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Nintendo confirms no Joy-Con design changes in Switch OLED

With the configuration of the Joy-Cons remaining the same for the Switch OLED, the risk of old problems may still lurk in the new system.

TJ Denzer

July 6, 2021 1:25 PM

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There are quite a few changes coming to the Nintendo Switch OLED, but as we’ve seen from the specs of the system, there are also a lot of things that are remaining the same. It’s got a neat new screen, an Ethernet port, a better kickstand, and new speakers. However, under the hood, much of the guts are unchanged, and so the performance and configurations are unchanged as well. That includes the Switch OLED’s new Joy-Con controllers, which Nintendo recently confirmed will not be changing in design or functionality. That very likely means Joy-Con drift is still a possibility on the Switch OLED.

This detail was confirmed in a recent correspondence with Nintendo itself over the matter of the recently announced Nintendo Switch OLED model’s new Joy-Con controllers. According to Nintendo, it did not make any changes in the new Joy-Cons’ internal design and function.

“The Joy-Con controller configuration and functionality did not change with Nintendo Switch system (OLED model),” a representative of Nintendo told Shacknews. “The configuration and functionality is the same as that of the Joy-Con controllers for the Nintendo Switch system.”

Unfortunately, the lack of any change whatsoever in the new Joy-Cons for the Nintendo Switch OLED model also means that a persistent problem that has plagued the Nintendo Switch’s detachable controllers will still be a threat. The matter of Joy-Con drift has been a problem for a long time at this point, going back years, even as Nintendo has offered to repair or replace defective Joy-Cons. Joy-Con drift has even come under EU investigation following mass complaints of the issue in 2021.

In terms of many of the Nintendo Switch OLED’s specs, the unchanged hardware and performance is what it is, even if it might not have been the Switch Pro we were looking for. Even so, the Joy-Cons remaining the exact same on the Nintendo Switch OLED means players may be forced to continue to carefully monitor their controls for signs of drift and/or malfunction as the new version of the Switch launches this coming October.

TJ Denzer

Senior News Editor

TJ Denzer is a player and writer with a passion for games that has dominated a lifetime. He found his way to the Shacknews roster in late 2019 and has worked his way to Senior News Editor since. Between news coverage, he also aides notably in livestream projects like the indie game-focused Indie-licious, the Shacknews Stimulus Games, and the Shacknews Dump. You can reach him at tj.denzer@shacknews.com and also find him on Twitter @JohnnyChugs.