Don’t let Joy-Con drift affect your game experience
- aug
- 19
If Joy-Con drift's got you down, there is a solution!
The Nintendo Switch, has been out for over a year now and while it is clearly an excellent little piece of hardware, certain minor issues are starting to raise their heads. It's actually pretty impressive that there haven't been more issues seen with the Switch. That just speaks to the quality of the hardware.
All that being said, one little issue that seems to be coming up with some regularity is the dreaded Joy-Con drift problem. It's pretty obvious if you're experiencing it yourself. Basically, your Switch will act as if the Joy-Con analog stick is receiving input even when you aren't engaging it. This means you'll see characters on-screen slowly moving about all on their own accord. This can be a truly frustrating experience and can have detrimental effects on your gameplay
But why is this happening?
The issue seems to come from the fact that the analog sticks aren't a completely isolated environment. After some frequent use, dust and grime can build up inside the sticks, which then can have a negative impact on the contacts within. Many other controllers with analog sticks can be subject to the same problem but it seems as if the Switch is uniquely vulnerable to it. Perhaps the contacts within are extra sensitive or maybe it's because the Switch is made to be taken on the go and that gives it more opportunity to come in contact with contaminants.
Whatever the reason, it's something that nearly everyone is going to want to fix when it starts happening to them.
How to fix it
OK, enough chitter chatter! You have a drifting analog stick and you want to fix it. Here's what you should try!
Identify which analog stick is giving you problems and pull it to one side
Underneath you will see that there is a small skirt of rubber which is there in an attempt to keep dust out. Using a small screwdriver or something flat, gently lift the rubber skirt.
- Using a can of compressed air, give your stick a cleansing blast in the opening.
It's probably a good idea to blast air from a few different angles in order to give your self the best chance of dislodging any particles of dust that are giving you trouble.
How to prevent it from happening!
If you haven't had this issue yet and you would like to try to avoid it, or if you had it and don't want it again, there are a few things you can do to try to keep it from happening.
One suggestion is to make sure that you are using your Switch with clean hands. This may seem obvious but if you have young ones playing on your Switch, they don't always remember to cleanse the Cheeto dust before they start playing.
If you are taking your Switch on the go, I would absolutely recommend a case. If you are just tossing your Switch into a backpack without a case, it is entirely possible that your sticks will be subject to collecting some particulates that will have you facing controller drift. You can pick up a killer nylon hard case from Amazon that will keep your Switch safe and clean for only $20
Little issues like this can be incredibly frustrating. There have been times when I had a controller stopped working as it was intended and I sure did want to toss it across the room. Hopefully, these tips will help keep you in the game and frustration free!
Have you experienced Joy-Con drift?
Do you have any other tips that we missed? Tell us about it in the comments!