France’s competition watchdog, the DGCCRF, slapped Nintendo of Europe with a 35‑million‑euro penalty—just over $40 million—for deceptive practices surrounding the Switch’s Joy‑Con stick drift problem. The regulator says the company misled buyers about the defect from 2018 through 2023, only acknowledging it publicly in 2020. Nintendo has agreed to pay the fine. The sanction also includes interest and penalties for delayed compliance.

Since the Switch launched in 2017, thousands of owners reported thumbsticks registering movement without input, prompting class actions and investigations. Nintendo began offering free repairs in 2019, but the French authority argues the delayed acknowledgment violated consumer‑protection law. The notice must stay up for six months, informing French shoppers of the ruling.

The fine signals mounting pressure on console makers to address hardware reliability and transparency. While Nintendo’s repair program mitigates some consumer frustration, the public reprimand may push rivals to tighten warranty language and pre‑empt similar regulatory scrutiny. Regulators are watching closely.