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Nintendo Switch’s wireless controller issue can be fixed with a piece of foam

By Liu Hongzuo - on 26 Mar 2017, 11:06am

Nintendo Switch’s wireless controller issue can be fixed with a piece of foam

Over at CNET, a Nintendo Switch user (and fellow journalist) approached Nintendo as his console suffered a widespread connectivity issue found within the left-sided Joy Con controller. The fix? One piece of treated conductive foam, neatly wedged onto the board to prevent signal interference.

After the repair. Credit: CNET.

Before the repair. Spot the difference? Credit: CNET

Switch user and CNET Senior Editor, Sean Hollister, wrote to Nintendo about his console’s "left Joy-Con desync issue”. This was a flaw found in early Nintendo Switch units, but Nintendo said that it was a “manufacturing variation”. The statement came from Ars Technica’s follow-up inquiries:

There is no design issue with the Joy-Con controllers, and no widespread proactive repair or replacement effort is underway. A manufacturing variation has resulted in wireless interference with a small number of the left Joy-Con. Moving forward this will not be an issue, as the manufacturing variation has been addressed and corrected at the factory level.

We have determined a simple fix can be made to any affected Joy-Con to improve connectivity.

There are other reasons consumers may be experiencing wireless interference. We are asking consumers to contact our customer support team so we can help them determine if a repair is necessary. If it is, consumers can send their controller directly to Nintendo for the adjustment, free of charge, with an anticipated quick return of less than a week. Repair timing may vary by region. For help with any hardware or software questions, please visit http://support.nintendo.com.

In Sean’s situation, he sent the impaired Joy-Con to Nintendo and the fix was completed within five days. Sean decided to take apart the controller and see the difference.

CNET consulted their TechRepublic’s managing editor about the extra piece of black foam in the lower-right corner of the photo. Presumably, it’s a piece of metal-coated conductive foam that reduces interference for wireless signals – the foam is a mainstay in portable devices that lack the space for a conventional shield. Without the foam, Sean’s connectivity problems returned.

The newer Joy-Con purchased from Amazon. Credit: CNET.

The Switch user also went on to order another left-sided Joy-Con from Amazon. This particular unit featured a circuit board code that differed from his repaired controller. Sean speculates that Nintendo may have already modified their manufacturing process and the newer controller lacks the desync issue.

The official representative for Nintendo Switch repairs and servicing in Singapore can be found here.

Source: Ars Technica, CNET

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