Joysticks: Probably Still Drifty
Joy-Con joysticks use a potentiometer to read the voltage at a wiper that slides across a strip of resistive material. That material wears down over time, or plastic and dust can dirty the sensors.
Stick drift is a huge problem with other Switch models. One survey found that 40% of Switch owners had problems with their Joy-Cons drifting, and things didn’t get any better with the Lite or OLED editions. After a bunch of lawsuits, Nintendo’s president even admitted it and apologized, setting up a free repair program for customers in some parts of the world.
I’ve genuinely had more fun with an 80€ Anbernic loaded with old Gameboy games than any other modern console.
Shoulda used the magnets for hall effect sticks rather then clacking joycons on the thing
I think the reason the connectors are magnetic is because it is something nintendo’s designers always wanted to do. So once their engineers figured out how to do it (after the launch of the original switch) they designed the switch 2 around the magnetic connectors. I think it’s incredibly stupid when one of the most important things to do for a sequel to the switch is fixing the drift but it’s a reason at least I guess?
Here’s the video I watched about it: https://youtu.be/JDhj8s-i–s
I wil say that the gen 1 slides were clumsy and early units could be broken by forcing them in backwards. It always felt like the part which was the least well designed. I like the new magnetic interface but I agree it’s kind of an odd thing to have a minor quality of life update be the top line.
Lmao they added magnets even after Iwata told them it was fucking stupid
Did iwata ever say they were a bad idea? I thought it was that they had no idea how to make them secure but easy to remove, not because iwata said it was stupid.
He may not have said they were stupid exactly but he did tell the devs they were a flimsy choice for connecting the controllers
Fear is a hell of a drug.
First gen switches were broken through the connector for the joycons. Now it’s wrapped in 3 layers of plastic when live.
Increased
S t a b i l i t y
If its still there and its obviously a well known issue, they left they in there so you artards would have to give them more money for repairs 🤣🤣
They’ll just get sued again if they try that.
What do you mean try? It’s done.
It’s been out like a week I don’t think there’s been time for anyone to experience stick drift yet.
Dw, it’ll come.
You can’t bring a lawsuit for something you think might happen.
Oh wow what incredible insight, here i was thinking time worked in reverse soz man.
Yet, millions will buy it. Because they hold onto their exclusives for dear life. Getting literally anything else is a better decision.
I’m a little tired of the fearmongering from people who seem to be racing to the assumption that JoyCon 2s will definitely be as brittle as JoyCon 1s. We don’t know that yet. Yes, we know it’s not Hall Effect, but that’s been true of the majority of video game controllers for a long time. JoyCon 1s were just anomalously defective in a way specific to that controller, and I highly doubt they haven’t considered this with the 2. Until we actually start seeing a failure rate comparable to JoyCon 1s, can people just… wait and chill for a sec?
While I agree with the overall message, I’d say this is on Nintendo for not doing proper communication on the topic. They must know this is a major concern for most people who had a Switch.
Yes, I get they don’t want to acknowledge the drift problem publicly, but surely someone on their marketing team can still come up with a way to discuss the improvements they made and alleviate fears.
I think they did briefly mentioned they improved the sticks, but they never clarified what exactly.
I remember during the initial console reveal, basically the only thing they had to say was that the sticks are larger and smoother (in motion, not the caps themselves).
I don’t know if they mentioned much else later, but they were very tacit about their durability/longevity. I don’t have much hope that things will be better, at any rate. I still bought a Switch 2, because I know it will still bring me joy to play, but as much as I enjoyed the comfort of playing with a Joycon in each hand, I’ve learned from the original Switch to avoid using the Joycons where possible and opt for a separate controller when playing docked (I’m just using the Pro Controllers I have left over from my original Switch).
Given the casual nature of the target audience, I doubt it’s a major concern for most owners. For enthusiasts, yes absolutely, but if you went around to random Switch owners, I doubt they’d even know what you’re talking about. Most of my friends haven’t had significant issues.
Honest question; was it not possible to mod the original JoyCons to add hall-effect joysticks?
Yes, end users should not be responsible for having to do this - but if a cottage industry exists to repair/upgrade drifting joycons that would be awesome to see.
Yeah, I did it. It was annoying. It seems it will be more annoying for the switch 2 (which I’m loving begrudgingly).
Yes, it is possible
That exists, you can get switch form factor hall effect joysticks on aliexpress.
The problem is that it requires disassembling the controller. Apparently that’s a quite the pain for the switch 2
Everyone was telling me that this time they would have fixed it. Called it. I think I’m down to one joycon that doesn’t drift :P
I’ve never had stick drift with PlayStation or Xboxes despite people telling me it’s a problem. The switch though is awful for it.
I don’t know what they do to make their analogue sticks so bad but they’re definitely getting them from the world’s cheapest supplier, apparently one that even Sony and Microsoft turned up their noses to.
PS/Xbox controllers have more internal space, so their joystick modules are much, much larger than what goes in the joycon. That means they can have more material in the potentiometers, meaning less susceptible to wear and dust/dirt intrusions.
JoyCon 1s also have a flap that dust can get into, and that’s likely a large part of the problem. This is fixed with JoyCon 2s, so I’m not sure why everyone’s jumping to the assumption that they will be equally brittle.
My first takeaway opening the box was WTF is going on with the speaker grille/fan intake?
Every phone/tablet has dust/waterproofing mesh, it’s standard. Everyone puts in on the inside layer of the device with the meatier grille outside it, so the mesh doesn’t get scuffed up or cut.
Nintendo had to think different and put the mesh on the outside. Good luck to the handheld players, luckily mine will live in a dock for eternity.
I will never, ever buy the switch 2 then.
My gamecube controller still doesn’t drift. Nintendo can do better.
Your Gamecube controller also isn’t Hall Effect.
Yeah, I think we should wait and see how prevalent the drifting is this time around before freaking out. Of course it’s going to happen to some people because every stick that uses this technology has some incidence of drifting, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to be as bad as last time. I have lots of these kinds of sticks on lots of gamepads over the years and only the joycons have ever drifted.
did the nintendo management change or something? did we get new laws about repairable devies standards?
so im just wondering what did you guys expect
Joysticks still drifting is an embarrassment.
It would be, if that were the case.
This article is not alledging a systematic pattern of stick drift in the Switch 2, like there was with the Switch. It isn’t even saying that so much as a single case of stick drift has been found.
What it’s saying is that the Switch 2 still uses potentiometers, a technology which can be susceptible to stick drift. You know, like every single other major console ever launched. So, as of now, we have no particular reason to believe that the Switch 2 will drift worse than the PS5 or any other system.
That said, all the major players are dragging their feet a bit longer on Hall effect sticks a little bit longer than is warranted, Nintendo included.
Nintendo doesn’t want to use Hall for the same reason neither of the Steam Decks have, the increased power consumption. From there it was easy for them to justify a magnetic locking mechanism for the new joycons.
But also fuck Nintendo
Hi, are you able to share more about the power efficiencies of each type of sensor? Some cursory browsing of TI datasheets gives me the impression that both types use a similar amount of power. I may be missing some context, though.
I did also find this cool report there. Could be pertinent, although from what I understand of the technology I don’t see why you couldn’t use the same techniques to save power with a digipot.
HE uses like 25% more power compared to the usual sensor. Meaning a huge decrease of about 2% in joycons battery life.
Not sure if that’s supposed to be sarcasm
like every single other major console ever launched
dreamcast would like a word
Dreamcast can’t come to the phone right now, it’s dead.
You’re absolutely right! Dreamcast and Saturn make a very good point: The major players are dragging their feet way longer than is warranted.
What do they use? Is it Hall effect sticks?
yep!
450 USD and they won’t spend an extra 40 cents on hall effect sticks?
Have you even thought about the shareholders?
It’s intentional. How else are they supposed to sell you a new set of joy cons every year?
One thing I will always appreciate about the Steam Deck is how repairable it is. I think that’s probably the feature I most desire in any device now going forward.
And, as luck would have it, the thing that breaks on mine is the track pad and I cant find a replacement.
I just looked it up on ebay and found quite a few sellers that had touchpad replacements so I’m not sure what you’re talking about…
What I’m seeing in Europe is a few sellers selling them, sourced from other steam decks. Used parts from non reputable sources. This is what I’m talking about. Yes, I could use them if I really needed it, true.
I thought ifixit was carrying everything?
Yeah had to swap out a steam deck joystick and scooped one up from iFixit and it was wonderfully easy to swap. That being said, being able to switch them out on my dualsense edge without a screwdriver and just having a switch on the back of the controller is really neat. Definitely my favorite controller I’ve owned, I just wish more PC games supported the haptics.
Disappointing to say the least.
My wife loves the switch but has gone through 3 or 4 different sets of controllers. I tried my hand at repairing one of them and it was not fun – to put it mildly – and I do not savor repeating the experience. I honestly did not know there were hall effect replacements for the original joycon sticks, and wish I had known that when I replaced the one I did.
Lack of innovation: checked. Locking users into their ecosystem: checked. Chasing only shareholder value : checked.
The only thing diferentianting them from Apple now is the pricing, which hasn’t reached outrageous levels ( yet ).
I used to respect them for doing their own thing - sometimes winning, sometimes losing, but in the end still innovating. Apparently not the case anymore.
The only thing diferentianting them from Apple now is the pricing, which hasn’t reached outrageous levels ( yet ).
Software is priced at Apple levels.
Honestly, I don’t mind if Nintendo didn’t innovate. I have just wanted a “normal” console from them in a while like a return to their SNES/N64/GameCube days. When they still actually tried to remain competitive, and in the case of the SNES and N64, were technologically ahead of the competition. Sure there were some innovations, but in comparison to the Wii, Wii U, and Switch, their older consoles were more “normal” for their time.
Nowadays they just make underpowered hardware that only truly sells because its usually the cheapest console available and has the Nintendo logo on it. Except Switch 2, which started charging cutting edge tech prices for tech that was cutting edge like 10 years ago. All of the pricing of a better Switch without any of the real improvements except a newer processing unit and slightly bigger screen.
Give me a Switch without a screen. No battery. No detachable controllers. Just a brick that plugs into the wall and the TV, compatible with a Pro controller. Probably could even sell that at a reduced price too. Maybe even overclock it and give it a bigger cooling solution to get better performance. Maybe Nintendo’s newer games can actually run at a stable 60 fps on their own hardware finally.
That’s wishful thinking, I’m afraid. Nintendo owns the handheld market and now that they’ve made a handheld their only platform there’s no way they’re going back to traditional consoles, especially not after the original Switch sold a gazilion units with the same form-factor as the new one but with a hardware 10x weaker. The higher prices are a risky gamble but their profit margins have never been this high so they probaby don’t even care if the Switch 2 doesn’t sell nearly as much as its predecessor.
Give me a Switch without a screen. No battery. No detachable controllers. Just a brick that plugs into the wall and the TV, compatible with a Pro controller. Probably could even sell that at a reduced price too. Maybe even overclock it and give it a bigger cooling solution to get better performance. Maybe Nintendo’s newer games can actually run at a stable 60 fps on their own hardware finally.
I’m actually in the same boat. I hardly ever play the switch in handheld mode. It is incredibly uncomfortable for anyone over the age and/or hand size of a 12 year old. The form factor is terrible for mobile use IMO. Even when we don’t play the switch docked on the TV, we have taken to playing it plugged into a small USB-C monitor on a side table in front of the couch.
I really wish Nintendo would offer a different option like you’re saying here. The only thing that’s nice about the Switch form factor is the size for portability IMO. Scrap the screen (and probably even the battery) and offer an option that’s as small as (or even smaller than) one of those NUC-looking mini PCs that are all the rage nowadays.
I mean, realistically its still Nintendo so I still won’t buy it. I disagree with their business practices ever since Iwata died. Nintendo has gone way downhill, and I don’t want to give them any of my money anymore. It sucks since I really like the old Zelda and Metroid games, but theyre only games. Its not the end of the world. Plus, emulation fixes Nintendos problems anyway.
Yeah I’m not a huge fan of their recent “direction” either, but it actually would’ve been a lot more innovative for Nintendo to offer a headless switch in a tiny form factor. Maybe that’s just the old, highly innovative ways of Nintendo going by the wayside.
It’s a shame because Nintendo is a lot more accessible from a “casual gamer” perspective. I’ve even gotten my parents to play switch and wii games over the years. I don’t think they’d ever touch an xbox or ps.
