Nintendo has agreed to pay a 35 million euro ($40 million) fine to settle a French consumer advocacy group’s claim over defective Joy-Con controllers for its Switch gaming console, the company announced Monday. The agreement resolves a dispute that began in 2020 when the French group filed a complaint alleging planned obsolescence, arguing that Nintendo knowingly manufactured controllers with design flaws that would fail prematurely.
The Joy-Con defect, known colloquially as “drift,” has plagued Switch users since the console’s 2017 launch, with controllers losing responsiveness during gameplay. While Nintendo eventually offered free replacements for affected customers, the French regulator deemed the company’s initial approach insufficient and pursued formal enforcement action over consumer protection violations.
Nintendo’s settlement with French authorities marks the company’s largest single fine for the Switch controller issue, though it comes as the gaming giant faces similar regulatory scrutiny from consumer protection agencies across Europe. The payment demonstrates mounting pressure on major technology firms to address product quality issues more proactively rather than relying on reactive replacement programs.
The 35 million euro penalty represents approximately 0.5% of Nintendo’s annual revenue, a relatively modest adjustment for the Kyoto-based company but a symbolic win for consumer advocacy groups pushing for accountability from manufacturers. Industry analysts note that the settlement may prompt Nintendo to accelerate quality assurance improvements for future gaming hardware to prevent similar disputes.
The Nintendo Switch remains one of the best-selling gaming consoles in history with over 139 million units sold since launch. The company’s next-generation console, rumored to launch in 2026, is expected to address controller durability concerns cited in the French fine.
