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European Commission

๐Ÿ„ Missed your jump over the mushroom?

๐Ÿ”ซ Splatted next to your target?

๐Ÿšง Drifted your kart outside the track?

This shall happen no more!

We contacted Nintendo to address the recurring problem with defective Switch controllers and they agreed to offer all consumers the right to repair, free of charge, even beyond the legal guarantee!

This will prevent the disposal of unrepaired controllers and unnecessary waste.

In the foreground, two Nintendo Switch controllers, one yellow, one blue. 

In the background, an EU flag and a videogame hat with the question mark characteristic of Nintendo games.
125 comments
Bene

@EU_Commission All of this is happening to me quite regularly! The problem is: the controllers are fine ๐Ÿ˜ฌ

Tenkoman

@EU_Commission Even though the Switch nears its EOL - there should also be preparations for the successor console in that matter.

Jessie Nabein

@tenkoman "Switch nears it's EOL" is this stated or implied anywhere by Nintendo or any partners?
Doesn't seem like there's something to replace the Switch anytime soon.
Nintendo would be foolish to end the console lifecycle now; heck the WiiU and 3DS are basically only now finally EOL since the online stores are gone.

Tenkoman

@jasonnab The T239 on NVidiaโ€˜s documents hint an involvement in the Switch successor - since it is a big leap since the X1 chipset of the original Switch (whichโ€˜s production future is unclear) (also EOL =/= EOS)

Sebastien ๐ŸŒ

@EU_Commission cool, now make it so my perfectly working lightning cables don't become eWaste just to push USB-C down my throat

Wilfried Klaebe

@SebastienK oh shut up and just drop the proprietary stuff in favor of the world standard!
@EU_Commission

Sebastien ๐ŸŒ

@wonka ok let's forbid Nintendo products with all their proprietary stuff ๐Ÿ™„

But indeed that's what the EU tells to consumers. โ€œShut up!โ€™.

Consumers deserve a choice

pro@EU_Commission@social.network.europa.eu

Sebastien ๐ŸŒ

@aurnytoraink yes, enforced by the EU. All my lightning cables have become obsolete. They will end up somewhere on a beach in Africa because that is where are all western excess waste goes ๐Ÿคท๐Ÿฝโ€โ™‚๏ธ@EU_Commission@social.network.europa.eu

Ivre Rocher :hotboi: :owi:

@SebastienK I bet you can sell them online because some user will still have older smartphone

Sebastien ๐ŸŒ

@aurnytoraink no because I will not replace all my Apple gear. The EU has condemned me to charger hell. Instead of one charger I will need to use 2

The EU really didn't have their brightest mind working on that directive ๐Ÿคท๐Ÿฝโ€โ™‚๏ธ

JohannฬŸ
@SebastienK are you seriously whining about having to use a new charger when you own several thousand euros of apple products? I can't with you all, seriously. @aurnytoraink
chronohart

@SebastienK @aurnytoraink this is the fault of Apple refusing to voluntarily join the rest of the smartphone market years ago, not the EU for forcing them to finally do so now.

If you don't want to get rid of the cables, you could get a Lightning to USB-C adapter. Then you could still use all the same cables whether for a new device following the standard or an old one that doesn't.

Sebastien ๐ŸŒ

@chronohart what fault? Who needs USB-C on their phones? The only ones whining to have it on the iPhone don't use iPhones. @aurnytoraink

chronohart

@SebastienK @aurnytoraink Why did I bother replying to you? I can see your other replies in here. It's obvious you're only arguing for argument's sake.

Sebastien ๐ŸŒ

@chronohart i'm just replying to every reply. I'm sorry that I dedicated some of my time to respond to you ๐Ÿคท๐Ÿฝโ€โ™‚๏ธ @aurnytoraink

Sven Jacobs :androidHead:

@SebastienK @EU_Commission Well, Apple had the chance to adopt USB-C way sooner, preventing a lot of electronic waste because chargers of other smartphone manufacturers could be used, too. But they insisted on Lightning, supposedly because of a bad user experience with USB-C, which is BS if you ask me. Since voluntary didn't work, the EU had to force USB-C onto Apple ๐Ÿคทโ€โ™‚๏ธ

Sebastien ๐ŸŒ

@svenjacobs IT's BS that it is about bad user experience with USB-C it was of bad user experience with USB-A which was correct and not BS @EU_Commission

Sebastien ๐ŸŒ

@svenjacobs USB A could only be inserted in one orientation. Unlike USB-C today

Sven Jacobs :androidHead:

@SebastienK Yes, I know. But I still don't understand why we are talking about USB-A. USB-C is going to be the standard port/cable, not USB-A.

Sebastien ๐ŸŒ

@svenjacobs because you said it was because of bad user experience with USB-C, which is not correct.

Sven Jacobs :androidHead:

@SebastienK Please read my post again ๐Ÿ˜‰ I said that Apple claimed this as a reason against adopting USB-C. They claimed this and other arguments for years while still producing new devices with Lightnight.

Sebastien ๐ŸŒ

@svenjacobs show me where they claim this. I never saw Apple claiming that. They were the first to adopt USB-C and got criticised when they released USB-C only hardware ๐Ÿ™„

Sebastien ๐ŸŒ

@svenjacobs the first enforcement by the EU was regarding USB-A but they botched that one so hard we luckily were not forced to use micro usb over Lightning on our iPhones ๐Ÿคท๐Ÿฝโ€โ™‚๏ธ

Sven Jacobs :androidHead:

@SebastienK I'm also happy that we're not on USB-A now but USB-C is totally fine, right?

Sebastien ๐ŸŒ

@svenjacobs I don't mind USB-C but I never demanded it. I did not need new cables. I have plenty. ๐Ÿคท๐Ÿฝโ€โ™‚๏ธ

Sven Jacobs :androidHead:

@SebastienK It's not about (the amount of) cables, it's about interoperability. Also it's not just about smartphones but about a wide range of mobile devices like tables, laptops or bluetooth speakers. Luckily in the future we don't need a separate charger for every device.

Sebastien ๐ŸŒ replied to Sven Jacobs :androidHead:

@svenjacobs what interoperability? When did you last use a cable on a phone?

Sebastien ๐ŸŒ replied to Sven Jacobs :androidHead:

@svenjacobs okay but it's 2023 and we charge our phones wirelessly.

Again the EU wasted our tax euros on some outdated directive on how consumers should charge their phones.

Its USB A all over again ๐Ÿคท๐Ÿฝโ€โ™‚๏ธ

I know I am hard to please as a consumer but all I demand as a consumer is the right to vote with my wallet

Sven Jacobs :androidHead: replied to Sebastien

@SebastienK I'm pretty sure that most people still charge their phones via cable and don't have a wireless charger at home or on the go.

fโ™ฏ aโ™ฏ โˆž replied to Sebastien

@SebastienK wireless is a waste of energy, just get lightning-to-usb-c adapters and stop crying like they've taken your first born ๐Ÿ™„

@svenjacobs

Sebastien ๐ŸŒ replied to fโ™ฏ aโ™ฏ โˆž

@Tsadiq stop telling me what to do. That's all i'm asking of the EU and you. @svenjacobs

fโ™ฏ aโ™ฏ โˆž replied to Sebastien

@SebastienK well, you're complaining about having to buy new cables but you don't, actually. You should be glad your cable won't go to waste.

@svenjacobs

Sebastien ๐ŸŒ replied to fโ™ฏ aโ™ฏ โˆž

@Tsadiq i'm complaining about having to throw away perfectly working cables. Can't you read? @svenjacobs

Sebastien ๐ŸŒ replied to fโ™ฏ aโ™ฏ โˆž

@Tsadiq lots of time and euros have been wasted over a stupid directive that is already outdated. You don't care we waste tax money? ๐Ÿค”@svenjacobs

JohannฬŸ replied to Sebastien
@SebastienK ahhhhhh 'wasting tax money' it's never been an ecological problem, was it? @Tsadiq @svenjacobs
Sven Jacobs :androidHead: replied to Sebastien

@SebastienK @Tsadiq Well, then we're at my first answer again b/c initially this was just voluntary โ€” no law โ€” and Apple was refusing USB-C for their smartphones for many years. If someone could have saved a lot of money and bureaucracy it would have been Apple. All the EU wanted was just to reduce electronic waste ๐Ÿ˜ž

Sebastien ๐ŸŒ replied to Sven Jacobs :androidHead:

@svenjacobs and now we have a law. The EU could have saved a lot of money by understanding technology. It clearly doesn't as it has repeated the same mistake as with USB A. USB C is not the future of charging phones and charging phones is what this directive is all about

Waste of cables and tax euros. ๐Ÿคท๐Ÿฝโ€โ™‚๏ธ
@Tsadiq

fโ™ฏ aโ™ฏ โˆž replied to Sebastien

@SebastienK well, you ever tried connecting a usb peripheral to a phone or tablet? Probably not as you seem to think cables are for charging only.

And still, that *is* a usage some people have, but you only see the problem by that very little spectrum of yours and dismiss everything else.

But congrats, imho you're just doing a fine job at being an apple bigot ๐Ÿ‘Œ

@svenjacobs

Sebastien ๐ŸŒ replied to fโ™ฏ aโ™ฏ โˆž

@Tsadiq oh yes I daily charge my android work phone over micro usb. I always try to put it in the wrong way. Every day I get reminded of how wonderful the EU directives are

My iPhone on the other hand is a cable virgin I think ๐Ÿ˜‚
@svenjacobs

fโ™ฏ aโ™ฏ โˆž replied to Sebastien

@SebastienK then again, we're not talking about charging here. We're talking external screen, digital audio, storing devices, accessibility tools.

And that's why there should be only one standard, and this standard is usb-c because it's not a proprietary standard, whether you like it or not.

@svenjacobs

Sebastien ๐ŸŒ replied to fโ™ฏ aโ™ฏ โˆž

@Tsadiq Is this a paralel universe?

Wireless, wireless, wireless, wireless.

I do all these things without a cable, Android can't be that far behind that I don't see why you would need a cable for any of those? If Apple would ditch the cable altogether I would not miss any of those

@svenjacobs

fโ™ฏ aโ™ฏ โˆž replied to Sebastien

@SebastienK wireless implies authentication, if not you're opening your devices to mitm attacks. Unthinkable for sensitive data. Cable ensure direct connection to devices.

You can't wireless from devices that are not self-powered - you ever heard about issues with lithium in batteries?

You can't configure wireless tools if you're not able to see the screen. Visually disabled people? To hell with them. Broken screen? Welp, too bad.

@svenjacobs

fโ™ฏ aโ™ฏ โˆž replied to fโ™ฏ aโ™ฏ โˆž

@SebastienK

As i said earlier, you only see through the spectrum your very, very narrow usages and very very wide privileges.

Just because *you* do something doesn't mean everybody else wants, can afford or is able to do it like you do.

You're just self-centered.

@svenjacobs

Sebastien ๐ŸŒ replied to fโ™ฏ aโ™ฏ โˆž

@Tsadiq you mean because โ€œweโ€ do it a different way โ€œyou" need to adapt or shut up. Thatโ€™s the whole thing I'm getting from the answers I got.

@svenjacobs

Sven Jacobs :androidHead: replied to Sebastien

@SebastienK Maybe you should become a technical consultant for the EU then if you think you're doing a better job than them?

You may be on the technical bleeding edge here but that doesn't necessarily count for millions of other people ๐Ÿคทโ€โ™‚๏ธ

@Tsadiq

Sebastien ๐ŸŒ replied to Sven Jacobs :androidHead:

@svenjacobs Iโ€™m not on the bleeding edge. I'm just a consumer in the EU using todays products ๐Ÿ˜‰ @Tsadiq

casey is remote

@developerjustin @EU_Commission @Barredo Honestly the #EU over-regulates everything. They had no business mandating the #USBC port on smartphones, for example, and I wish that #Apple had stood up to them on that front.

If #Nintendo did this voluntarily, good on them. If they did this under duress, it's yet another in a long list of shameful abuses of power by the #EU.

Andrew

@EU_Commission hopefully this is worldwide. Nintendo Australia refused to acknowledge that this is a known issue when I contacted them about it last year.

Josรฉ

@EU_Commission What are the terms of the agreemement? Nintendo and "free of charge" is a very surprising association.

Demon Queen Lucretia
@EU_Commission assuming you still have the receipt for a device you may have purchased a full six years ago. My Joycons are still going to end up in the bin once I've replaced them.
xl_ent

@EU_Commission Thank you. Hope youโ€˜ll find some time for Mario Kart despite all the work you do.

pls

@EU_Commission Hey folks, I'm just some guy, but I've shared this post on our little site over at GameRanx as an update to the news about the free repairs. Cheers! gameranx.com/updates/id/457585

FediThing

@EU_Commission

This is brilliant! Thank you! ๐Ÿ™ :nintendo_switch_logo:

uvok cheetah ๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ช

@EU_Commission as much as I get angry over chat control, data retention laws, and similar - this is nice for consumer rights.

alain

@EU_Commission I really don't understand those complaining about this measure or enforcing USB-C. Interoperability is great for users, not for companies building their commercial strategy on top of a walled garden. The ones defending exclusive formats are just parroting the advertising garbage big companies brainwashed them with.
Thanks to USB-C, we can hop from Apple to Android and back without adding extra waste. And we should be thankful for that.

Tjingz

@EU_Commission

Ist doch bestimmt ein Aprilscherzโ€ฆ
die machen doch nix fรผr 'umme' !

Charles Pence

@EU_Commission โฌ†๏ธ The EU delivering good news about joycon drift? That's epic.

Schmaker
@EU_Commission Now imagine, that company will fix your stuff after warranty period even without EU's intervence. Well, one of them is #Netatmo

Netatmo napsal/a:

Hello Roman,

Thank you for your feedback.

Based on your description, I can confirm that your Thermostat is defective and, according to our Admin tool, as your thermostat was installed in 2018, it is no longer covered by the warranty.

However, we offer to repair it for free.
(...)

This is how good customer service looks like
@EU_Commission Now imagine, that company will fix your stuff after warranty period even without EU's intervence. Well, one of them is #Netatmo

Netatmo napsal/a:

Hello Roman,
mattlqx

@EU_Commission Joycons are already some of the easiest to repair consumer electronics. The problem is the thumb sticks themselves don't last and need to keep being replaced.

But how about a link with some details of what is being done?

Amici Is Me ๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ธ ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ฆ ๐Ÿ‡ณ๐Ÿ‡ด

@EU_Commission

"right to repair, free of charge" sounds very dystopian, as if there could ever be any justice to allowing corporations to weaponize the judiciary against people who want to tinker with their own stuff

AlienKnight

@EU_Commission this is actually super cool. I know this post doesn't apply to the US, but even on the newer switch the issues still come up! It's awesome to see that the EU is taking steps like this, both for waste, and the consumer! Maybe Nintendo of America will make a move to follow...

Mark

@EU_Commission Great! To be fair to Nintendo, they are great about repairing controllers for you. Got a few replaced for free. Nearly ashamed to return them at this point though with the beatings the kids give them!

JamesTDG

@EU_Commission they better apply this to other places. Also, they should require no proof of purchase since I obtained my switch 2nd hand.

Dierck โœ…

@EU_Commission Manchmal kann die Kommission tatsรคchlich Verbraucherfreundlich.

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