GoldenEye is now available to play on Nintendo Switch. Ah, how long we’ve waited to type that sentence! After 25 years as an N64 exclusive, Rare’s seminal first-person shooter has finally escaped from its 64-bit confines and is now playable via a Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack subscription, or on Microsoft’s Xbox.
However, anyone who has tried the game already on Switch may well have run into control issues. Frankly, the way the N64 pad inputs map to a modern dual stick controller is a bit messy to say the least, and the default layout is almost guaranteed to have you pressing the wrong buttons and pulling the wrong trigger — at least to begin with. On Xbox, it seems, the controls have been tweaked for dual-analogue control by default, but not on Switch. It’s possible to remap buttons at a system level, of course, (and check out the video above to see Alex explain the simple steps), although remapping can be a minor hassle.
However, we’ve discovered a little trick that any Switch owner can use to quickly transform the controls into something a little closer to the dual-analogue setup that’s become the standard for the genre over the past two decades. Granted, it’s not the most comfortable control scheme, but it’s a decent workaround for anyone who is struggling: Split your Joy-Con and swap the hands you’re holding them in.
Like this. Cross the streams! — Image: Nintendo Life
There’s a little more to it. You’ll also need to go into the in-game settings via the pause screen and switch the control type from the default ‘1.1 Honey’ to ‘1.2 Solitare’, but by switching your left Joy-Con to your right hand and vice versa, the ‘left’ trigger pulls up your sights and the ‘right’ one becomes the trigger — just as you’d find in any standard FPS these days. It also puts WASD movement on the ‘left’ analogue stick while you look with the ‘right’, just as normal.
For reference, here are the instructions in bullet points, ’cause we’re nice like that:
Start the game as per normal, using two Joy-Con as a single controller (hold ‘L’ on the left and ‘R’ on the right)
Once you’re in a level, pause immediately, go to the Controls screen on your watch and switch the style from ‘1.1 Honey’ to ‘1.2 Solitare’
Also, change the ‘Look Up/Down’ setting to ‘Upright’ if you want to invert the default Look controls
Unpause the game and put the left Joy-Con in your right hand and vice versa
Play GoldenEye on Switch with controls that feel more natural in 2023
Is it perfect? Obviously not. Switching weapons or opening doors isn’t so easy anymore. However, it’s a decent workaround if you’re just not clicking with the unwieldy default NSO layout and don’t want to screw up your other games by remapping buttons.
ALTERNATIVELY, as we mentioned, you can use the Switch’s system-level button remapping feature to switch the sticks from Left to Right, and, optionally, also remap ZR>ZL, and ZL>R.
This has the advantage of you not having to switch your Joy-Con between hands and also working with the Switch Pro Controller. The disadvantage here is that you’ll have to manually change the buttons back again to function ‘normally’ with other games, although you can save the setup as a preset to quickly change between them. Either way, there’s no need to struggle with the default layout — you’ve got options!
Of course, we would definitely recommend playing this one with the official Nintendo Switch Online N64 pad if you’ve got it, but those have been in very short supply ever since they debuted, with stock disappearing the moment it pops up on Nintendo’s online stores. If you’re not lucky enough to have one of those, remap those buttons or give this unconventional setup a go and let us know if it helped!
(Also, don’t forget to switch the ratio to 16:9 in the settings for a full widescreen experience — a first for any game on Switch Online, we think. It looks sharp!)
How does that work for you? Have you found a better workaround, using two controllers perhaps? Let us know in the polls and the comments below.
Are you having problems with GoldenEye’s default controls on Switch? (299 votes)
Blimey, it’s basically unplayable for me38%
Struggling over here!19%
They take some getting used to, but I’m getting there18%
Not at all, I’ve got ’em down8%
Not at all, I’ve got the NSO N64 pad! *does a little dance*16%
The Nintendo Switch’s Joy-Con drift issue is caused by a fundamental design flaw according to a UK consumer group.
As reported by Eurogamer, a report from Which claims that, even after just a few months of use, the Joy-Con’s plastic circuit boards show significant wear on the joystick slider contact points. This causes Joy-Con drift, an issue that Nintendo hasn’t been able to fully address in the console’s five years on the market.
The report also criticises Nintendo’s returns and refunds policy in relation to Joy-Con drift issues, saying it should provide a refund or compensation plan for anyone who can prove they’ve bought a replacement Joy-Con since the Switch’s launch in 2017.
Nintendo disagreed that the issue is so prevalent, however, saying in response to the survey that only a small number of controllers are affected and that it’s improved the design several times since launch.
“The percentage of Joy-Con controllers that have been reported as experiencing issues with the analogue stick in the past is small, and we have been making continuous improvements to the Joy-Con analogue stick since its launch in 2017,” it said.
“We expect all our hardware to perform as designed, and, if anything falls short of this goal, we always encourage consumers to contact Nintendo customer support, who will be happy to openly and leniently resolve any consumer issues related to the Joy-Con controllers’ analogue sticks, including in cases where the warranty may no longer apply.”
Top 25 Nintendo Switch Games
Nintendo launched a Switch repair subscription service in Japan earlier this year but hasn’t yet announced a version for the U.S. or Europe.
It did open a Joy-Con drift specific repair service back in 2019 but it recently materialised that the repair centres themselves were so overwhelmed that mistakes were made when the controllers were meant to be fixed. The issue is so persistent that Nintendo has faced several lawsuits as a result of its Joy-Con malfunctions.
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer and acting UK news editor. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.
A major new study from UK consumer group Which? has found evidence that the Nintendo Switch’s infamous Joy-Con drift is likely caused by a mechanical fault, pointing to fundamental design flaws.
The research found that the Joy-Con’s plastic circuit boards showed noticeable wear on the joystick slider contact points, despite only being used for months. It is this wear that ultimately results in drifting.
In addition, dust and other contaminants were found in the Switch’s internal components, despite attempts by Nintendo at dustproofing said areas.
The Eurogamer Newscast News Quiz of the Year 2022!
Which? also criticised Nintendo’s handling of the situation and its response to affected consumers.
The organisation has called upon Nintendo to provide a compensation or refund plan for any UK consumers who can prove they purchased a replacement Joy-Con due to drift since 2017, and said that this scheme should be widely promoted.
It has also called for Nintendo to offer a “no-quibble” repair or replacement of all Joy-Cons that have developed drift since 2017, completely free of charge.
In a response to the study, Nintendo issued the following statement: “The percentage of Joy-Con controllers that have been reported as experiencing issues with the analogue stick in the past is small, and we have been making continuous improvements to the Joy-Con analogue stick since its launch in 2017.”
“We expect all our hardware to perform as designed, and, if anything falls short of this goal, we always encourage consumers to contact Nintendo customer support, who will be happy to openly and leniently resolve any consumer issues related to the Joy-Con controllers’ analogue sticks, including in cases where the warranty may no longer apply.”
If your Joy-Con has developed drift, it’s worth remembering that your first point of contact should be Nintendo Support, which will likely repair your controllers at no cost to you including shipping. From my own experience, you don’t even need to provide proof of purchase, but it would certainly help your cause if you’re within warranty.
Which? also produced a report earlier this year which found that two in five Joy-Con controllers from the original Nintendo Switch release are experiencing drift.
Of course, issues surrounding Joy-Con drift have persisted for several years now. In 2019, a class action lawsuit against Nintendo was filed in the US over the problem, while last year the European Commission stated that it was considering opening an investigation.
Workers at Nintendo’s third-party repair facility reportedly faced a “very stressful” work environment caused by a deluge of Switches sent in for issues related to Joy-Con drift, according to a report from Kotaku. A former supervisor at the New York-based United Radio, the company that partners with Nintendo to repair broken devices, told Kotaku that the large volume of Joy-Con repairs resulted in a high turnover rate and “lots of” mistakes.
United Radio is its own company — Nintendo merely acts as the middleman, handling customer communications and leaving the repairing to United Radio, which serves Nintendo customers located in the eastern half of the US. The ubiquity of Joy-Con drift led to “easily thousands” of Joy-Cons that passed through United Radio in a single week, and prompted the company to set up a workstation dedicated to Joy-Con repair, the former supervisor told Kotaku.
Joy-Con drift is a widespread issue that causes the controllers to input movement when there is none, which often manifests itself as your character moving around on-screen when you’re not touching your thumbsticks. Although many Switch owners hoped the newer OLED model would fix Joy-Con drift, the issue still persists and Nintendo itself suggested it may never be fixed. In 2019, Nintendo started repairing Joy-Con drift for free, even with an expired warranty.
According to Kotaku, United Radio hires many temporary workers through the staffing firm Aerotek. Workers reportedly become eligible to be hired as full-time United Radio employees after three months of work. However, the former supervisor told Kotaku that most temporary employees stopped working after two-and-a-half months, whether they just didn’t show up for work or were fired. This reportedly made it hard to establish an experienced team of workers, inevitably leading to errors. In one example of such errors, a customer on Reddit said their Switch was returned with another person’s save data on it. There are numerous other complaints online, citing faulty repairs, missing components, or damage to their system.
A high turnover rate wasn’t the only issue contributing to repair mistakes — a language barrier also posed challenges, the former supervisor told Kotaku. The supervisor claims they were the only native English speaker on the job, making it difficult to train employees. Bi-lingual workers would reportedly often have to “act as a liaison” to relay information between the trainer and trainee.
Tight turnaround times didn’t help with these issues, either. The former supervisor told Kotaku that United Radio would simply replace any broken Joy-Cons from 2017 to 2018. After that period, workers were reportedly required to repair 90 percent of Joy-Cons within four days of receiving them. It’s unclear if these policies were mandated by Nintendo. The Verge reached out to Nintendo with a request for comment but didn’t immediately hear back.
As Kotaku notes, Nintendo doesn’t just rely on contracted employees to do repairs. Former and current employees at Nintendo’s Redmond, Washington headquarters told Kotaku that Nintendo employs temporary workers for 11-month cycles with a two-month (or longer) break in between, with employees losing access to healthcare during this window. Earlier this week, a former Nintendo employee filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board, claiming that they were fired by Nintendo and staffing agency Aston Carter for attempting to organize a union.
Nintendo is continuing to fight back against an ongoing class-action lawsuit that has been filed against the gaming company as a result of Joy-Con drifting issues with the Nintendo Switch controllers. Over the past couple of years, Nintendo has been dealing with a number of lawsuits that have been levied at the company associated with the thumbstick defect found in Joy-Cons. And while the lawsuit is still going through the legal process, Nintendo has now found a new defense against some of these claims.
According to a report from Axios, Nintendo’s lawyers have recently argued in a case (Sanchez et. al. v. Nintendo of America) that certain individuals suing the company have no standing because the ones affected by the Joy-Con drift issue are children. Essentially, Nintendo has claimed that children cannot sue the company because they “allege no cognizable harm to themselves.” In addition, Nintendo’s defense cited that the End User License Agreement (EULA) that Switch users must acknowledge before using the system states that they must be over the age of 18 to accept.
At this point in time, an arbitrator has actually ruled in favor of Nintendo’s defense and has claimed that two mothers representing the children in question cannot proceed with a class-action lawsuit. The lawyers representing these plaintiffs have pushed back on this ruling, though, and have pushed for a federal judge to examine the case.
For now, it remains to be seen what happens with this case and many others that are associated with Joy-Con drift. Although Nintendo has been dealing with a number of cases of this type over the past couple of years, many of them have stalled out at one time or another. As such, we’ll be sure to keep you in the loop here on ComicBook.com if anything else noteworthy comes about with these situations.
Have you been dealing with Joy-Con drift for yourself over the past few years? And if so, what do you think of this new defense from Nintendo in regard to these lawsuits that have been brought forth? Let me know for yourself either down in the comments or reach out to me on Twitter at @MooreMan12.
Nintendo released Version 14.0.0 of the Switch firmware earlier this week. It allows users to group software together and also included an update for Bluetooth audio support.
Since this firmware has gone live, it seems a new update has also been issued for the Switch Joy-Con controllers. Here’s how you can perform this update:
How To Update Your Nintendo Switch Joy-Con
1) From the Home menu, choose ‘System Settings’. Then choose ‘Controllers and Sensors’ from the left-hand side.
2) Scroll down to ‘Update Controllers’, press it, and let the console do its thing.
Have you performed this update yet? Noticed any changes to your Joy-Con? Tell us down below.
If you missed picking up Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit during the holidays last year, you’re in luck as it’s currently back on sale for $59.99. If creating your own at-home courses isn’t your thing, there are plenty more Nintendo Switch deals to get excited about including savings on Joy-Con controllers and select games for $39.99. Aside from that, you can score a great deal on the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X processor and pick up some great noise-canceling headphones for just $60. Check out our full roundup of the weekend’s best deals below.
Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit
Are you tired of playing the same courses in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe? Well, until we get that massive drop of 48 new courses, there’s always Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit which lets you create your own courses inside your home. Using an integrated camera mixed with augmented reality, you can experience your wildest creations firsthand right on your Nintendo Switch. With support for up to four players (additional Kart purchases required), there’s fun for the entire family.
Nintendo Switch Joy-Con (L/R)
Extra 10% Off With Woot App
Nintendo Switch Joy-Con (L/R)
You can never have too many Joy-Con controllers and since they rarely go on sale, this is one of the best prices you’ll see at nearly 25% off for a set of left and right controllers. Grabbing another pair is a great option to have on hand as you can easily support four-player games when combined with your original two Joy-Con controllers, perfect for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate or Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. The sale price is listed at 69.99 on the website, but if you order through the Woot app you’ll save an additional 10%, bringing the price down to $62.99.
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X Desktop Processor
If you’re looking to build a new PC (or just upgrade your existing rig), the AMD Ryzen 5 is a fantastic desktop processor that punches way above its weight. The AMD Ryzen 5 5600X is a 6-core/12-thread unlocked processor out of the box, giving you extra performance for all your most intensive games and tasks with up to 4.6GHz of boosted power.
Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K
Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K
Use code “UP4KFTV” at checkout for $25 off regular price.
Use promo code “UP4KFTV”
50% off $49.99
The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K is a great solution for all of your streaming needs. Not only does it offer plug-and-play support right out of the box, but it features just about every popular streaming app you could need including Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, and of course Prime Video, with shortcut buttons built right into the base of the controller to quickly launch into your favorite shows and movies. The Fire TV Stick 4K features support for not just 4K Ultra HD movies and TV shows, but also Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and HDR.
Anker Soundcore Active Noise-Canceling Headphones
Noise-canceling headphones offer the best listening experience as they can intelligently block out the outside sound around you, keeping you immersed in your music, podcasts, and movies. The Anker Soundcore over-the-ear headphones weigh less than most noise-canceling headphones at just 260g and feature an incredible battery life of up to 60 hours of listening on a single charge. There are multiple noise-canceling modes you can choose between depending on the scenario, and a built-in microphone allows you to easily take phone calls without missing a beat.
GIGABYTE A5 X1 – 15.6″ RTX 3070 Gaming Laptop
With $200 Rebate
GIGABYTE A5 X1 – 15.6″ RTX 3070 Gaming Laptop
If gaming on the go is your thing, this GIGABYTE gaming laptop is a fantastic deal right now at $500 off. It features an RTX 3070 laptop GPU paired with an AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX processor and 16GB RAM that should be able to handle just about anything you throw at it. And, with a 240Hz refresh rate 1080p IPS display, your games will look fluid and vibrant from any angle. Make sure to print and send in the rebate form for the full savings.
Apple iPad 10.2″ 256GB
Apple’s latest entry-level iPad is $50 off at Walmart right now and perfect for web browsing, streaming your favorite movies and TV shows, and more. With 256GB of storage, you’ll have plenty of space for all your apps and games. Pair it with an Apple Pencil and keyboard and you’ve got an ultraportable device that’s perfect for work or school.
Batman 4K Film Collection
With The Batman hitting theaters this weekend, it’s a great time to catch up on the Caped Crusader’s early films remastered in stunning 4K. This collection features Michael Keaton’s Batman in Batman (1989) and Batman Returns, Val Kilmer’s Batman in Batman Forever, and George Clooney portraying the Dark Knight in Batman & Robin. There are also some fantastic performances from Jack Nicholson, Jim Carrey, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and more.
Acer 27″ 1440p Display with 144Hz
If you’re in need of a new display for your gaming setup, look no further. This 27″ Acer monitor features a 2560 x 1440 WQHD 2K Resolution paired with 144Hz refresh rate for ultra crispy visuals and buttery frames. It supports AMD FreeSync technology and includes three HDMI ports and a DisplayPort input for multiple device support.
HP Victus Laptop
Featuring a large 16.1-inch display, this laptop is the perfect hybrid for work or school and gaming. It’s powered by an AMD Ryzen 5 5600H mobile processor that’s paired with a GTX 1650 laptop GPU to give you great mid-range performance for all of your tasks. A 256GB SSD provides space for your most important files and 8GB RAM lets you multitask across different applications with ease. The HP Victus comes preloaded with Windows 11, so you’re ready to rock with the latest version right out of the box. If you’re looking for more power, it can be customized further to include an AMD Ryzen 7 and RTX 3060 laptop GPU with a 165Hz refresh rate 1440p display.
65″ LG C1 4K OLED Smart Gaming TV
If money isn’t an object, OLED TVs are considered the best TVs you can buy right now. Compared to traditional LED LCD TVs, they offer better image quality, deeper blacks, better contrast ratio, wider color gamut, and super fast response times. They excel at both gaming and viewing 4K HDR content. In terms of general usability, they consume less power and they’re very thin and sit flusher against the wall. Amongst OLED TVs, the LG C1 is oft considered the flag bearer; it’s the one TV that all other OLED TVs are compared against. The LG OLED TV boasts several generations of optimizations under its belt and the latest C1 model is future proofed with technology like HDMI 2.1 (4K @ 120Hz), variable refresh rate, G-SYNC, the newest LG A9 Gen4 processor and a revamped webOS smart TV interface.
Crucial P5 Plus 1TB M.2 SSD
PS5 Compatible
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Crucial P5 Plus 1TB Gen4 x4 M.2 SSD (up to 6600Mbps)
Use promo code “AFFSSDMAR”
38% off $174.99
Newegg has dropped the price on the Crucial P5 Plus SSD, making it the cheapest PS5-compatible SSD in our roundup today. Crucial’s newest P5 Plus series PCIe Gen4 x4 M.2 SSD meets all the requirements for your PS5 SSD upgrade. It supports transfer speeds of up to 6,660MB/s, well above the 5,000MB/s minimum threshold. No heatsink is included, so add $10 for a cheap heatsink on Amazon.
Newest Apple AirPods for $144.99
The 3rd gen Apple AirPods came out in late 2021 at an MSRP of $179. Today there’s a $35 price drop at Woot. The 3rd gen Apple AirPods improves upon the 2nd gen with a longer battery life, (arguably) better sound, IPX4-rating for sweat resistance, and a MagSafe compatible wireless charging case.
3 Months of Paramount Plus for $3
Halo TV series premieres on March 24 only on Paramount Plus
Use code: BIRTHDAY
3 Months of Paramount Plus for $3
Use promo code “BIRTHDAY”
80% off $15.00
It’s the 1 year anniversary of Paramount Plus (previously known as CBS All-Access). To commemorate this milestone, Paramount is offering new subscribers a discounted rate of $1/mo for the limited ad plan (normally $5) or $2/mo for the ad-free plan (normally $10). Catch up on Paramount exclusive shows and movies like Picard, Star Trek Discovery, and Infinite with Mark Wahlberg. The Paramount exclusive Halo TV series premieres on March 24 as well. This limited time offer ends on March 7.
60% Off Atgames Legends Gamer Mini and Pro Standalone Arcade Consoles
The Atgames Legends Gamer Pro is a wireless arcade control top that also serves as a standalone arcade console (with the included puck) for up to 2 players. Plug the puck in and you get to play over 100 licensed built-in arcade classics without ever having to buy a separate arcade cabinet. Both wireless (Bluetooth) and wired (USB) options are available. Additionally, you can also use it as a controller for your PC, streaming device, or gaming console. The Gamer Mini offers the same experience but for a single player.
10% Off $50 Nintendo eShop Gift Card
Save $5 off any game at the eShop with this digital gift card from Amazon. Use it to pick up Kirby and the Forgotten Land when it releases on March 25 or Triangle Strategy, which releases on March 4. Or you can just hold onto the card and use it during the next eShop sale, since it stacks with instant discounts.
Alienware Aurora R12 RTX 3070 PC for $1499.99
Alienware Aurora R10 AMD Ryzen 7 5800 RTX 3070 PC with 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD
This is the first time we’ve seen an Alienware Aurora gaming PC equipped with an RTX 3070 priced at under $1500. The RTX 3070 is even more powerful than the previous generation’s fastest video card, the RTX 2080 Ti. This is the card to get if you want to push 144Hz frame rates or ultra high settings (or both) at up to 1440p. It’s powerful enough to handle most 4K gaming as well. It’s paired with some great specs, like a liquid cooled AMD Ryzen 7 5800 processor, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB SSD.
Alienware Aurora R12 RTX 3080 PC for $2199.99
Alienware Aurora R10 AMD Ryzen 9 5900 12-Core RTX 3080 Gaming PC with 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD
The RTX 3080 is way more powerful than the previous generation’s best video card, the RTX 2080 Ti, and is the best recommended video card for 4K gaming. The RTX 3080 Ti and RTX 3090 are the only cards that are (very slightly) more powerful, but they cost hundreds of dollars more. The RTX 3080 is paired with an AMD Ryzen 9 5900 CPU, which is one of the best processors you can get at the moment, whether it be for gaming or for workstation purposes. It’s been upgraded with liquid cooling as well. The rig is ready to go out of the box with 16GB of DD4-3200MHz RAM and a generously sized 1TB M.2 PCIe NVME SSD. Don’t worry, even the power supply is up to snuff with an ample 1000W rating.
ASUS ROG Zephyrus 15″ RTX 3080 Gaming Laptop
ASUS ROG Zephyrus 15″ 2560×1600 AMD Ryzen 9 5900HS RTX 3080 Gaming Laptop with 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD
For today only, Best Buy is offering this RTX 3080 equipped gaming laptop for only $1899. It’s paired with some pretty outstanding specs, like a 15.6″ 2560×1600 165Hz DCI-P3 IPS display, AMD Ryzen 9 processor, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD. The RTX 3080 has an 80W TDP rating. It’s also very lightweight for a 15″ gaming laptop, weighing in at only 4.2 pounds.
Arcade1Up The Simpsons Arcade Cabinet
The Simpsons cabinet is a 3:4 replica of the arcade original, making it approximately 4 feet tall. That said, a matching riser is included which raises the height by another 1 foot, giving you the option of both sitting and standing play. Up to 4 players can join in on the classic Simpsons side-scrolling arcade game as Homer, Marge, Bart, and Lisa. If you don’t have a buddy around to play with, you can hop onto the live WiFi (no subscription required) to play with other remote Arcade1Up players. In addition to the core The Simpsons game, The Simpsons Bowling is also preloaded.
Arcade1Up Mortal Kombat Arcade Cabinet
Starting today at Walmart, the Arcade1Up Mortal Kombat has also dropped in price. Arcade1Up is known for releasing high-quality recreations of your favorite arcade games, and the Mortal Kombat cabinet (or is it Kabinet?) is no exception. In addition to the classic fighting game, the cabinet comes with 11 other games on board. This model doesn’t include a riser.
New Humble Choice PC Bundle: Get Mass Effect Legendary Edition and 7 Other Games for $12
Humble Choice PC Bundle ft Mass Effect Legendary Edition and 7 Other Games
Starting today, you can pick up a copy of Mass Effect Legendary Edition and 7 other PC games for only $11.99. Mass Effect Legendary Edition currently sells for $60 on Steam, so getting that game alone for $12 would already be a fantastic deal. Humble Choice gives you additional perks like access to their Humble Games Collection and up to 20% off Humble Store purchases for the rest of the month. You can cancel your subscription anytime.
85″ Sony X91J 4K Full Array LED Google TV (2021)
Projectors are out. You can score one of Sony’s higher-end full-array LED TVs of 2021 – at a massive size no less – for under $2000. A true (not simulated) 4K projector costs upwards for $4K+ and even at the price it couldn’t touch the image quality like you would on this TV. Compared to a “regular” 65″ TV set, the size difference is huge. An 85″ TV boasts a whopping 70% larger viewing area than a 65″ TV. You definitely won’t get a bigger screen AND amazing image quality for the same price anywhere else right now. It also boasts HDMI 2.1 for 4K @ 120Hz and VRR and it looks good in HDR thanks to its wide color gamut and full array LED backlighting with local dimming.
Logitech G Pro X Superlight Wireless Gaming Mouse
Weighs Only 63 Grams
Logitech G Pro X Superlight Wireless Gaming Mouse
The Logitech G Pro X Superlight is the lightest wireless mouse that Logitech carries. It’s 63 grams of weight is less than most wired mice. As a comparison, the original Logitech G Pro (wireless) weighs 80 grams, the G903 weighs 110 grams, the MX Master 3 weighs 141 grams, and the popular G502 (wired) weighs 121 grams. It features an accurate 25K HERO sensor, five mouse buttons, onboard memory, large PTFE mouse feet, and a click tensioning system.
WD Easystore 5TB USB 3.0 Portable Hard Drive
WD Easystore 5TB USB 3.0 Portable Hard Drive (BB Exclusive)
This portable hard drive adds more storage to your PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X. Portable drives are much smaller than their desktop hard drive siblings and require no additional power other than the obligatory USB port.
Mainstays Parson’s Lift-Top Coffee Table
Do you like snacking while gaming? This Mainstays coffee table from Walmart is 50% off today and might just fit your lifestyle. This lift-top coffee table features a top that conveniently rises up and forward, putting your snacks right in front of you. There’s also plenty of space to neatly hide away all of your games, controllers, and accessories when they’re not in use.
Nintendo Switch OLED In & Out of Stock
The newest Nintendo Switch OLED model has been incredibly difficult to find throughout the holiday season. It’s back today on Amazon for a very limited time. This Switch features a larger, more vibrant OLED touchscreen display, an upgrade to the terrible OG kickstand, an ethernet port on the docking station, and of course new Joy-Con colors.
ASUS ROG STRIX GTX 1660 Ti Gaming PC
ASUS ROG STRIX AMD Ryzen 5 3600X GTX 1660 Ti Gaming PC with 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD
Walmart is offering this AMD Ryzen 5 3600X GTX 1660 Ti equipped gaming PC for only $799. The GTX 1660 Ti is still a very capable video card that can handle just about any game at 1080p resolution. You certainly won’t find a more powerful video card for this price.
CyberpowerPC Gamer Xtreme RTX 3060 Gaming PC
CyberPowerPC Intel Core i5-11600KF RTX 3060 Gaming PC with 16GB RAM, 500GB SSD, 1TB HDD
Currently this is one of the least expensive RTX 3060 gaming rigs we can find. It’s sold and shipped by Amazon direct (not a 3rd party vendor). Although the ship date is a little while off in early April, there are reports of some people getting it much earlier. The low price tag might imply that the RTX 3060 is not up to snuff, but nothing could be further from the truth. The RTX 3060 is about 20% faster than the RTX 2060 SUPER and is on par with the RTX 2070. That means it handles 1080p gaming beautifully and has the chops to take on 1440p and VR.
RTX 30 Series Video Card Bundles at Newegg
If you prefer to build your own gaming PC instead and you absolutely cannot wait any longer for an RTX series video card, check out these combo bundles at Newegg. Pick up an RTX 3060, RTX 3070, or RTX 3080 video card bundled with a motherboard, SSD, RAM, computer case, or PSU. You’ll get a lot more value than spending the same amount (or more) on just the video card alone from a scalper on eBay.
$39.99 or Less Nintendo Switch Games
Save 33% off select Nintendo Switch titles from Gamestop and Walmart. These include popular and well-rated games like Fire Emblem Three Houses, Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity. It’s a great chance to build out your Switch library, especially if you’re one of the many who picked up a brand new Switch console over Black Friday or the holiday season.
Nintendo’s released all sorts of statements regarding Switch Joy-Con ‘drift’ in recent times, and the latest one comes from the NoA’s Doug Bowser. In the same interview with The Verge – where he sort of addressed complaints about Switch Online’s N64 emulation – Doug was queried about the company’s ongoing battle against Joy-Con drift.
He reiterated Nintendo’s recent comments about how the company is continuously working on making improvements based on “returned units and how they’ve worn” and reminded everyone the new OLED model contains the “same updated stick” now available in existing models.
The Years-Long Battle Against Joy-Con Drift
Doug Bowser: “As we’ve gone through the first five and a half years of the Nintendo Switch, we’ve observed gameplay, we’ve observed as people have returned units how they’ve worn, and we’ve been making continuous improvements overall to the Joy-Con, including the analog stick. This latest version, Nintendo Switch OLED, has the same updated analog stick that’s now available in the original Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch Lite.”
In a new ‘Ask the Developer’ discussion last month, Nintendo’s Technology Development Division explained how Switch Joy-Con got better over time thanks to improved wear resistance and durability – with “wear” considered “unavoidable”:
“Yes, for example, car tires wear out as the car moves, as they are in constant friction with the ground to rotate. So with that same premise, we asked ourselves how we can improve [Joy-Con] durability, and not only that, but how can both operability and durability coexist? It’s something we are continuously tackling.”
“The degree of wear depends on factors like the combination of the materials and forms, so we continue to make improvements by researching which combinations are less likely to wear. We mentioned that the Joy-Con controller specifications hadn’t changed in the sense that we didn’t add new features such as new buttons, but the analog sticks in the Joy-Con controllers included with Nintendo Switch – OLED Model are the latest version with all the improvements. Needless to say, so are the analog sticks included in Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch Lite, separately sold Joy-Con controllers, and the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller that are currently being shipped.”
Bowser’s most recent comments regarding Joy-Con ‘drift’ follow on from a number of lawsuits about the issue and even consumer advocacy groups calling out the Japanese firm over the problem.
Have you experienced any Joy-Con ‘drift’ issues in recent times? Do you think Joy-Con reliability has improved over time? Leave a comment down below.
Those of you with good memories might recall that when the original Mario Party launched on the Nintendo 64, the mini-game ‘Tug o’ War’ attracted some rather unwanted attention in the press, with players apparently picking up injuries after furiously spinning the N64’s analogue stick using their palms.
Tug o’ War sees one player dressed as Bowser going up against the three other players in a game of – you’ve guessed it – tug of war. The objective is to spin the control stick as fast as possible to pull the other team into the canyon in the middle of the screen.
The issue is that kids were spinning their analogue sticks with such vigour that they were getting burns on their palms. Things got so bad that the New York Attorney General’s office had a word and Nintendo eventually offered players protective gloves to avoid any issues.
Guess what? Tug o’ War also appears in the upcoming Mario Party Superstars for Switch, and Nintendo has included a warning this time around to prevent history repeating itself.
We’d argue that the ridged design on the N64’s analogue stick was to blame for harming palms back in the late ’90s, and the Joy-Con stick’s rubber topping should prevent any similar issues. However, we dread to think what will happen to the millions of sticks over the world when they have Tug o’ War inflicted upon them – if they didn’t have Joy-Con drift already, they may well do soon…
With tomorrow’s launch of the Nintendo Switch OLED model, consumers will have the option of paying $50USD more (with regional equivalents) for a system with notable enhancements over the other models – an improved and larger screen, a new kickstand, an updated dock with an ethernet port, more internal memory etc. One thing that won’t be improved, based on available evidence, is the Joy-Con controllers – as many can attest, that’s a continual source of disappointment.
The issue of Joy-Con ‘drift’ and the fail rate of the controllers – in which the stick’s inputs stop working accurately – has been a simmering topic since the Switch launched in 2017. It’s led to class action lawsuits and a fair bit of pressure on Nintendo, and in Summer 2019 it emerged that repairs were starting to be offered for free, even outside warranty periods. It’s not necessarily the case in every country and territory, but it does seem to be a relatively common policy that Nintendo deals with Joy-Con issues at no cost.
That’s not enough to satisfy all advocacy groups, however, due to the ongoing argument that Nintendo is continuing to sell a product with known and consistent defects. Euroconsumers is a group that represents five national consumer organisations, and has issued a press release challenging Nintendo on its continuing sales of the existing Joy-Cons.
Below are some excerpts from the press release:
The new version of the Nintendo “Switch” console, the Switch OLED, expected on October 8th 2021, shows an unsolved technical problem with its controllers – an issue commonly called “Joy-Con Drift” – that prevents players from playing the game properly. Nintendo is quite aware of this flaw. Yet it still plans to roll out the new Switch with the old problem. Euroconsumers calls Nintendo to account.
… This flaw has previously been raised with Nintendo. Firstly in January 2020, Test Achats/Test Aankoop, Euroconsumers’ Belgian national organization, sent a letter of formal notice to Nintendo Europe GmbH calling on the company to repair all the defective products free of charge and to publicly communicate about the defect.
In January 2021, BEUC, the European umbrella group for 46 independent consumer organisations, launched an external alert to the CPC network about a widespread infringement with Union dimension of EU consumer law, related to the premature obsolescence of the Nintendo Switch.
On top of this EU action, two class actions have been launched in the US, and a Canadian firm has filed an application to begin a class action.
Nevertheless, Nintendo has taken no actions to remedy the flaw or alert consumers. It even issues a new Switch OLED with the exact same Joy-Con design, with the exact same inescapable defect. Meanwhile Nintendo keeps on putting a great deal of emphasis on the quality and versatility of the Joy-Con in its advertisements.
This early obsolescence is not only unfair and harmful to consumers, but also affects the environment, creating a pile of unnecessary and extremely polluting electronic waste.
Euroconsumers states it’s sent a letter to Nintendo with four requests: to adequately inform consumers of drift and clarify an expected lifecycle on packaging; fully respect the legal product guarantee without the burden of proof or cost to consumers; provide clear contact details at Nintendo for resolving the Joy-Con issue; resolve the flaw to ensure a “more sustainable version of the controllers”. Euroconsumers also makes clear that it’ll participate in dialogue and testing with Nintendo.
Of course, there’s been a lot of attention on Joy-Con controllers that has led to various formal complaints like this; Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa even issued an apology to investors in Summer 2020. Beyond some speculation at different points, however, there’s little evidence to suggest a notable improvement in Joy-Con design or reliability in recent times.
Nintendo’s approach to the issue has often been to say very little, and it’s arguably said all it’s going to pending any legal resolutions. With the OLED model arriving, however, Joy-Con drift is getting some renewed airtime.
It’s also worth noting that Switch owners have come up multiple DIY Joy-Con fixes like this one, albeit this brings its own challenges and risks.
Let us know what you think of the Euroconsumer comments, and indeed the ongoing issue of Joy-Con ‘drift’.
