Accessory brand Dbrand has found itself in a PR firestorm over its "Killswitch" case for the Nintendo Switch 2, which users discovered can cause the Joy-Cons to detach unexpectedly. The company's initially dismissive response only fanned the flames, forcing it to walk back its statements and announce it will provide free redesigned Joy-Con grips to all customers, regardless of whether they reported a problem.
The controversy kicked off when some users reported that with the Killswitch case installed, their Joy-Cons would pop off far more easily than usual, especially when holding the console by a single Joy-Con or lifting it horizontally without supporting the main body.
Dbrand's initial technical explanation was that the case fills a 0.5mm "tolerance gap" Nintendo designed between the Joy-Con and the console rail, which helps prevent accidental detachment. The Killswitch's structure, however, alters the pivot point, applying direct force to the Joy-Con's locking mechanism and causing it to release sooner.
In its first statement on Reddit, Dbrand dismissed the issue, claiming it was caused by an "unnatural way of holding it" and bluntly stating that "nobody holds their Switch 2 like that." The company even compared the situation to a "Coke and Mentos experiment," implying that users were intentionally creating the problem just to see the effect.
This explanation triggered intense backlash from the community, who slammed the company for its arrogant tone. Some drew parallels to the infamous iPhone 4 "Antennagate" scandal, joking that Dbrand was "channeling its inner Steve Jobs."
Facing a wave of criticism, Dbrand posted a new statement on June 25, doing a complete 180. The company admitted its initial response was "handled about as poorly as we possibly could have" and promised to ship a new set of Joy-Con grips to every single customer, free of charge.
"We get it. You should be able to hold it however you want without the controllers detaching," Dbrand wrote. "We understand and accept that you'll be making fun of us for the next 6-8 months."
According to the company, two redesigned grips are in the works. The first is a minor tweak to the current version with thinner edges to reduce leverage and the risk of detachment. The second is a completely new design intended to eliminate the issue entirely.
However, Dbrand admitted that the second option is challenging to mass-produce. If the tooling trials fail, the production tools could be scrapped entirely. "This is why we didn't go this route in the first place," the company stated. "But now that the fire has been lit, we're willing to give it a shot."
Dbrand will provide an update on the production trials on July 10 but stressed that customers will not be able to choose which version they receive to avoid a "logistical nightmare."
"The only thing we can promise is that we'll get a replacement into the hands of every single customer as quickly as possible, regardless of whether you've reported an issue or were even aware of this controversy," Dbrand said.
via： VGC