France fines Nintendo €35m over Joy‑Con drift

France’s General Directorate for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF) imposed a €35 million fine on Nintendo after finding the company delayed informing customers about widespread defects in the original Switch Joy‑Con controllers. The regulator determined Nintendo may have been aware of the problem in 2018 but did not provide a proper consumer notice until 2020.

The fault, commonly called ‘drift’, occurs when analogue sticks register movement without user input and can affect game control. The DGCCRF’s investigation focused on the original Switch Joy‑Con controllers and on when consumers were informed about the issue.

French consumer association UFC‑Que Choisir filed a formal complaint in 2019 alleging planned obsolescence by producing controllers with a deliberately limited lifespan. That complaint led to the regulator’s probe, which concluded the delayed notification deprived buyers of timely information needed to seek repairs or replacements.

Nintendo characterized the payment as not an admission of guilt and described it as an amicable resolution of legal proceedings. The company’s latest financial statement lists a ¥6.4 billion ‘loss on litigation’ entry that corresponds roughly to the €35 million penalty.

Players affected by Joy‑Con drift reported unintended on‑screen movement, reduced control precision and the need to submit controllers for repair or buy replacements. The defect prompted warranty claims and service requests in multiple markets.

The DGCCRF tied the penalty to the timing of consumer information and closed the French regulatory probe with the €35 million fine.