What is joystick drift?

Basically, stick drift is when your controller seems to work on its own.

What is thumbstick drift?

For the uninitiated, controller drift is the terminology for joysticks that take on a life of their own, wrestling control away from the user. Sounds familiar? Related: The Best Controllers For Fighting Games. Ironically, frustratingly, it's a modern issue, as it rarely occurred in older consoles.

What is stick drift caused by?

The main natural cause for controller drift is dust and other debris. Things like food particles, pet fur, and dead skin can accumulate inside your controller and cause it to drift.

Can drift be fixed?

Since the issue is widespread, Nintendo actually offers to fix Joy-Con drift for free (and has allegedly fixed the issue on newer Joy-Cons). This is currently the only "official" method of dealing with drift, though check below for some ways you can address the issue yourself.

Can you stop stick drift?

Another trick to solve the stick drift of your PlayStation controller is to press the analog sticks. Press and hold both analog sticks of your controller for 10 seconds. Then, keep the analog joysticks up and blow in the opening you create by doing this.

The REAL Science Behind Controller Drift

Do all controllers get stick drift?

Though stick drift can happen to any controller, today's latest models seem to be the most susceptible to this problem.

How common is joystick drift?

Stick drift is such a common problem with video game controllers due to the quality of the product. You can see from various electronics repair videos that they all use the same joystick model, all from the same company, usually Alps.

Does replacing sticks fix drift?

If you're still having Joy-Con drift issues after using the canned air method, foam fix, and recalibrating the controllers, you may need to replace the analog sticks.

Do pro controllers drift easily?

Drifting is a problem that is undeniably common in the Switch's Joy-Con, but it can also affect Pro Controllers as well. That's not to say Nintendo's products are cheap or shoddy universally; drift is an issue that can affect any controller on the market – even the mighty Xbox One Elite Controller isn't safe.

Which controllers don't have drift?

Every controller, except for the Gulikit King Kong Pro 2 controller, and the Dreamcast controller from twenty years ago can suffer from stick drift. The only way around this is to replace the stick itself.

Do pro controllers get stick drift?

Joy-Con drift is the most common form of drift for Nintendo. But although drift may be less common in Pro Controllers, they are not immune to it by any means.

Can low battery cause stick drift?

If your Xbox controller is broken and you're experiencing joystick drift, there are a few possible causes. One is something as simple as low batteries. A more common cause is dust or debris inside your controller.

How do I turn off drift?

Simply click the button to toggle this feature on or off for your email. If you'd like to disable this for all of your emails or remove the extension completely, you can do this in Chrome by going to Settings > Extensions > Drift Email and then clicking Remove.

Do elite controllers get stick drift?

Does the analog stick of your Elite Series 2 (model 1797) Xbox controller drift onscreen without you moving it? If so, it probably has what is called “analog stick drift.” There are multiple causes of stick drift. Sometimes it can be caused by damage—like dropping it—for example.

What controllers last the longest?

Far and away the longest lasting of the bunch is the Xbox 360's wireless controller. Although, like the Wii remote, it's not rechargeable, the 360's controller was able to run for nearly 60 hours on a single pair of Duracell AA batteries.

Why do Joy-Cons drift so fast?

Joy-Con drift can often be attributed to one of two major factors: software/hardware issues or buildup of dirt and grime under or around the thumb sticks.

Do Joy-Cons drift?

While you can send your Joy-Cons away for a free repair at Nintendo (or just buy a new set), the sticks will inevitably start drifting again.

Do controller grips cause drift?

Don't grip your controller with excessive strength when playing competitive games, but try to put as little force as necessary. Don't push your analog stick too hard: plastic debris can wear off of it, fall down into the module, and cause drift.

Does calibration fix drift?

Joy-Con drift is an issue where the Joy-Con's control stick thinks it's moving, even when it's still. To fix Joy-Con drift, try updating the controllers, calibrating the sticks, and reconnecting them.

How much drift is too much?

At the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM), we have defined a displacement with an absolute value greater than or equal to 0.6 logits as excessive and found this threshold to be useful.

Why is stick drift so bad on PS5?

Like all joysticks, PS5 DualSense controllers work less efficiently over time. The most common PS5 controller drifting issues are caused by physical damage, simple wear and tear due to regular use, debris build up, and out-of-date software.