Hardware Any good third party Joycons out there?

[wurstpistole]

Hi, buddy of mine got a faulty right joycon, the inner small buttons that serve as pairing buttons and shoulder buttons when used as a single controller don't work, meaning he cannot use it as a single joycon for games like Mario party anymore since it can't be paired / identified as single joycon. It works well if in double joycon mode or docked.
He doesn't want to spend the 70 quid on two new Joycons and since there's quite usable Chinese knockoffs of the pro controller, I figured there might also be a decent third party joycon set available at a fair price. Is there something like that and if yes, can someone link me one? Thanks!

 

[Hayato213]

Can always buy one joycon instead of a pair. Probably best to go for genuine official one, all the third party one are left side only.

 

[AmandaRose]

I use the Geoteck JC-20 switch joycons they are extremely good for only £34.99. Good battery life about 20 hours from each charge. But why take my word for it here is one of many reviews talking about how good they are.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/fullsync.co.uk/gioteck-jc-20-switch-controllers-review/amp/

 

[hippy dave]

I can't vouch for any 3rd party joycons. From the description of the problem it sounds pretty likely that it's as simple as a disconnected ribbon cable. If you or your buddy are up for some fairly careful disassembly and reassembly, you can buy the right screwdriver cheaply and follow a step-by-step youtube video to try and fix the problem by reconnecting the cable. If you're not up for it yourself, paying a local phone repair shop, or someone from the trading forum who is experienced with Switch repairs, would definitely be cheaper than buying an official joycon, and probably still cheaper than any worthwhile knockoff. If there were faulty parts beyond an unplugged ribbon cable, it still wouldn't cost too much for replacement parts.

Something to think about anyway, I feel like the Nintendo controllers are likely to be significantly preferable to anything except maybe some big names like Hori.

 

[djpannda]

I got this and I love them. I use them instead of my normal joycons. They feel great but battery is a bit shit but I almost always play handheld with these
Heres the link for US Amazon page incase.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B088K5PF2Y

 

[wurstpistole]

Thanks for the suggestions. Well I could be something as simple as a disconnected cable, yeah. Didn't think of that. What screwdriver would I need for that, the classic Ninty Triwing?

 

[Insomniac8]

It wouldn't be toooo hard to just fix the controller. It is fiddly, but some screwdrivers and some tweezers is all you need to replace the button board, and you can buy them for... £3 on ebay, or ~50p on Aliexpress. Depends if it is just that board that has failed or the connector. If it is the connector then it would need re-soldering, which is harder.

 

[Alsusee]

I use the ifixit guides for stuff like this:
https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Right+Joy-Con+Joystick+Replacement/113185

Follow it up to step 9 or 10 and then you can try reseating the cable.

Its fairly easy to do but a bit fiddly. You may need a new ribbon cable for the fix so make sure you buy the correct one.

One important thing is once you take the first four triwing screws out, run your fingernail around the outside to carefully split the shell (I don't use plastic opening tools as a fingernail is easier). Use the rail side as a hinge or you might damage other ribbon cables.