These Joystick Replacements Could Fix Your Joy-Con Drift for Good
There is no doubt that the Nintendo Switch is one of the most popular gaming consoles out there. His games are great and portability is a plus, but the controllers are… well. Controller failure — dubbed “Joy-Con drift” because the problem will cause your controller to register movements you didn’t really intend — has been a flag against the system for years. But now GuliKit, the company that makes controllers and controller accessories, says it has a solution to make sure your Joy-Cons never drift again.
This is not the first time the company has made such statements. You may know GuliKit from their KingKong Pro 2 Switch controller , which was also advertised as an anti-drift controller. The difference here, as reported by Gizmodo , is that GuliKit is not selling a new controller, but is selling a fix for the Joy-Cons themselves.
Why Joy-Con Drift Occurs
There are a few factors that can contribute to Joy-Con drifting, but the fatal flaw seems to come from the potentiometers found in many controllers on the market , even the PS5’s DualSense controller . Over time and use, these potentiometers can wear out, causing the system to think that the joystick is pointing in a certain direction, when in fact it is not. That’s why you can run Breath of the Wild and find Link running to the left before you even touch the controller.
If you have a warranty, you can send your Joy-Cons to Nintendo for a free repair , but this takes time and worse, it’s just a temporary solution: the problem is with the hardware, and since Nintendo does not change the design during the repair, it is possible , you will drift again on the same controllers for a long time.
In such cases, many resort to makeshift workarounds. We’ve covered one such hack in the past , but GuliKit has something they think is even better: the Hall Joystick for Joy-Con.
How Hall Joysticks Eliminate Drift
Hall joysticks completely replace the joysticks on Joy-Con controllers. You remove the Nintendo-made joysticks, install Hall’s joysticks, and voila: no more drifting. GuliKit’s sticks use the same technology as their KingKong Pro 2 sticks, which rely on “Hall effect” magnets to detect joystick activity. There are no potentiometers or other important moving parts rubbing against each other and wearing out over time, which means that, in theory, drift shouldn’t be a concern. The company even sells a similar Steak Deck solution on Amazon .
You can usually buy two Hall Joysticks from GuliKit for $30 or four for $53, but they seem to be sold out on Amazon right now . Once they’re in stock, iFixit has a great video walkthrough on installing them on your Joy-Cons. Just remember that this type of repair will void the warranty on your Joy-Cons, so only attempt it if you’re outside of this window or if you enjoy playing dangerous games.
You may need to re-calibrate your new Joy-Cons when you are done installing the Hall Joysticks. You’ll find this option under Settings > Controllers & Sensors .