So iFixit’s analysis, if you can call it that, is simply … “potentiometer bad”? Couldn’t they tell that the stick’s been completely re-engineered, or didn’t want facts to get in the way of click-baiting?
From the teardown, one can see that the stick’s assembly and components closely resemble the drawings in patents WO2020174902 and CN113383287, filed by Alps Alpine (アルプスアルパイン) in Japan and China. The invention provides solutions to ensure a resistive stick’s long-term reliability:
- Reduce abrasion on carbon track (less debris)
- Ensure consistent contact (debris resistant)
How is this related to Switch 2?
- One of the patent’s inventors is also named in Nintendo’s EU & UK design registrations for Joy-Con 2 stick.
- Alps Alpine’s financial report indicates that the company is the suppler of Switch 2 sticks.
iFixit—and TronicsFix too—are blatantly engagement farming with their stick teardown videos, using sensationalist languages such as “lose hope”, “lame”, and “not impressed” without a shred of evidence.
[Originally posted on 2025-06-05 Pacific Time]
