Nintendo's Switch might be beloved, but its rollout wasn't without some hiccups.
There were scalpers, of course, making the now best-selling console even more difficult to procure; there were trepidations over the price; there were even some consoles that shipped completely broken out of the box.
Of all of those stumbles, however, arguably none was more memorable than one that affected the original Switch's Joy-Con — the dreaded drift.
Driftgate, as it was dubbed, was an issue affecting the Switch's Joy-Con that caused the joysticks to register movement even when they were in a static position. As you might imagine, that design flaw made the prospect of effectively playing any game pretty much impossible.
So, given that context, Nintendo has done everything in its power to ensure that it won't happen again with the Switch 2 — except the one thing that can for sure prevent another driftgate, that is.
No Hall Effect joysticks
There were a lot of rumors floating around about what upgrades Nintendo's Switch 2 would bring to the table, and naturally, not all of them came to pass — that's no surprise.
What is surprising, however, is that it didn't do the one thing that felt almost obvious: it didn't give the Switch 2 Hall Effect joysticks.
According to an interview with Nintendo's Nate Bihldorff, Senior Vice President of Product Development & Publishing at Nintendo of America, the Switch 2's Joy-Con will definitively not come with Hall Effect joysticks, which is surprising for a few reasons.
One reason is the aforementioned context; Joy-Con drift was such a big issue with the original console that it resulted in a class action lawsuit. While Nintendo has worked to revamp its hardware since the debacle, nothing would ensure Nintendo fans of a drift-free Joy-Con more than Hall Effect joysticks.
Hall Effect joysticks, for reference, aren't susceptible to drift since they use magnetic sensors, unlike traditional joysticks. This lack of contact between stick and sensor eliminates the wear and tear that causes joystick drift to begin with.
Another reason why the Switch 2's lack of Hall Effect joysticks comes as a surprise is that Hall Effect sticks have become relatively commonplace in handhelds throughout the past few years.
In addition to bigger handhelds like the Steam Deck OLED and the Ayaneo Air, some smaller (more retro-focused) handhelds like those made by Anbernic and Retroid also come with Hall Effect joysticks, so it's far from a luxury-only feature in today's handheld world.
Why a $450 console made by Nintendo can't integrate Hall Effect joysticks is anyone's guess, but if magnets were on your wishlist, I regret to inform you that you'll have to wait another 8 years until the Switch 3.
Joy-Con 2 are still an upgrade
While there's no Hall Effect in the new Joy-Cons, they are getting plenty of upgrades.
First off, they're bigger, which should be welcome for anyone with larger hands who found the original Joy-Cons a bit claustrophobic.
Secondly, they're magnetic, which means they snap into the console without having to slide on like the last generation.
To help them snap on, they also feature bigger L and R buttons that are made of steel, which is great for gameplay but also for ensuring a solid connection.
Overall, the Joy-Cons have gotten a significant upgrade over the last generation, even without Hall Effect joysticks. So, despite my disappointment, it's hard to be too down on Nintendo.
Still, having gone through drift issues myself, it would have been nice to know that this next-gen, more expensive version of the Switch wouldn't befall the same fate.
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