A lot of Nintendo Switch owners were plagued by Joy-Con stick drift and have hopes that the successor console will resolve the issue. Thankfully, Nintendo claims the Switch 2 Joy-Cons have resolved the issue.

Stick Drift is the bane of gamers who prefer to use controllers. This means that inputs to the analog sticks on the controller are not being correctly picked up. Your character can move without being commanded, the camera can swing in the wrong direction. Severe stick drift can make games almost unplayable.

Some outlets like the NY Times have already had the privilege of being hands-on with the newly announced Nintendo Switch 2. Its hands-on preview noted that the Switch 2 Joy-Cons have undergone a redesign, which is said to allow the controllers to withstand long-term use with no drifting problems.

Though only a disassembly or long-term testing can verify it, it has been widely speculated that Nintendo has replaced the potentiometers with Hall Effect sensors instead. This difference is at the heart of the Stick Drift problem. Potentiometers commonly used in analog sticks require a physical connection to track the X and Y position, which means they wear down over time, causing false inputs.

Magnetic solution to the drift problem

Hall Effect sensors, by contrast, utilise magnetic sensors to track the X and Y position with no physical contact. This prevents the sensor from wearing down and sending false inputs, eliminating the drift issue entirely.

Several third-party controllers from companies such as 8BitDo and Nyxi have incorporated Hall Effect into their controllers, and even SEGA used them for its Dreamcast controllers. Hall Effect sensors are larger and more expensive than potentiometers, which might make it more difficult to squeeze them into the Joy-Con form factor, especially considering the new technology packed into the Switch 2 controllers.

Until Nintendo officially confirms it, or someone manages to do a full teardown, this remains speculation, but we can only hope Joy-Con drift is a thing of the past.

About the Author

Rebecca Hills-Duty

Writing and journalism experience at VRFocus, UploadVR, The Escapist, HTC, PC Gamer, Tech Radar+ and Dexerto. Can sometimes be found playing with retro tech.