The Easiest Ways To Get Your Nintendo Joy-Cons Repaired in Australia

The Easiest Ways To Get Your Nintendo Joy-Cons Repaired in Australia

Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons have been the centre of disdain since the console launched in 2017 — and anyone who’s experienced ‘drift’ from these controllers knows how frustrating it can be. When your controllers wear down or break, it can make playing games extremely difficult and the cost or hassle of repair in Australia often means your Joy-Cons stay broken.

There’s currently plenty of ways you can get your Joy-Cons fixed. You can send them to Nintendo, or work your way through the legal system to get a free repair.

You can also buy a repair kit and do it yourself, but sometimes, you just want the easiest solution. Sometimes you don’t want to go through legal hoops or risk ruining your controller. Some older Joy-Cons may also not be covered by the Australian Consumer Law.

If your Joy-Cons are out of warranty or you just want them fixed quick and easy, these are your best options for getting them repaired in Australia.

EB Games

EB Games Reboot is a very handy service available through your local store. Rather than getting Nintendo involved, you can actually head in-store with any console you own and organise a system repair via EB Games’ local team.

Bring in your console, and EB Games will send it directly to the company’s Australian repair hub, and it’ll be fixed and sent back within three weeks. Each repair comes with a three month warranty and if a fix is not available, you won’t have to pay the fee.

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They deal with every mainstream console on the market, and for individual Joy-Con repairs EB Games charges $44. If your problem is with a Switch Lite, you have to fork out $129 — which unfortunately is a third of the console’s cost.

Still, being able to walk into a store and ask for a repair is much easier than any other option.

Your local tech repair shop

nintendo switch joy-con drift
Image: Getty

If you don’t have a preferred local EB or you’d rather go to another specialist, you can also check in with your local tech repair shop. Not all of them offer gaming repair services but many of them do, including Tech Recovery.

It’s likely your local will charge a comparable price to EB Games (or potentially more, depending on specialisation) but it’s always worth checking in to ask.

They may also have a faster turnaround than EB, so it’s another great option to consider.

Etsy

Wildly enough, Etsy also has a sub-category devoted to creators who specialise in Joy-Con repairs and mods. This is a little trickier than going into a local store, since individual creators don’t have the same responsibilities as bricks-and-mortar retailers but customer reviews and personal integrity may mean you still get a good job done.

YourCustomJoycons is a particularly well-rated repairer based in the U.S. and you’ll be able to send your Joy-Cons away for $43 + cost of your delivery, but there are also other options on the platform.

Nintendo

If all else fails, you do have the option of sending your Joy-Cons to Nintendo Australia for repair.

You will still have to pay a fee if your repair isn’t covered by the basic rights of the Australian Consumer Law — but Nintendo won’t charge you if you’re covered. Any Joy-Con purchased in Australia which fails in a ‘reasonable’ amount of time should be repaired fee-free.

As part of the repair process, you need to head to Nintendo’s local Australian repair hub online, fill out your details and send away your console or Joy-Cons for a period of time. Generally you’ll be quoted for your repair once it’s complete and you’ll have an invoice sent to you before the console or Joy-Cons are sent back.

These prices differ, but do include a $20 Appraisal Charge if your product is not covered by the ACL. Prices are not available publicly, so you will need to contact Nintendo to find out exactly how much you need to pay based on your individual issue.

Given the lack of transparency here, it might just be easier to send it onto another repairer — but the option is there if you don’t a surprise.


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