Nintendo has been known to make improvements to their hardware over the years, and that trend has only continued well with their latest console, the Nintendo Switch. Nintendo somewhat surprised fans this year with the sudden announcement of a new OLED model of the Nintendo Switch that made some improvements to the device. One ongoing problem Switch users have faced has been issues with the joy-con controllers, such as drifting with the analog sticks. Now, Nintendo has confirmed that they have continuously been making improvements to the Nintendo Switch joy-cons, but has suggested that wear is “unavoidable” to some extent.

Nintendo has recently released a series of Ask The Developer interviews on their official website. Much of the interviews was focused on the recently released OLED model of the Nintendo Switch, and the various upgrades that went into that new model. In the discussions, Nintendo devs acknowledge some of the issues that have plagued the Nintendo Switch joy-cons, particularly the analog sticks. Developer Ko Shiota suggests though that wear and tear is somewhat unavoidable for the analog sticks. As he states:

For example, car tires wear out as the car moves, as they are in constant friction with the ground to rotate. So with that same premise, we asked ourselves how we can improve durability, and not only that, but how can both operability and durability coexist? It’s something we are continuously tackling.”

That said, the developers have shared that their team has been performing reliability tests on Nintendo Switch joy-cons, and trying out different combinations of materials and forms to see what conditions will make analog sticks minimize deterioration. Nintendo has apparently updated their joy-cons in the years since launch with these more durable materials, with their most improved versions having been included with the new OLED Switch model and the more recently shipped individual joy-cons and pro controllers. Hopefully these new controllers last even longer than the original joy-cons, so that the Nintendo Switch can be fondly played by gamers well into the age where its games become highly priced on the resale market like the Gamecube.

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