35 for one Joy-Con or £59 for both. It makes sense when:
- The Joy-Con has already been opened. Nintendo may refuse it, so the free route may not be open to you.
- You've had drift before and don't want the same stick design again. Hall effect sticks don't wear the same way, so drift from wear is very unlikely.
- You've got a set of Joy-Con with other small faults and want them sorted in one go. Get in touch first and I'll tell you honestly whether it's worth it.
Weighing it up? Are Hall effect Joy-Con worth it? sets out the pros and cons plainly.
If you do send them to me, you pay the postage in, and the insured, tracked return is included. It's no fix, no fee, and the repair carries a 12-month warranty. My full price list is in the Switch repair cost guide.
My honest advice
If your Joy-Con or Switch Lite has never been opened, book Nintendo's free repair first. If it comes back and drifts again later, or you'd rather move to a different stick design, that's the time to look at an upgrade.
Frequently asked questions
Is Nintendo's drift repair really free if my Joy-Con is out of warranty?
Yes, in the UK, the EEA and Switzerland. Nintendo has repaired Joy-Con and Switch Lite stick drift free since April 2023, even out of warranty, and says this applies until further notice.
Will Nintendo fix a Joy-Con that someone has opened?
It may not. Nintendo can refuse if the fault comes from modification or an unofficial repair, so an opened controller may be turned away.
Does the free repair cover Joy-Con 2?
The free drift policy was set up for the original Joy-Con and the Switch Lite. Switch 2 has its own Nintendo repair route, including a Joy-Con 2 request form, so check with Nintendo for a Joy-Con 2.
