For Nintendo Switch players, Joy-Con drift is a frustrating controller fault. Joy-Con drift describes a situation where your Joy-Con controller detects inputs where there are none – for example, steering you left on a racing title when you haven’t attempted to alter your course.
It’s a common and annoying issue for owners of the hybrid console, so Trusted Reviews has compiled some of the potential ways of repairing your controllers by both official and unofficial means when it comes to Joy-Con drift.
How to fix Joy-Con drift – Nintendo service centre
Joy-Con drift has been a fairly widespread issue, which is irritating for Switch gamers. However, it also means that Nintendo will fix it for free. Every cloud has a silver lining, right?
You can, of course, send your Joy Con the Nintendo’s service centre, using this link. Simply input the details of your issue and follow the on-site instructions. Nintendo will either repair or replace your Joy-Con.
If you have a Switch Lite, on which the Joy-Cons are not detachable, you will have to take this route and send the entire device to Nintendo for repair.
Related: Upcoming Switch Games 2020 – All the big hits coming our way this year
How to fix Joy-Con drift yourself
If you’re feeling handy and you fancy fixing the Joy-Con yourself, here are one or two tricks that are worth trying.
First off, visit system settings, select controllers and sensors and then choose the option allowing you to re-calibrate your thumb sticks. This simple fix might get rid of that pesky Joy-Con drift.
If it doesn’t, it’s worth trying to install the latest software updates for your Joy-Con. This can be achieved by visiting the setting menu, selecting the controller menu and then clicking “update controllers”. Again, it’s a simple fix, but this might be all it takes to get your controller back on track.
Other options include cleaning around the Joy-Con with compressed air or replacing the thumbstick yourself. Replacement thumbsticks can be ordered from Amazon, but we’d recommend sending the Joy-Con to Nintendo as – if you get anything wrong in repairing the stick yourself – you’re not likely to get a free repair/replacement from the company.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
