A lot of people were excited to hear about the Switch Lite. Just as many, however, were concerned about Joy-Con issues that still have yet to be addressed.

Let’s start off with this caveat: just because you might not have had a Joy-Con malfunction during your Switch experience, doesn’t mean it’s not an issue. Thousands have noted left Joy-Con drifting, completely ruining the experience of using the controller altogether. It’s a huge issue that’s not limited to Nintendo’s analog sticks. The PS4 and Xbox One can also have controllers which suffer from analog drifting, but the left Joy-Con drift issue has been rampant. I have not personally experienced a drift on my Switch controllers, but I know plenty who have. That’s a huge concern for the Switch Lite.

With built-in controllers and no option to switch them out, Joy-Con drifting in the Switch Lite becomes permanent damage to the entire console. There’s no word in the video that introduced the Switch Lite on if the Joy-Con is being remodeled or redesigned for this edition of the console. That means that there’s a huge chance the same flawed controllers are going to essentially be harnessed into the new portable console. Let’s say drifting occurs a year into the ownership of a Switch Lite. You now have to send the entire console in for repairs to Nintendo, halting gameplay altogether and possibly taking weeks to return.

The Switch Lite is an awesome idea, but with Joy-Cons being between $40 and $80, it’s already unacceptable that the Joy-Cons are so easy to damage. Through no fault of the player, left Joy-Cons have proven to be susceptible to drifting, and even on the original Switch, you’re looking at $40 to replace it completely. It’s not a problem Nintendo has addressed adequately, and should a Switch Lite Joy-Con get damaged, the entire console becomes faulty. Maybe it’s still manageable to play with, but it’s a concern going into the console’s release and a huge push for the holiday season.

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