Drifting Joy Cons

Hilbunny

Hilbunny

Cat Lover
Joined
Mar 14, 2020
Posts
390
Bells
85
Switch
0873-0639-3982
I know personally in the last few weeks I’ve been getting frustrated with my joy con. Terraforming and path making has become much more difficult!! And also, I feel like my A button is getting worn out from 670+ hours of Animal Crossing.

It turns out this is a really common issue with the switch!! There are multiple lawsuits now over joy con drifting!

If your switch is in warranty Nintendo is replacing controllers for free!

Here’s an article with more info:
www.theverge.com

The Nintendo Switch’s Joy-Con drift problem, explained

Everything you need to know about Joy-Con drift
www.theverge.com www.theverge.com
 
I had mine done a couple of months ago and they repaired it for free even though it was out of warranty. It actually started drifting again after a week so I sent it back and they just sent me a new one, which was awesome.
 
Mine drift too. I use a pro controller when docked to the TV and going back to handheld is even more frustrating because I'm not used to the drift again!
 
KayDee said:
I had mine done a couple of months ago and they repaired it for free even though it was out of warranty. It actually started drifting again after a week so I sent it back and they just sent me a new one, which was awesome.
Click to expand...

Good for you!

How does one do this? (Repair.)
 
Ya Pro Controllers aren't immune they have the same parts for the joystick.

The parts they use are just too thin and sensitive to dust/hair/oils. The build up is what causes the sensors to think its an input for direction.

I recommend also getting some electrical cleaner to keep your Joy-Cons clean regularly.
 
JasonAldeanMG said:
My pro controller drifted two weeks after opening it.
Click to expand...

You either purchased a third-party controller of low quality, or just haven't kept good care of it. I've had mine for over two years now, and I've only experienced extremely slight drifting once, due to a tiny crumb getting wedged in the control stick that I cleaned out.
 
My original controller that came with my Nintendo Switch has this issue. I just ended up buying new ones to replace them. (Of course, I tried cleaning them first but to no avail. The issue happened after two years of use.)

I have to say that Animal Crossing is the catalyst of my controller's demise. :D
 
Yup I had mad drift on both my left and right joy cons and was able to send them in to be replaced for free a few months ago (since mine were "beyond repair" they just sent me new ones). My joy cons were also beyond warranty since they were over a year old (I purchased them around December 2018). I would highly recommend doing this since they are really expensive to replace on your own. Unfortunately though, I think this only works if you live in the US or Canada, since I talked briefly with someone who lived somewhere in Europe (around Scandinavia area I think) who was unable to find a Nintendo repair center in their region.
 
Sent in my pair I’ve had since 2017 in earlier this year due to drifting. Got them after not too long and they work perfectly again. Didn’t cost me a cent as Nintendo even covers the shipping costs.
 
Mine also drifts. I bought new third party ones and so far they seem to be a better quality. My heart truly goes out to people who have the lite version. I don’t know if I can part with my game for so long as it is repaired. 😢
 
Khaelis said:
You either purchased a third-party controller of low quality, or just haven't kept good care of it. I've had mine for over two years now, and I've only experienced extremely slight drifting once, due to a tiny crumb getting wedged in the control stick that I cleaned out.
Click to expand...
Nope it was official pro controller. It lives in a drawer when it's not in use. I sent it to Nintendo and they "fixed" it for all of a month then it happened again.
 
I had an issue once with mine (not really "joy-cons", though, since it's a Lite). Fortunately, mine was fixed by taking a Q-tip and running it along the side of the control stick (not under the rubber part, just around it, and checking to make sure it didn't leave fuzz). Also, while there was a little drift, it was more that the stick got stuck (there's a tongue twister for you!)- when I pressed it once in the opposite direction it went back into place. Yesterday I had the same issue while testing my control stick through the calibration screen (something I do every morning now) and a Q-tip fixed it again. So I've been pretty lucky so far, nothing that can't be fixed.

As opposed to the error I had in my original Switch, where it stopped recognizing the joy-cons while they were attached. Since I only played in handheld mode, that was a HUGE problem, and I can't tell you how many stupid bokoblins killed me because I literally could not move. Also, asking for help online was totally unproductive- people apparently didn't read my problem at all (and that I ONLY ONLY ONLY play in handheld mode) because the majority of advice I got was "GET A PRO CONTROLLER". I managed to hold out until the Lite was released (so many people were bummed to hear about the Lite, I was OVER THE MOON) but my old Switch is basically unplayable now. I tried to see if I could start a second ACNH island on it... nope.

Anyway, there has been talk of Nintendo working on a different version of the Switch that won't have drift, and I'm hoping my Switch Lite will hold out until then.
 
I had joycon drift too a few months back. I sent them in and they fixed them for free. I have a 2nd controller but it's not a pro so there is no rumble which too some getting used to(and sucks when fishing). I think I may get a pro controller and sell my other one.
 
My joycons drifted six months after I first used them (March 20 to September 26). I put in around 330 hours in that time, which is way under what I see for a lot of other people's NH play times, and I thought I took pretty good care of them - I tried to be gentle when moving the joysticks and used them as little as possible (like scrolling through menus with the buttons instead of the joysticks) for this exact reason because I was super paranoid. I only had the drift when I played on the TV though which I don't do often, and as a handheld it's still working... for now.

I definitely don't want to send them in to Nintendo to risk getting plain ones back (they're the NH edition), so I might have to look into some kind of cleaner or something.
 
JasonAldeanMG said:
Nope it was official pro controller. It lives in a drawer when it's not in use. I sent it to Nintendo and they "fixed" it for all of a month then it happened again.
Click to expand...

Drawers are rather dusty areas, believe it or not. You'd be better off just leaving it on top of your desk or something, cleaning it once a week with a microfiber wipe.
 
My joycons from my launch day switch have never had drift, whereas my bro's from much later got drift within a month. Doesn't always matter how well you take care of them or how official they are. There are steps you can take to prevent it, and some you can take to fix it, but ...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Fallen-Reaper-Scythe
Pros and cons?
Replies
2
Views
243
Belle T
Belle T
Tiffany
Using unofficial joy cons
Replies
3
Views
389
Chris
Chris
Shawna
ACNH: Stay or Go
Replies
15
Views
781
BobRocks20
BobRocks20
liliyoa
What were your predictions and ideas for "Animal Crossing Switch" before New Horizons was properly shown off/revealed? How many of them were right?
Replies
5
Views
711
Boccages
Boccages
Alyx
Minor Issue with Joy Cons
Replies
3
Views
232
skarmoury
skarmoury
Back
Top