The Joy-con are versatile, specialized controllers made for use with the Nintendo Switch family of consoles. they can be used independently or as a pair, wirelessly or when connected to the standard Nintendo Switch in handheld mode, and, like all consumer electronics, they are susceptible to a variety of potential problems that may occur through regular use.

This Wiki is a resource written to outline the various problems you may come across with your Joy-con controllers and to offer troubleshooting guidelines that clearly identify -and hopefully help resolve- the cause of each one. It’s also a means of providing advice and tips that may result in greater longevity in the lifespan of the hardware or delay the need for inconvenient maintenance.

The following content is a work in progress.

  • Be careful about where you store your Joy-con controllers. Keep them away from dust.

Don’t store your Joy-con in worn/unwashed cloth casings, in areas prone to dust build up, or areas already covered in dust. Avoid leaving them in the path of a fan or an air-conditioner to avoid debris building up unnecessarily and potentially getting into the analog module.

  • If your case allows for it, store your Joy-con controllers separated from the Nintendo Switch tablet.

Storing your Joy-con disconnected from the Switch is something with a few benefits. In the case of many more flexible cases, this decision means that the rails of both the tablet and controllers are spared any unnecessary strain as a result of a fall, being stowed in tight spaces, or other circumstances. This also ensures that the lock tabs that keep the Joy-con attached to the Switch won’t break either.

  • Attach your Joy-con to the Nintendo Switch whilst holding the release button down. This isn’t common advice, but it’s a good way to preserve the little lock tabs that keep your Joy-con firmly attached to your console.

While the audible click of attaching Joy-Con is satisfying to be sure, fatigue and fracture are a reality you might want to keep in mind. Cyclical application of a load over time will eventually result in the plastic tabs chipping away. While it’ll likely take a fair amount of attaching or detaching before something happens, this is something you can do to ensure an increased longevity and even possibly help maintain that nice snug fit in the case of new controllers.

  • Don’t over torque (overtighten) the screws when reassembling the controller.

After a successful disassembly and repair, you may be excited to close things up and get right back to playing. Be careful when finishing up, though: the Joy-con and its components are small and excessive torque may cause some unintended damage. Most notably, the battery-bracket of the left Joy-con is fastened with two screws and will apply pressure to the main board dependent on how tightly you’ve screwed it down. The plastic backplate is also quite thin, with the portion surrounding the hole just above the unlock-button being particularly vulnerable to cracking. Keep these things in mind and exercise a bit of self-restraint if you’re typically the sort who goes for the tightest possible fastening.