Nintendo Will Pay €35 Million Fine in France Over Switch Joy-Con Drift

Nintendo will pay a €35 million fine in France after the country’s consumer affairs authority found that the company’s handling of Joy-Con drift amounted to a misleading commercial practice. The fine comes after years of complaints from Nintendo Switch owners who reported that their Joy-Con thumbsticks moved on their own, even when they were not being touched.

France’s Directorate General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control found that Nintendo of Europe had committed a misleading commercial practice between 2018 and 2023. The investigation concluded that Nintendo knew about the Joy-Con drift issue before it properly communicated the problem to consumers.

Joy-Con drift became one of the most persistent complaints around the original Nintendo Switch. The issue caused in-game movement or camera control to activate without player input, making some games difficult or even impossible to play comfortably. For many Switch owners, the problem appeared after normal use and sometimes returned even after repairs.

France says Nintendo’s response came too late for affected Switch owners

Nintendo eventually offered free Joy-Con repairs in Europe and began selling individual controllers instead of only paired sets. However, French authorities found those steps were not enough because they arrived after years of consumer frustration.

The French investigation found that Nintendo’s handling of the issue affected consumer behavior. In simple terms, customers may have bought or replaced Joy-Con controllers without being clearly informed about a known durability problem.

Nintendo denied intentionally misleading customers. The company said paying the fine does not amount to an admission of guilt and described the payment as part of an amicable resolution of the legal case.

Joy-Con drift became one of the Switch’s longest-running hardware problems

Joy-Con drift has followed the Nintendo Switch since its early years. The console launched in 2017, but widespread complaints about controller drift became one of its defining hardware issues. Nintendo did not issue a formal apology until 2020, three years after launch.

The problem also led to multiple legal actions in different regions. Players argued that the controller issue was common enough that Nintendo should have acted earlier and more clearly. While the company eventually improved support policies, the damage to consumer trust had already been done.

This is one reason the French fine matters. It is not only about faulty thumbsticks. It is about how a major hardware company communicates with customers when a defect becomes widespread.

The Switch 2 now faces closer attention from consumers

The fine arrives as Nintendo is already one year into the Switch 2 generation. That makes the timing important. Players will now watch more closely to see whether Nintendo has fully addressed the drift issue in newer hardware.

If similar problems appear on Switch 2 controllers, the company could face faster backlash than it did during the original Switch era. Consumers are now more aware of drift, and regulators may also be less patient if a known problem reappears.

Nintendo also faces another challenge as Switch 2 pricing becomes a bigger topic. If hardware or accessories become more expensive, customers will expect better durability and clearer support policies. A controller problem that was frustrating at $70 becomes even harder to defend if replacement costs rise.

Nintendo needs to rebuild trust around controller durability

The €35 million fine is a serious reminder that controller reliability is not a small issue. Joy-Con drift affected everyday gameplay for millions of players and became a recurring complaint across the Switch generation.

Nintendo has often built its reputation on hardware that feels accessible, creative, and family friendly. But Joy-Con drift showed that a clever design can still become a major consumer problem if durability does not match expectations.

The company’s response in France shows that regulators are willing to act when they believe customers were not properly informed. Nintendo may not admit wrongdoing, but the fine still adds legal weight to years of complaints from Switch owners.

For players, the bigger question is what happens next. Nintendo can move past Joy-Con drift only if Switch 2 avoids the same pattern. That means stronger components, faster repairs, clearer communication, and less hesitation if problems appear.

Joy-Con drift has already cost Nintendo money, time, and trust. The French fine adds another chapter to that story, and it puts more pressure on the company to prove that the issue will not define another console generation.