NINTENDO FINED $40M FOR FAULTY JOY-CONS

The penalty from French regulators follows complaints about Joy-Con drift, a persistent technical fault where the analog sticks register input without user interaction. The issue has affected millions of Switch users since the console's 2017 launch. Nintendo has previously acknowledged the problem and offered repairs, but the company faced mounting criticism for what consumers viewed as inadequate responses to widespread hardware failures. The $40 million fine represents one of the largest regulatory penalties Nintendo has received. French authorities determined the company's handling of faulty units violated consumer protection standards. The ruling may prompt Nintendo to accelerate hardware improvements or expand repair and replacement programs. The company has not yet issued an official statement regarding the fine or plans to address Joy-Con reliability in future products.