How Do You Deal With Thumb Stick Drift? (lemmy.world)

submitted 8 months ago by Zahille7@lemmy.world to c/games@lemmy.world

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So I like to use Xbox controllers (doesn't matter if it's first- or third-party) because I like the layout, it's just comfortable to me. However I've noticed that on all my controllers in the past few years, the left thumb stick will start to "give out" over the course of a couple months. For instance I'll be pushing it forward all the way, but it won't register for some reason and my character will only move a little bit. Sometimes wiggling it a bit will fix it, sometimes it doesn't. And it's not like I'm squeezing the hell out of the controller or mashing the stick constantly; in fact it's made me try to be more delicate with my controllers, even though I'm just playing the games normally.

Is it just how controllers are, or am I just getting the shit end of the stick?

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[-] Maven@lemmy.sdf.org 40 points 8 months ago

The solution to stick drift is buying controllers with Hall Effect joysticks; drift is caused by plastic parts literally grinding down and potentiometers wearing out. Hall Effect sticks don't make contact, so they don't have this issue. Since you like the Xbox layout, 8BitDo's Ultimate controller could be a good third-party option for you.

[-] morphballganon@lemmy.world 14 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

I replaced my Joycon stick with a hall effect stick. Now it just drifts in a different direction, and I can't run full speed to the left anymore.

CORRECTION: I had to calibrate it. Now it works great!

[-] Maven@lemmy.sdf.org 9 points 8 months ago

DId you recalibrate it after the swap? That definitely shouldn't happen.

[-] morphballganon@lemmy.world 1 points 8 months ago

What do you mean by recalibrate?

[-] Maven@lemmy.sdf.org 3 points 8 months ago

I mean going to the Switch system settings > Controllers and Sensors > Calibrate Control Sticks

The controller was previously calibrated to its old stick. If you change the stick, you have to recalibrate it.

[-] morphballganon@lemmy.world 1 points 8 months ago

I had no idea this was a thing, so thank you!

[-] Norodix@lemmy.world 7 points 8 months ago

As far as I know its the graphite parts inside the potmeter that wears down.

[-] Maven@lemmy.sdf.org 5 points 8 months ago

That's probably true, but I'm not an expert, which is why I just vaguely described it as them wearing out.

Plastic parts grinding down was a separate clause, and is mostly a problem for optical disk sticks; the N64, most notably.

[-] nix@merv.news 1 points 8 months ago

Do you know what port it uses to charge? It has a charging dock but i can’t find it it charges through USB C or what in the dock. I dont want to have to use the dock to charge it

[-] Kanzar@lemmy.world 2 points 8 months ago

Dock charging is magnetic pins, but there's a USB C port on the top too.

[-] Maven@lemmy.sdf.org 1 points 8 months ago

It's USB-C. You can see it in the photos. It can also use the cord to act as a wired controller.

[-] Gordon@lemmy.world 1 points 8 months ago

Do you know if the L2 and R2 use hall effect as well?

I play a lot of racing games, and I find that that L2 especially wears out prematurely on Xbox controllers.

Oddly I don't have any problems with stick drift, just the L2 and R2 buttons become erratic.

[-] Maven@lemmy.sdf.org 2 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

I don't know, but I suspect they'd've advertised it if that's the case.

For what it's worth though, I've been using an 8bitdo Pro (the predecessor to the Ultimate) daily since early 2020, including a lot of Splatoon (a game with a lot of holding and mashing of both triggers), and the triggers haven't gotten the least bit soft or drifty, and (according to the Windows controller config screen, at least) still smoothly pull through the full analogue range. So they're doing something good, anyway.