Forums

Topic: Switch PRO CONTROLLER Stick Drift

Posts 1 to 15 of 15

Coach_A

Recently my launch day pro controller has developed a seemingly unfixable downward "drift" on the left stick. I will reiterate that this is the PRO controller, and not the joy-con as I'm aware of the issues with the later, but am yet to experience them.

I've tried taking the controller apart and blasting the stick with compressed air and conducting calibrations again and again, but nothing has fixed it.

Does anyone know of a solution to this issue? Or at the very least a reasonably priced, quality replacement? I've had my eye on the 8bitdo sn30 Pro+, but it's selling at $75 on Amazon whereas the pro controller is sitting at $89 (I am in Australia).

Coach_A

Eel

As far as I know, any analog stick can suffer from drift.

The best solution is usually replacement.

The 8bitdo controllers are perfect. The one without the handles should be a bit cheaper and just as good.

Edited on by Eel

Bloop.

<My slightly less dead youtube channel>

SMM2 Maker ID: 69R-F81-NLG

My Nintendo: Abgarok | Nintendo Network ID: Abgarok

Coach_A

@Eel I have an 8bitdo SF30 (not the pro model with handles) and it just does not cut it for games requiring analog movement. Great for 2D games however.

Edited on by Coach_A

Coach_A

WoomyNNYes

@Coach_A Yeah, pro controller drift gets left out, but it's there too. It's happened to at least two of mine since Switch launch. Maybe three, but I hit that one in some heated online Splatoon -which was better than my urge to full-on fastball pitch it at the wall . I know nobody else wants to throw their controllers, but it happens to me

If I buy a new controller, I'm tempted to get a ps4 constoller and get a mayflash usb controller adapter(blutooth).

If you do buy a new pro controller, maybe try to the the newer version with the "E" on the end of model number. I dont know if there's consensus that newer one is better. Your choice. Thought I'd mention it. I bought the revised version this summer. Granted, I bought it at a store so I could confirm the model number on the box.
https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2019/10/a_revised_nintendo_...

Edited on by WoomyNNYes

Extreme bicycle rider (<--Link to a favorite bike video)
'Tendo liker

NintendoWiiDS

I’m not entirely sure if this qualifies as a drift issue with my Pro Controller but I need some advice.
Recently, my Switch Pro Controller’s left stick has been drifting a little bit, but this has been an issue for several months but has become more pronounced in the past few weeks and comes and goes usually.

But a worse stick-related issue has occurred. When I move the left stick up, the upward movement is not consistent. I’ll use a few examples to illustrate this:

  • In Smash Ultimate, when I need to recover with an up special, my character will instead do a neutral special and I will lose a stock or a game.
  • In Breath of the Wild, when I hold forward, Link will move forward for a few seconds and then stutter, move forward very slowly and his speed will fluctuate or he will sometimes stop altogether, even when holding forward
  • I tried calibrating the control stick in the controllers and sensors menu of the system settings, but when I move the stick up, the calibration screen shows that when I hold the stick forward, the dot that moves accordingly when you move the stick never reaches the very top and judders up and down and when I manage reach the end when you move the stick in a circle, the dot won’t return to the centre to finish the process.

I would really appreciate some guidance. I’m not experienced with controller repairs or the compressed air trick or whatever, but I want to play on Switch and my several Joy-Con pairs are drifting beyond use also.

Edited on by NintendoWiiDS

NintendoWiiDS

Balta666

@NintendoWiiDS I would say that is drift for sure. My first recommendation is to use wd40 (just spray a little bit into the analogue's inside, move the analogue a bunch and let it dry. Is perfectably safe as long as you do not use it for an hour or so after).
You also have an options to manually calibrage the analogue on the switch menu for those cases where it does not reach the edges (but I don't have my switch with me atm to confirm the steps)

WoomyNNYes

@NintendoWiiDS Yup. That's drift. Calibrating is only a temporary bandaid that may or may not help, depending on the condition of your stick.

As mentioned above, I have 3 procons where the left stick developed drift. It's worth noting it took about 400-500+ hours of Splatoon/Rocket League to develop drift. Certain action/competitive games get more rigorous analog stick use than others, which can create drift faster than if you play more casual games.

Replacing procon sticks requires soldering. You can find youtube videos for how to do it, if that's a path you want.

Because of the soldering, I bought new procons. You can also have nintendo repair them. Or buy a new one, then send your broken procon to nintendo for repair, which may take weeks?

Edited on by WoomyNNYes

Extreme bicycle rider (<--Link to a favorite bike video)
'Tendo liker

WoomyNNYes

Update: My fourth Pro Controller is starting to drift. It's possibly two years old, probably has around 350-400+ hours of use. Which is consistent with the the others that developed drift.

In all cases, it's the left analog stick, which get's the most use. Also, keep in mind I've played a lot of Splatoon 2 and Rocket League, where the online action usually involves more enthusiastic stick use. If I only played BOTW, Oddysey, I'm not sure the sticks would get as much wear.

Edited on by WoomyNNYes

Extreme bicycle rider (<--Link to a favorite bike video)
'Tendo liker

CANOEberry

WoomyNNYes wrote:

In all cases, it's the left analog stick, which get's the most use. Also, keep in mind I've played a lot of Splatoon 2 and Rocket League, where the online action usually involves more enthusiastic stick use. If I only played BOTW, Oddysey, I'm not sure the sticks would get as much wear.

I've only used one Pro Controller. Mine started drifting after only a year of use. I suppose that is a testament to their relative build quality, because my Joy-Con sticks didn't last 5 months before drift made many games untenable. The only titles that I can identify as "culprits" are Enter the Gungeon and some moderately hectic shoot-'em-ups (say, Thunder Force, R-Type Dimensions). I hardly think Dragon Quest Builders 1 and BOTW degraded my analog stick that badly.

I appreciate your update. Until Nintendo makes amends or demonstrates a renewed, multi-year track record of sound hardware releases, I will buy no more of their devices or controllers.

CANOEberry

WoomyNNYes

Whats worse? reviving this thread, which is a repeat topic, or making a duplicate thread? Which communit rule should I break?

Has anyone replaced a pro controller stick by desoldering the old stick, and soldering in a new stick? With several drifting procons and my loathing to send them in, I've been very tempted to learn how to do this. Seems like a good opportunity to learn a new skill.

@JaxonH Have you ever soldered or desoldered? Longshot question, I'm sure. I'm asking you, since you've done some computer repair.

This video is tempting me to try. I imagine adafruit is a decent place to source the equipment, rather than using amazon and unknown sellers.

Edited on by WoomyNNYes

Extreme bicycle rider (<--Link to a favorite bike video)
'Tendo liker

JaxonH

@WoomyNNYes
I have but it's been a while, and I was never an expert. Just buy a soldering iron, Flux and solder in wire form.

Also don't touch the solder to the iron tip itself, touch it to whatever wire you're soldering. Which means you need to hold the soldering gun tip onto whatever you're soldering until it's hot enough to melt the solder.

Also, I was under the impression switching analogs didn't require soldering?

All have sinned and fall short of Gods glory. Wages of sin is death. Romans

God so loved the world He sent His only Son- whoever believes on Him has eternal life. Unless you believe, you will die in your sins. Whoever believes, rivers of living water flow within them. John

Matt_Barber

Mine just developed drift on the left stick in the past week.

I figured that I'd open it up and give the insides a blast of contact cleaner to see if that fixes it, but the screws in the grips absolutely refuse to budge, so no joy so far.

There's still not a trace of drift in the Joycons I bought at the same time and have seen just as much use though. I suppose these things are always going to be luck of the draw though.

Matt_Barber

Matt_Barber

Thankfully, mine's fixed now. No was soldering required, just the aforementioned compressed air and contact cleaner.

As above, the hardest part was getting the two screws out that hold the grips on. This might be slightly easier if you're not doing it for the first time with a controller that's nearly five years old.

Matt_Barber

  • Page 1 of 1

Please login or sign up to reply to this topic