Nintendo Switch failed to detect Joy-Con error | how to make the controllers work

Nintendo Switch failed to detect Joy-Con after update | how to make the controllers work

Firmware update 9.0.1 recently arrived for the Nintendo Switch and Switch Lite. While the update was meant to fix some Joy-Con issues with the latter, it seems that it has caused issues with the former.  A number of users have reported that the firmware update makes their Switches unable to detect Joy-Cons.

What causes the failed to detect Joy-Con error?

The issue with the Nintendo Switch failing to detect Joy-Cons was first brought to light by users on the Chinese website Weibo. A number of users reported that their Switches failed to detect their Joy-Con’s the moment its attached to the unit.

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Interestingly enough, the 9.0.1 update contained a fix meant for an issue with the Switch Lite, wherein the purely handheld unit would ask its users to detach a Joy-Con, even though it doesn’t come with any. With this in mind, some people have speculated that the fix for this issue in the firmware update is the cause of the current issue with Switches not detecting Joy-Cons.

How to connect Joy-Con to a Switch that fails to detect it?

Despite the issue making Switch’s fail to detect Joy-Cons, there is still a way to get them to connect. It turns out, that despite the Joy-Con attachment effect not appearing on the side of the screen, the system still actually recognizes the Joy-Cons. The caveat here of course is that the Joy-Con now only works while connected.

Nintendo has yet to acknowledge the issue with the 9.0.1 firmware, its customer support site does offer some tips for when a Switch fails to recognize Joy-Cons. Now, the first step they recommend, which is to install the latest firmware, probably doesn’t apply here as the firmware seems to be the cause. However, users can try the succeeding steps, which involve resetting the Joy-Con by pressing the SYNC button once, then pressing any other button to power it on again. After this, attaching the Joy-Con to the console properly should, in theory, get it to work.

If these steps don’t get the Joy-Con to work wirelessly, then the site recommends that either the controller, or the Switch itself be sent in for repair. However, seeing as the issue is likely caused by the 9.0.1. firmware update, users may have to wait for a future firmware update to fully fix it.

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