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Nintendo Switch Joy-Con Connections Issues Found In Pre-Release Hardware

Joy-Connection problems.

104 Comments

It seems the delightfully odd Joy-Con controllers for the Nintendo Switch are experiencing some connection problems in pre-release hardware.

Reports are surfacing from numerous outlets with Switch hardware, claiming that connection issues have been found in the left-hand Joy-Con while playing The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

No Caption Provided

Polygon collected a handful of tweets from fellow games journalists experiencing the problem, citing hopes that the incoming day one system update will include a fix, but nothing has been mentioned in previous correspondence from Nintendo on the subject.

Further testing has revealed that the connection issues aren't only being exhibited in Breath of the Wild, but also in system menus, and not only from the left-hand Joy-Con. Watch the video below to see a torso from GameXplain run through some tests.

As should be obvious, these tests are not exhaustive, and the root cause of the problem is still unclear. A Nintendo rep told Polygon the company was looking into the issue. We have reached out to our contacts for more information.

Check out our Switch battery tests, full unboxing of the new system, and roundup of confirmed launch and post-launch titles.

Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com

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Avatar image for Rufus_the_rat
Rufus_the_rat

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Well if you throw away the controllers, you have a nice 720p tablet I guess... with no internet browser.

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PSYCHOV3N0M

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@Rufus_the_rat: WHY would you even mention the lack of an internet browser when virtually NO ONE gives a crap about browsing the internet on their game consoles. Most people have computers and/or smartphones for that.

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j_trizzle

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Edited By j_trizzle

@Rufus_the_rat: And no streaming video apps. And a paid online service. And only 32GB of on-board storage. The Switch seems less and less appealing every day.

11 • 
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Rufus_the_rat

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@j_trizzle: Also, no exclusive big name games for the first 5 or so months after launch....

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Isariamkia

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@Rufus_the_rat: Because Zelda and Splatoon are absolutely not big exclusives game

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inkman66

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@isariamkia I can play Zelda on my Wii U.......so now all you have is a Splatoon............that I already have on my Wii U. But dont forget Mario Kart 8 !....................that I already have on my Wii U.

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Isariamkia

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@inkman66: And how many Wii U's were sold ? Not that much so this argument doesn't work.

And then, I'm sure you don't have Splatoon 2 on the Wii U

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chiefwiggum16

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@inkman66: WiiU? you mean that fisher price toy?

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JoshRMeyer

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@chiefwiggum16: WiiU was/is awesome. The Fisher Price comment is correct though in a good way... that thing can take a beating, and spilt coke, bubble gum in the disc drive, etc and still keeps working. I wish the would of made another wiiU, but with the power of ps4. I actually like playing on the tablet as a controller, rather than a Pro controller.

2 • 
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Spustatu

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What?! I can't game with my hands behind my back? Life over.

Ok, seriously, who gives a crap?

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Isariamkia

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@Spustatu: It feeds haters, they need it.

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rikku45

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@Spustatu: People just want to find an issue for some reason, maybe they can't get one and need a reason not to feel sad xD

2 • 
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johncas89

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One of the reasons why I never buy the "1st wave" or day one consoles... learned that the hard way with Xbone -.-

4 • 
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KamiNoBeniMizu

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@johncas89: The heck happened with XB1? I know that the og Xbox had a fatty controller, so a slimmer one was designed, and, from what I've heard, in some rare cases, it would catch on fire (I wonder how true this is).

Then came the 360. Red light of death. And it seems to not be that rare.

And now the XB1. What did Microsoft smoke if something happened yet again with their consoles? I haven't heard any weird stuff about the XB1. So I assume the thing you're speaking of got under my radar. Or maybe I knew about it but forgot... ._.

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johncas89

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Edited By johncas89

@kaminobenimizu: I don't know how common this issue is but my day one XB1 would shut itself off after a few minutes of turning it on, did all the troubleshooting, got on the phone with customer service and even replaced the power supply, It was then recommended to send it in for repairs... they never did mention what was wrong with it, but they gave me a replacement and a game of my choice for my troubles... which would have been nice if they didn't take a month and a half to send it back to me and I had already gotten myself a PS4 by then.

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KamiNoBeniMizu

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@johncas89: Ow! Well this sure sounds off alright. Never heard of it.

But I remembered what I heard at first. The XB1 was losing color or something. GameSpot wrote that article. They updated it and said it was a slight issue and wasn't putting the console at risk though, if I remember correctly at least.

Your problem seems quite the nasty problem though. Still enjoying the XB1 though? ;)

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johncas89

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@kaminobenimizu: Yeah, but mostly just to get on Halo 5 to play with friends every now and then.

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Blk_Mage_Ctype

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Well, that's not good... Good thing they caught this before launch.

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Grim_Jackal

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@Blk_Mage_Ctype: We're a week out from launch... If it's a hardware issue and not software, they're pretty screwed.

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wheepitup

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Edited By wheepitup

So happy to hear this! Now all the "gaming journalists" with their forced positivity for this piece of shit are have harsh reality come crashing down on them. Cheap, overpriced, shit hardware, with paid online. As well as Nintendo jumping on the DLC whoring bandwagon with Zelda.

Looks like 3DS and Wii U will the last Nintendo hardware releases I buy. Gaming is nearly dead.

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KamiNoBeniMizu

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Edited By KamiNoBeniMizu

@wheepitup: Just noticed your comment. But Nintendo was always behind locked in-game content. Remember the N64 with games on the N64 with side games on the GameBoy?

Mario Tennis 64/Mario Tennis Color=Unlock characters (why not have them unlockable in-game, and then, to customize their stats, we have to link?)

Pokémon Stadium 1/Pokémon Red & Blue=special things

Pokémon Stadium 2/Pokémon Silver, Gold, & Crystal=specials things

Metroid Prime/Metroid Fusion=Unlock Fusion's suit in Metroid Prime (why not have it as unlockable in-game?)

With DLC, they at least don't have content in the game, and then ask us for even more money. The model of paying more to unlock things was far more greedy. We had to have a handheld, the game, and the accessory to link the N64 with the GB cartridge.

Seemed more expensive than a Season Pass. Sure, once you had these, you could use them always, but if you didn't have them, you'd have to fork money even more than now.

DLC seems better than needing games and different systems just to unlock things that are in-game already. And their lastest scheme were the Amiibos. So with DLC, let's hope Nintendo won't be greedy and do cheap, over priced DLCs.

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chiefwiggum16

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@wheepitup: LOL deep breath dude

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wheepitup

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@chiefwiggum16: I don't remember having to breath deep in order to type.

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asmoddeuss

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Edited By asmoddeuss

@wheepitup: Dude, watch the video and see what is happening... Your comment is rude and reflects your ignorance about the situation.

"So happy to hear this! Now all the "gaming journalists" with their forced positivity for this piece of shit are have harsh reality come crashing down on them. Cheap, overpriced, shit hardware, with paid online."

So, Nintendo will crash because you cannot game with your hands behind your back? Did you saw a video showing the pieces inside the Nintendo Switch? Is not "a Cheap, overpriced, shit hardware." This comment just shows how clueless you are about hardware, lol.

"with paid online. As well as Nintendo jumping on the DLC whoring bandwagon with Zelda."

Every console now have paid online...Nintendo being the cheaper one at that. And also, we don't know exactly what kind of "paid online" plan the Switch will have, is not being fully explained yet. And Nintendo did DLC A LONG TIME ALREADY. Get your facts together man, you just sound like an ignorant.

"Looks like 3DS and Wii U will the last Nintendo hardware releases I buy. Gaming is nearly dead."

Yes! GAMING IS NEARLY DEAD! ...in your little bubble world that is.

2 • 
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csward

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@asmoddeuss: PC doesn't have paid online for non-MMOs why should the consoles exactly? Your reason is "everyone else is doing it". Pretty weak.

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asmoddeuss

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@csward: yes that is why I don't like that they will charge a subscription. I will not pay for it anyway.

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SwooshDutch

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@asmoddeuss: not knowing what the online is going to be like is kind of a bad point. I like to know about a product before i buy....

5 • 
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asmoddeuss

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@swooshdutch: Yeah that is bad, I am not saying is good.

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wheepitup

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@asmoddeuss: You guys just can't help but to be salty that not everyone is praising this cheap piece of crap, can you? TL;DR

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asmoddeuss

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Edited By asmoddeuss

@wheepitup: Says the guy with "Gaming is nearly dead." in his comment. L O L

3 • 
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SavageRodent

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@wheepitup: What an overreaction.

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wheepitup

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@savagerodent: It's true though.

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SavageRodent

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@wheepitup: It brings them back down to reality sure, but tbh it's hardly an issue if you know how to replicate the issue so you can avoid it. Plus you can get a pro controller and just use that to play. Gaming isn't nearly dead, though I do fear for the future, mainly with VR and just how uninterested I am for it. I'm going the optimistic route and hoping Nintendo bounces back with the Switch. It's supposedly going to sell more than the PS4 did at launch, so we'll see.

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wheepitup

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@savagerodent: I would be happy if the entire industry collapsed again. The swamp of corrupt game devs and publishers needs to be drained.

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SavageRodent

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@wheepitup: Yeah I wouldn't mind that either. Unfortunately you have people with no taste in games, and will buy whatever broken or poorly designed game that gets released because it either has good graphics or a good story. Not to mention all the DLC crap that people end up buying. So the chances of it happening again are probably pretty low at this point.

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silversix_

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This thumbnail is so overused on this site. Desperate for clicks.

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mikeskullx14

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For all we know the day one patch takes care of the issue, calm down

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catsimboy

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Edited By catsimboy

@mikeskullx14: Looks like a hardware issue with the strength of the wireless transmitters. Unless they specifically throttled down the strength of the signal to save battery and it can be adjusted to be stronger, well, patches ain't gonna do squat.

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PSYCHOV3N0M

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@catsimboy: I wouldn't be surprised if Nintendo releases a device to fix/improve the Joycon controllers the same way they released the Wii Motion Plus for the Wiimotes.

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catsimboy

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@PSYCHOV3N0M: Because it wouldn't be a Nintendo device without some little dongle hanging off of it like a tumor.

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mikeskullx14

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@catsimboy: it's interesting that they're just reporting the left, who knows... just hope it gets fixed asap

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catsimboy

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@mikeskullx14: Well in the video the guy discovers it affects the right one too.

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asmoddeuss

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@catsimboy: He also shows that this is happening when you put the controller behind your back, or covering 1 joycon with both hands.

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catsimboy

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@asmoddeuss: Well it obviously occurs in normal use too otherwise nobody would've noticed. So it probably happens when you're using the joycon grip when your hands are closer together.

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KamiNoBeniMizu

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@asmoddeuss: What if... Maybe... maybe the Joycons are sentient beings that doesn't like being put behind of us...? And when we cover them, they think it's time to sleep...?

We shouldn't underestimate Nintendo, they might be trying to take over the world with their Joycons!

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asmoddeuss

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@kaminobenimizu: Make it a feature? haha

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mikeskullx14

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@catsimboy: sweet, day one defective hardware (looks at phat 360 in utter shame)

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KamiNoBeniMizu

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No problem unless one part of this thing explodes due to battery leaks or somethin'.

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FefnirOmega13

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Edited By FefnirOmega13

lol

welp, not even released yet and they're already off to a great start.

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Boddicker

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For Iwata!!!!!

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catsimboy

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Error 21: Imaginary Ice Cubes have melted

Maybe they should've invested in better wireless transmitters instead of HD rumble that only 1-2-Switch is going to use before every other game ignores the gimmick.

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game4metoo

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Edited By game4metoo

And so it begins

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