Multiple reports of joycon connectivity issues in Switch previews

I'd take a 5-6 hour battery life hit for each joycon if it means a better signal.

I am worried for Nintendo because there's a lot of positive buzz for the system, and it would suck if the hype train derailed because of their potential oversight with this issue. It's also possible they knew that this would happen but thought the frequency of it occurring was low enough to not need to change their hardware.
 
odd that ppl have been giving us Switch impressions for months.......and not once did anyone have this issue?? or maybe it did...and they just felt it wasn't a big deal because they were just demo units
 
Plum said:
Gamexplain just released a video on the issue. Gives more credence to it being a possible hardware issue, with both Joy-Cons becoming choppy when blocked by a hand or put behind the back. The green light that says it's connected stays on, so it's not a desync issue.
Click to expand...

That doesn't fully explain if this is really the issue.

There's nothing surprising about reducing signal strength by blocking it, you can stop a radio from working by wrapping it in tin foil.

Did all the people that were reporting this problem wrap their hands around one Joy-Con when they were playing? Or putting it behind their back?

In that video the right Joy-Con wasn't as badly affected as the left. This suggests the left could have weaker signal strength but again, that doesn't explain whether it is due to the hardware or if it's an external factor.

This has to be repeated by others and in different places keeping in mind things that could cause wireless interference.
 
UnemployedVillain said:
Are people in here concerned...for Nintendo? Assuming it's a hardware issue, and it's widespread, they'll deal with it, right? At the same time, maybe it's a single strength issue, requiring a joycon firmware update and a lower battery life. Who knows. I assume they'll handle it

There are a number of people already jumping to conclusions, despite knowing nothing about the internals. Already declaring this is impossible to fix and things or that nature
Click to expand...

Agreed...if they are that stupid to release a new console and have this issue (assuming the day 1 patch doesn't fix it), then it's on them to fix the issue for consumers in any way possible. Luckily, Nintendo is a corporation that likes to make money, so it is in their best interest to remedy the issue.

Unfortunately, stuff like this happens all the time in the tech world. Companies can either choose to ignore it and screw themselves, or fix it, recall it, whatever. I guess we'll see if it's an actual issue after day 1 patch, or then they need to do something to fix it, even if it's recalling and replacing stuff.
 
JordanKZ said:
Just checked the Nintendo site myself, you're right, it's 3.0... This makes it a little more puzzling :-/
Click to expand...

yeah i was thinking if it was 4.1 it could have been the battery saving procedure's in place with 4.1. but it's not there should be a steady constant stream between the switch and joycons with 3.0
 
Plum said:
Gamexplain just released a video on the issue. Gives more credence to it being a possible hardware issue, with both Joy-Cons becoming choppy when blocked by a hand or put behind the back. The green light that says it's connected stays on, so it's not a desync issue.
Click to expand...

Could a firmware update to make the Switch console itself output a stronger Bluetooth signal fix it? Or does the JoyCon itself need to output a stronger Bluetooth signal?

If that was possible, I wonder what sort of hit to battery life it would take.
 
ASIS said:
This is kind of baffling to be honest. Especially since the controller is supposed to be held in multiple ways. Hell, flexibility of the play style is THE selling point of the Switch.

This is really, really bad if this can't be fixed by a patch.
Click to expand...
exactly, what the hell are people supposed to do when they hold just one, not only will you need to sit very close to the t.v but you also have to be very careful how you position every finger on the tiny joy cons.
 
I have a theory: The joy cons could have some power saving features which also affects the strenght of the bluethooth signal. that could be weakened to save battery life.
It could very well be that devs can set these power options for their games.

i.e.: Use of full motion (Arms for instance) -> more power needed -> turn off power saving
i.e.: use of less motion (Zelda, only for aiming) -> less power needed -> turn on power saving

If this is the case then an update should resolve the issue!
 
eastcoastkody said:
odd that ppl have been giving us Switch impressions for months.......and not once did anyone have this issue?? or maybe it did...and they just felt it wasn't a big deal because they were just demo units
Click to expand...

The people were sitting very close to the console for those demo so that's why the issues didn't pop up. Or at least not at this scale.
 
Plum said:
Gamexplain just released a video on the issue. Gives more credence to it being a possible hardware issue, with both Joy-Cons becoming choppy when blocked by a hand or put behind the back. The green light that says it's connected stays on, so it's not a desync issue.
Click to expand...

Im am going go be honest here.
I know i will only play the the switch in handheld mode

If this wasnt the case.
I would legit cancel my preorder right now.

This is horrible they cant be serious.
If this shit doesnt go away.
People will send it back.
 
Tetrodox said:
I dont know if obstruction is the only factor.
Look at the Whats Up video again
https://youtu.be/O6w536jv1g8?t=1004
Seems to have a clear line of sight when the issue occurs, if it is the same issue.
Click to expand...

Hadn't seen that one, thanks for linking it. Okay. Well it appears blocking and distance are only two factors. The third could be some wireless interference with the Bluetooth tech in the cons.

Fellow board members who are lucky to have a Switch preview console, anybody mind trying out some of the scenarios seen in the GameXplain video please?
 
hivycox said:
I have a theory: The joy cons could have some power saving features which also affects the strenght of the bluethooth signal. that could be weakened to save battery life.
It could very well be that devs can set these power options for their games.

i.e.: Use of full motion (Arms for instance) -> more power needed -> turn off power saving
i.e.: use of less motion (Zelda, only for aiming) -> less power needed -> turn on power saving

If this is the case then an update should resolve the issue!
Click to expand...

if your power saving for a bluetooth device is to reduce bluetooth capabilities it's a bad power saving procedure.
 
eastcoastkody said:
odd that ppl have been giving us Switch impressions for months.......and not once did anyone have this issue?? or maybe it did...and they just felt it wasn't a big deal because they were just demo units
Click to expand...

A lot of the Switch previews were on setups where the joycons and console were fairly close to each other. I had played Bomberman for a while in their living room set and hadnt had the issue, but it was closer to the TV than ten feet, for sure. Probably around 9 or 8 feet.
 
ckaneo said:
Wow, Gamexplain found the problem quickly and easily.

So fast, Nintendo had to of known it was an issue.
Click to expand...

How did they not catch this in testing?! Did no one at Nintendo R&D play it more than 6 feet from a TV?! O_o

They just might be handing out some seppuku swords in Kyoto...
 
Conkerkid11 said:
Haven't watched the video get, but can anybody explain why this didn't come up in, say, Giant Bomb's 1, 2, Switch gameplay?
Click to expand...

Its not obstruction thats the problem, its obstruction AND distance. Andre is ten feet or so away from the console when he's doing the test. In the 1-2 Switch gameplay, they are much closer.
 
Manny _Calavera said:
This news has deflated my hype a bit, I feel like I'm waiting for the inevitable and getting a dud on day one.
Click to expand...

Same here, and earlier I was defending the situation from doom and gloom. But this latest video from Gamexplain has me feeling a bit differently.

Nintendo needs to address this ASAP.

NOTE: I do still want a Switch next week.
 
Plum said:
Gamexplain just released a video on the issue. Gives more credence to it being a possible hardware issue, with both Joy-Cons becoming choppy when blocked by a hand or put behind the back. The green light that says it's connected stays on, so it's not a desync issue.
Click to expand...

whoa. this is a huuuuuuuge problem. fuck

edit: so the right joycon doesnt have any of this problem?
 
I can deal with certain features arriving later, but this is something that really worries me. An inherent hardware problem would be worst case scenario, and they should absolutely replace the controllers.

Fingers crossed it can somehow be solved with software but it's looking dicey.
 
Worth noting that, seemingly, Nintendo of America's PR team didn't know about this, at least. Not saying NCL didn't know, or QA/Treehouse didn't know, but PR has been asking for replication details and confirmation, as well as as many specifics as possible.
 
This is really bad, but the worst part is that I'm thinking of keeping my preorder since I was planning to play Zelda using the pro controller anyway. Arms preorder cancelled I guess?
 
robotrock said:
whoa. this is a huuuuuuuge problem. fuck

edit: so the right joycon doesnt have any of this problem?
Click to expand...

The right JoyCon has the exact same problem when you go out of the way to obstruct the signal which is what they showed for both JoyCons, so I'm not sure why it's the left one that's acting up for the people experiencing the issue.
 
Vitacat said:
How did they not catch this in testing?! Did no one at Nintendo R&D play it more than 6 feet from a TV?! O_o
Click to expand...

I suspect they can fix this in firmware, but Nintendo have rushed this console out; and not rushed as in pulled out all the stops, but as in cut corners. They couldn't even sell the pro controller in the US until last week as it hadn't been approved by the FCC, but already have then being cranked out at factories in China.

They are releasing so much hardware day one, controllers, adapters etc. They either have balls of steel or have already assessed the damage vs not getting something out this financial year and are just willing to take the risk of some of it being a dud.

I have a ton of respect for folks willing to pick this thing up one day 1 just for Zelda, that's dedication for you. As a burnt Wii U owner, worried the next two weeks are going to be like watching a car crash in slow motion.
 
Sycoraxic98 said:
Worth noting that, seemingly, Nintendo of America's PR team didn't know about this, at least. Not saying NCL didn't know, or QA/Treehouse didn't know, but PR has been asking for replication details and confirmation, as well as as many specifics as possible.
Click to expand...

Wouldn't read too much into that, it's likely to be standard operating procedure.
 
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