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Joycon connection issue may be hardware related

Youtuber Spawnwave put out some tweets that he had opened up the joycons and managed to extend the range that many people have had issues with. He has said that he has managed to increase the range to about 20 feet instead of the near 10 that it seemed to max out at before. He doesn't have the video of the fix out yet but his disassembly shows where the problems might stem from.

https://twitter.com/SpawnWaveMedia/status/838541095885754368

https://twitter.com/SpawnWaveMedia/status/838536407266250757

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unZABUO5w60&t=0s

seems that the bluetooth antenna is positioned in areas that cause additional interference. That's why putting your hand over the railing can cause the desyncing problems.

Edit: his fix video for the left joycon is up now. Brings some major improvements.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnMnke6lF0c

lock this up and throw away the key if old or unworthy
 

Dryk

Member
It's going to take forever for the dodgy ones to filter out of the retail channels isn't it. This is going to plague the system for a while.
 

Moltenix

Member
Shit, why couldn't they have just made the left Joycon similar to the right one. This doesn't seem fixable until they bring out Joycon 2.0's.
 
How was this not caught during testing? Was there testing?
Basically 100% Chance they knew it but ignored it in favor of pushing out the console now before the next Japanese fiscal year to please shareholders instead of ironing out the issues (See also barebones OS and other Features).
 
Could it be something that goes wrong in the manufacturing? I mean, there is lots and lots of people without any kind of problems with their joycon.

But luckily all of the Switch parts are quite easy to open, so DIY fixes shouldn't be too hard. So, there's a silver lining...
 

The_Kid

Member
I think its pretty obvious this console was rushed out months early at the least.

Hopefully they make a revision in a year or something.
 

Lucent

Member
So far, it hasn't happened to me *knocks on wood* but my friend started experiencing it while I was talking to him on the phone. I've been playing exclusively with the grip, though.
 

wwm0nkey

Member
Cuningas de Häme;231554364 said:
Could it be something that goes wrong in the manufacturing? I mean, there is lots and lots of people without any kind of problems with their joycon.

But luckily all of the Switch parts are quite easy to open, so DIY fixes shouldn't be too hard. So, there's a silver lining...

This is what I am wondering, I have had 0 issues with mine so far. Not saying they don't exist obviously but wonder why some seem to work better than others?
 

The Argus

Member
Haven't had issues with mine with Zelda. However, some of the 1 2 Switch games are unplayable with the left controller. The shaving minigame especially.
 
I dunno if it's a rare defect or not, but my left joycon keeps disconnecting every so often when I play from my couch. :<

It has gotten me killed a few times while playing Zelda.
 

Buggy Loop

Member
But then everyone would have the same issue, since it's printed on the PCB. Which is not the case. Extending it will probably fix it, but it's probably not the real issue here.
 
As long as I can 100% BotW first I don't mind a recall. Insane that they pushed this out though. I definitely have problems with the left JoyCon when holding it a certain way.
 

//ARCANUM

Member
I'm really curious what's gonna happen when ARMS comes out and you're supposed to hold the whole joycon in your grip.
 

FinKL

Member
I dunno if it's a rare defect or not, but my left joycon keeps disconnecting every so often when I play from my couch. :<

It has gotten me killed a few times while playing Zelda.
This is the desyncing everyone is talking about and the video addresses it as a hardware flaw because of positioning of the antenna
 

Somnid

Member
It's clearly an interference issue do to the size, shape or way some people hold the Joycon. Apple had a similar issue with the iPhone4 if people remember. There's probably not much you can do when it's that small because someone is going to block it unless you had some protrusion at the top where you are assured they can't hold it and that would change the portability of the system. What I'd expect as a quick fix is a different sort of wrist strap that lengthens the controller grip area and attempts to move hands away from that area.
 

Maximo

Member
Smh at all these people that live in aquariums. Can't you all live in normal places??

256px-Rapturecity.png

Switch owners seem to live in Rapture.
 
Basically 100% Chance they knew it but ignored it in favor of pushing out the console now before the next Japanese fiscal year to please shareholders instead of ironing out the issues (See also barebones OS and other Features).

I don't see this being the case. The software aspects are certainly true, because those are easy to improve on over time. Knowingly pushing out faulty hardware would be a costly mistake.
 

Dryk

Member
Shit, why couldn't they have just made the left Joycon similar to the right one. This doesn't seem fixable until they bring out Joycon 2.0's.
It *is* really weird that the left Joycon's antenna is printed on the board when the right one is the more cramped of the two.
 
This board has gone off the deep end. I need to stick to OT for a while
Yes yes, all Just evil conspiracy theories because we hate Nintendo smh.

Nintendo must have had the Most incompetent of Testers to miss this flaw (especially with several outlets reporting it days in advance and Ninti only acknowledging it a day after launch).

I don't see this being the case. The software aspects are certainly true, because those are easy to improve on over time. Knowingly pushing out faulty hardware would be a costly mistake.
Disappointed shareholders would cost them a considerable amount of money too, so they were Between a Rock and a Hard place and seems like they had to choose Between the goodwill of the customers and the shareholders. If the latter ones are less forgiving...
 
I had to fight the urge to pick up the Switch for Zelda, but I'm gonna wait for a revisioned one. Too many flaws for me right now. The biggest one is that it feels weird to hold with your right hand in handheld mode.
 
Zero issues with my Joycons so far.

Same. Been playing on a projector about 20 feet away from the system and I haven't had a single drop. Playing with both the grip (Zelda) and left Joycon (Bomberman) while my wife takes the right one.

Absolute bummer for the people experiencing it, though.
 

DVCY201

Member
Crazy. I can't check it now, but can we open up the Joy Cons to change it ourselves and reassemble it back together?
 

tuxfool

Banned
The antenna could be a contributing factor. Its proximity to a metalic object while at the same time being enclosed by an object full of water means you're going to get an attenuated signal. Depending on the interference from other signals in the 2.4ghz band (assuming Bluetooth) could conceivably render it ineffective.

It would be interesting for people with transmission issues to test it in an anechoic chamber, or possibly try to use it in different environments.

Also Lol at the video for thinking that simply dangling any old wire off that contact will turn it into an effective antenna.
 
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