Skip to main content

Nintendo Switch Lite teardown reveals same analog sticks as drift-prone Joy-Cons

A teardown of the Nintendo Switch Lite revealed that its analog sticks are similar to the Joy-Cons of the standard Nintendo Switch, which likely also makes them prone to the controversial drifting issue that has plagued the console’s earlier model.

YouTube channel Spawn Wave picked apart the Nintendo Switch Lite in a new video, which also took a look at the analog sticks of the portable console.

I Took Apart The Nintendo Switch Lite...Here's What's Inside

The inspection on the analog sticks of the Nintendo Switch Lite found that Nintendo used identical analog sticks in the portable console like in the detachable Joy-Cons of the original Nintendo Switch. The analog sticks have a different part number, but in terms of design and materials, there were no apparent changes.

The conclusion, therefore, is that the new console will still be at risk of the same problems found in the original system, specifically the drifting issue.

Nintendo recently instructed customer service representatives to stop charging Nintendo Switch owners who bring in their consoles to repair Joy-Con drift, which causes the controllers to register movement even when they are not in use. The free repairs started shortly after a law firm filed a class-action lawsuit against Nintendo over the problem, which severely interferes with gameplay.

As an alternative to repairs, one commonly suggested solution is to clean the area underneath the Joy-Con sticks using compressed air, cotton swabs, and alcohol, or electric contact cleaner spray. However, the issue keeps returning for some Nintendo Switch owners, forcing them to buy a new pair of controllers for $80.

Gamers expected that the Nintendo Switch Lite would no longer have drifting issues, as Nintendo should have already fixed it. However, it appears that the risk is still there, to the dismay of those who waited for the new portable console primarily to not have to deal with the problem.

Spawn Wave’s teardown, which also found a 16% smaller battery and a re-positioned Wi-Fi antenna, should serve as a warning for those who are still thinking about buying the Nintendo Switch Lite. Hopefully, Nintendo will extend the free repairs for the drifting problem to the new version of its current-generation console.

Editors' Recommendations

Aaron Mamiit
Aaron received a NES and a copy of Super Mario Bros. for Christmas when he was 4 years old, and he has been fascinated with…
The Switch OLED ships with ‘improved’ Joy-Con controllers, says Nintendo
Two people playing a game on an OLED Switch.

The Nintendo Switch OLED, along with any other recently shipped Switch models, will include improved Joy-Con controllers, according to an ask-the-developer post on Nintendo's website.

Ko Shiota, technology development division director, and Toru Yamashita, technology development department deputy general manager, seemed to allude to Joy-Con drift when speaking about the actual improvements in the latest version of the Joy-Con Controllers. That's an issue where the analog sticks on the Switch controllers will degrade over time, causing unintended movement inputs.

Read more
Switch OLED vs. Switch Lite
Person holding Nintendo Switch OLED.

Nintendo is a company that likes to iterate on its hardware. An example is the DS, which was redesigned as the DS Lite, DSi, and DSi XL, along with several others such as the 3DS. Now the Nintendo Switch family has expanded, throwing the OLED edition into the mix. The Switch OLED joins the original model and the Lite, giving players a few different options to choose from.

Specifically, the Switch OLED and Switch Lite are vastly different but have a lot in common as well. But which one should you choose? After all, they range in price point and offer different features that may or may not be suited to your playstyle. Here, we'll break down the major differences between the Switch OLED and the Switch Lite so you can make an informed buying decision.

Read more
The Switch Lite has robbed us of great Nintendo party games
A player plays Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on a Switch Lite.

Way back in the mid-2000s, I played a lot of WarioWare: Smooth Moves. The Nintendo Wii game was the absolute best local multiplayer experience on the scene at the time. Whether I was catching up with some friends at home or playing some casual games at a college party, it was a social staple for at least two years. That was thanks in large part to its heavy use of the Wiimote’s motion controls, which turned playing sessions into a slapstick comedy routine. I have fond memories of a room full of friends playing hot potato with a Wiimote, frantically attempting to complete minigames in seconds.

When Nintendo first unveiled the Nintendo Switch, I thought we were going back to that era. While the Wii U’s two-screen setup was too high-concept for casual party games, the Joy-Cons presented a lot of potential. The gyroscopic controls and IR sensors seemed ripe for a slew of wild party games, which would be perfect considering the console’s portability. In the earliest Switch trailers, we saw “Karen” taking it to a rooftop party and handing out Joy-Cons to her friends. I genuinely wanted that absurd scene to happen.

Read more