{"rewrite":{"id":"r_e260f01329ccd09a1bda3b51","clusterId":"c_8d40f679c6c07bbc96a87f12","slug":"nintendo-to-pay-35-million-euros-to-french-authorities-over-joy-con-drift-disclosure","model":"deepseek-v4-flash","headline":"Nintendo of Europe to Pay 35 Million Euro Settlement Over Joy-Con Drift in France","summary":"France's Directorate General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF) announced on June 8 that Nintendo of Europe has agreed to pay a 35 million euro settlement (approximately 6.4 to 6.5 billion yen) over the Joy-Con drift issue on the original Nintendo Switch. The settlement resolves an investigation that began after a 2020 complaint from French consumer group UFC-Que Choisir. The DGCCRF found that Nintendo was aware of the drift defect-where the analog stick registers input without being touched-but failed to provide consumers with sufficient information from 2018 to 2023. The agency stated that Nintendo only began disclosing the issue in 2020, and that the delay and fragmentary nature of the information discouraged consumers from seeking after-sales repairs and led some to purchase new Joy-Cons. The settlement was proposed in lieu of prosecution for consumer law violations, and Nintendo of Europe accepted the terms. The company also agreed to post a notice on the homepage of its official French website. Nintendo has since offered free repairs for affected Joy-Cons in the European Economic Area, the UK, and Switzerland, and has stated that the Joy-Con 2 for the Nintendo Switch 2 was completely redesigned from scratch.","whyItMatters":"The settlement marks the first time a national consumer authority has formally ruled that Nintendo's information disclosure about Joy-Con drift was misleading, establishing a regulatory precedent that could influence how hardware defects are communicated in other jurisdictions.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003eThe DGCCRF\u0026#39;s investigation unit, the Service National des Enquêtes (SNE), sent its findings to the Nanterre Public Prosecutor\u0026#39;s Office in 2025. With the prosecutor\u0026#39;s consent, a criminal settlement proposal under Article L523-1 of the French Consumer Code was presented to Nintendo of Europe. The company accepted the 35 million euro payment in lieu of prosecution.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe French consumer group that filed the original 2020 complaint, UFC-Que Choisir (now Que Choisir Ensemble), has been active on the issue for years. In 2021, UK consumer group Which? published survey results suggesting the drift problem may stem from a design flaw in the Joy-Con\u0026#39;s internal parts.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNintendo has since offered free repairs for affected Joy-Cons in the European Economic Area, the UK, and Switzerland, even beyond the statutory warranty period. Repairs can be requested through the official Nintendo website. The company has also stated that the Joy-Con 2 for the Nintendo Switch 2 was \u0026#34;completely redesigned from scratch,\u0026#34; though it does not use Hall effect sensors, which are widely regarded for drift prevention.\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"France's DGCCRF ruled that Nintendo's delayed and fragmentary disclosure of Joy-Con drift from 2018 to 2023 misled consumers. The company pays 35 million euros.","twitterPost":"Nintendo of Europe accepts a 35M euro settlement in France over Joy-Con drift. The DGCCRF says the company knew of the defect but didn't tell consumers properly until 2020.","threadsPost":null,"newsletterBlurb":"French authorities have fined Nintendo of Europe 35 million euros over the Joy-Con drift issue, ruling that the company failed to adequately inform consumers about the defect from 2018 to 2023. The settlement concludes an investigation triggered by a 2020 consumer complaint.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"4Gamer.net\",\"url\":\"https://www.4gamer.net/games/999/G999905/20260609057/\",\"title\":\"Nintendo Accepts 35 Million Euro Settlement Over Joy-Con Defects on Original Switch, French Authorities Announce\"},{\"source\":\"Automaton\",\"url\":\"https://automaton-media.com/articles/newsjp/20260609-448470/\",\"title\":\"Nintendo to Pay Approximately 6.4 Billion Yen to French Authorities Over Joy-Con Drift Issue, Following Criticism of Delayed Information Disclosure After Identifying Defect\"},{\"source\":\"Game Spark\",\"url\":\"http://www.gamespark.jp/article/2026/06/09/167710.html\",\"title\":\"Nintendo of Europe Fined Approximately 6.5 Billion Yen Over Switch Joy-Con Drift Issue; French Authorities Cite Insufficient Information\"},{\"source\":\"GameBusiness.jp\",\"url\":\"https://www.gamebusiness.jp/article/2026/06/10/27168.html\",\"title\":\"Nintendo of Europe Fined Approximately 6.5 Billion Yen Over Switch Joy-Con Drift Issue; French Authorities Cite Insufficient Information\"}]","lintFlagsJson":null,"lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":9956,"outputTokens":1262,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1780981867,"createdAt":"2026-06-09T05:02:29.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-06-09T05:07:07.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-06-09T05:07:07.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_8d40f679c6c07bbc96a87f12","canonicalTitle":"任天堂、「Joy-Conドリフト問題」を巡りフランス当局に約64億円支払いへ。“不具合把握後の情報発信が遅い”との指摘を受けて","representativeArticleId":"a_d753ec91e2be329081bb9781","sourceCount":4,"writtenSourceCount":4,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":false,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[],\"manga_titles\":[],\"work_titles\":[],\"studios\":[],\"people\":[],\"type\":\"news\",\"domain\":\"industry\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"written","firstSeenAt":"2026-06-09T01:51:20.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-06-10T02:15:03.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-06-10T02:41:49.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"4Gamer.net","url":"https://www.4gamer.net/games/999/G999905/20260609057/","title":"任天堂，初代SwitchのJoy-Con不具合をめぐり3500万ユーロ（約64億円）の和解金支払いを受け入れ。フランス当局が発表"},{"source":"Automaton","url":"https://automaton-media.com/articles/newsjp/20260609-448470/","title":"任天堂、「Joy-Conドリフト問題」を巡りフランス当局に約64億円支払いへ。“不具合把握後の情報発信が遅い”との指摘を受けて"},{"source":"GameBusiness.jp","url":"https://www.gamebusiness.jp/article/2026/06/10/27168.html","title":"任天堂欧州法人に約65億円の制裁金―スイッチJoy-Conの“ドリフト現象”巡り。フランス当局は情報提供不足を問題視"},{"source":"Game Spark","url":"http://www.gamespark.jp/article/2026/06/09/167710.html","title":"任天堂欧州法人に約65億円の制裁金―スイッチJoy-Conの“ドリフト現象”巡り。フランス当局は情報提供不足を問題視"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":[],"manga_titles":[],"work_titles":[],"studios":[],"people":[],"type":"news","domain":"industry","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":["Nintendo of Europe agreed to pay a 35 million euro settlement to resolve an investigation by France's DGCCRF over Joy-Con drift on the original Nintendo Switch.","The settlement was proposed in lieu of prosecution under Article L523-1 of the French Consumer Code, and Nintendo accepted the terms.","Nintendo has offered free repairs for affected Joy-Cons in the European Economic Area, the UK, and Switzerland, even beyond the statutory warranty period.","Nintendo stated that the Joy-Con 2 for the Nintendo Switch 2 was completely redesigned from scratch, though it does not use Hall effect sensors."]}