Make Sure Your Xbox Is Protected
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Replace Or Repair Your Nintendo Joy
Nintendo is aware of the Joy-Con drift problem. The company has set up a repair program for the controllers, which is easy to use, depending on where you live. This entire process is free of charge.
Be careful sending in limited edition Joy-Con controllers for repair. Nintendo doesnt guarantee that youll get back the same controller you sent in, so if you send your matching controller from a limited edition Switch, you may never see it again.
To request a repair, head to the Nintendo Joy-Con repair site. Note that this form is only for those residing in the United States or Canada. If you live elsewhere, youll need to find a local repair center on the Nintendo website.
Fill out the form with your information. Once this is complete, youll get a shipping label to ship your Joy-Con controller or controllers to Nintendo for repair.
Nintendo is sending out the newest version of its Joy-Con analog sticks when it does repair. The company says these newer versions are sturdier but may not be fully immune to drift.
How To Fix Xbox One Controller Drift
If you play a lot of Xbox One®, you’ve probably heard about controller drift, which causes your character to move around the screen completely on their own. If you aren’t familiar with it, imagine playing Call of Duty® and trying to escape the enemy, then watching your avatar run into danger on their own. This is frustrating and can make games nearly impossible to play.
At Asurion, our experts help millions of customers get the most out of their tech and resolve their device problems, like finding the best gaming monitors or repairing an Xbox that won’t turn on. Here’s their guide on how to fix Xbox One controller driftâand what causes it.
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Why Does My Xbox Controller Drift
According to the suit, there are specific characteristics of the Xbox One controller which cause it to drift. The lawsuit alleges that a defect in the potentiometer, the part of the controller that controls the electrical outcomes of physical movements, may be causing the problem. The suit states that the wiper component of the potentiometer scrapes resistive material off a curved track, resulting in unwanted electrical contact without input from the user.
This lawsuit was brought specifically regarding Xbox Elite controllers for which the plaintiff claims to have paid $179.99 apiece. However, the suit and many news sites have noted that this is a common issue for owners of Xbox One controllers, and not just Elite controllers.
What Is An Xbox One

The Xbox One was the successor to the Xbox 360. The console was released in late 2013 and was still being hailed as the best console on the market in 2019 by sources like US Gamer. According to the sites overview, the Xbox One is the best place to play third-party games with a wide range of features including seamless party matchmaking, achievement leaderboards, and name changes.
More recently, Microsoft has released updated versions of the Xbox One called the Xbox One X, Xbox One S, and the Xbox One S All-Digital Edition. Each of these consoles is compatible with wireless Xbox One controllers like those cited in recent lawsuits against Microsoft.
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Prevention: Avoid Common Causes Of Drift
The best way to prevent stick drift is to make sure your controller isn’t passively exposed to stuff that might be floating in the air. Put it in a cupboard that’s clean inside, to make sure your controller is basically living in a quarantine zone from The Last Of Us. You should also avoid drinking or eating while you play, since that can dirty your sticks quite easily. It’s hard not to snack on peanuts while you are surveying an open world, but it’s necessary.
All things considering, keeping your hands clean is a no-brainer here, but you don’t need to use hand sanitizer whenever you pick up your controller. Just make sure you are exercising a moderate level of care for your controller, even when you are not using it.
How To Fix Controller Drift On Xbox One And Series X/s Without Opening Them
To fix Xbox One and Series X/S controller drift without opening them, you need to use cotton swabs to rub isopropyl alcohol on the rounded surface of the left or right analog stick. Then keep it for 30 sec aside, repeat the process 3-4 times, and your Xbox controller drift will be fixed now. This method will work for almost 85-90% of all users facing this issue. If you wanna know how to do this in detail, heres how:
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Controllers Do Wear Out
Do not forget that controllers wear out over time with usage , so try to treat them as well as possible.
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Take good care of it by following the previous tips.
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Dont drop, sit on, or toss your controller. If a part of the module breaks, you will get stick drift.
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Dont grip your controller with excessive strength when playing competitive games, but try to put as little force as necessary.
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Dont push your analog stick too hard: plastic debris can wear off of it, fall down into the module, and cause drift.
How To Fix Stick Drift On Playstation 4 Controllers
Just like an Xbox controller, the Dualshock 4 controllers are not safe from analog drift. You will face this issue early or later depends how good your luck is.
I have mentioned many methods that you can follow to fix the drift problem with your Dualshock controller.
Method 1 Reset your PlayStation 4 controller
Some people have reported that resetting the Dualshock 4 controllers has resolved the drift problem with their controller. Sounds really unconvincing but is worth a try. Here is how you can reset your Playstation 4 controller:
- Turn off your PS4 and unplug Dualshock 4 from your console.
- There will be a small reset button on the back of the controller, it will be located near the L2 shoulder button.
- Grab a small pointy tool and insert it in the hole to press the little button inside. Hold the button for around 5 seconds.
- Now, turn on your PS4 and using a USB cable and connect your controller with your PS4.
- After connecting, press the PS button on the middle of the controller.
- Check the light behind the controller. If the light turns blue, the controller is successfully paired with the console.
- Try running any game to check if it resolves the drift issue or not.
Related reading: How To Sync A PS4 Controller In 60 Seconds!
Method 2 Clean your PlayStation 4 controllers thumbsticks:
If resetting your PlayStation 4s controller did not help, the second easiest workaround that can potentially fix the issue is to clean the thumbsticks thoroughly. To do that:
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Why Does My Xbox One Controller Drift
If your Xbox controller is broken and you’re experiencing joystick drift, there are a few possible causes. One is something as simple as low batteries. A more common cause is dust or debris inside your controller. Over time, that grime can build up and affect the electrical components.
Analog stick drift can also be caused by damage to your controller, either from someone dropping it or excessive wear and tear. The potentiometer, a part connected to the joystick that’s responsible for sending movement signals to your console, is an especially sensitive pieceâa broken or defective one is likely to result in this issue.
How To Fix Controller Drift On Joy Con And Other Gaming Controllers
If youre a Nintendo Switch owner, chances are good youve already heard about Joy-Con drift. This is actually part of a much bigger issue. Controller drift may be most talked about on the Switch, but it can be a problem on any gaming controller with one or more analog sticks. This includes the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S controllers. While these may not have the same numbers of cases of controller drift, its still a problem people are running into. Fortunately, we can help you fix it.
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How To Fix Controller Stick Drift In Outriders
Your game isnt broken.
Image via Square Enix
With the Outriders New Horizon update, there are bound to be many returning players in addition to new ones. Upon loading up an old save file, returning veterans might have noticed odd controller behavior. Whether tilting the camera or just moving the character model, either the camera or player character continue moving long after you release the input. This controller stick drift makes the game nearly unplayable given its fast-paced gunplay that relies on getting kills as quickly as possible under stress to continue regenerating health. Luckily, the fix is very simple.
To fix this annoying issue, we found that you had to reset the controller settings from the controls tab within the options menu. You can do this any time during gameplay. Reset to default by pressing Y on an Xbox controller or Triangle on a PlayStation controller. From here, you can readjust settings to the point they were at before the reset, and the drift should no longer be there.
Because Outriders has so many controller settings for various aspects ranging from sensitivity to the stick response curve, we recommend noting them beforehand. The game should exactly feel as it did before the update.
What Does Xbox Controller Drift Mean

Before we move on to the solutions for fixing the controller drift issue, you must understand what Xbox One controller drift means! Making it simpler to understand, you might have noticed during your gameplay that even though you do not hold the controller, the character keeps looking upward!
The other times, the character keeps on moving in circles while you have not pressed a single button on your controller. Although you sometimes want the character to run in a specific direction, if the controller drift exists, you will see that the character keeps running or moving in the same direction even when you have left the joystick. Pretty much annoying, right?
The scenarios mentioned above usually happen when your Xbox One controller suffers from a drifting issue, which can cost you victories in many of your favorite games. So lets move on to the causes for why your Xbox One controller comes up with the drifting problem.
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My Ps5 Or Ps4 Controller Has Drift Issues Will Sony Repair It
Sony offers limited repair services for the DualSense and PS4 controllers. To troubleshoot issues or request a repair, visit Sonys Fix & Replace page.
If youve just had enough of your Nintendo Switch and want to get rid of it, read on to learn how you can reset it for resale. If your problems revolve more around battery life, find out how to get a longer battery life on your Nintendo Switch.
Solution : Repair Hardware Issues To Fix Xbox Controller Drift
There might be a possibility that the Xbox has some hardware issues.
If you are not a pro at setting hardware then you need to take your Xbox for repair. Make sure you take it to the Xbox repairing expert. They will check for the fixes required for the Xbox.
The issue might be with the dust stuck in the analog stick or the old controller can be worn out.
You need to take the console with the controller to an expert that will help you to Fix Xbox Controller Drift.
Hope all the above solutions will help you to solve Xbox Controller Drift.
in the comment section down below.
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How To Fix Worn Out Thumbstick Pads
If you notice that your Xbox One controller is suffering from thumbstick drift, youll want to start with the easiest fixes and continue from there. While dirty or worn out thumbstick pads dont represent the most common source of this problem, this is the best place to start since its the easiest and fastest thing to try out.
To perform this fix, youll need:
- Isopropyl alcohol
Reassemble the controller and test operation.
Xbox One Controller Drift
I bought a Xbox One S in november last year and early this month my controller began showing an annoying vertical drift in the left stick. For those of you who don’t know what a “controller drift” is, it’s basically when an analog stick moves without any input from the user.
It began barely noticeable and after 1-2 weeks, it became almost impossible to play a FPS. I tried a bunch of workarounds that I found on YouTube that didn’t involve cracking open the controller , and I just couldn’t fix it, just made it a little less annoying for a short period .
I gave up and decided to buy a new controller and send my original one to a repair shop meanwhile. While looking around, I found that this a pretty common issue. Here on reddit and out there, there’s TONS of people complaining about drifting issues, and lot’s of them had a bunch of controllers showing the same problem over and over again. They usually say Microsoft build the controller with a cheap ass axis modules for the analogs and they end up broken or loose fairly easy. It seems Microsoft never acknowledge the issue after all this time .
I still have a 10-years-old Xbox 360 wired controller that work perfectly, while my less-than-a-year old Xbox One controller is pretty much broken. Well…
Anyway, I want to hear about your experiences with this issue. Did you have it? Did you manage to fix it or you just bought a new one? How often does this issue come up? Share your thoughts. Thanks!
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S To Fix Xbox One Controller Analog Stick Drift
Open Up The Xbox One Controller
If cleaning the analog stick pads does not make the controller drift away, you can use T8 and T9 safety Torx to open up the controller by disassembling its parts. The deconstruction of the Xbox One controller aims at checking if the analog sticks are present incorrect position. Moreover, you will also see if the sticks are loose or not.
If the analog stick pads appear loose to you, try to replace them with new ones.
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Xbox Controller Drift Lawsuit
In the world of gaming, there are many different types of controllers. There are ones for PC, for Xbox 360, for Playstation 3, and so on. Each type of controller has its own benefits and drawbacks. Recently, however, a new type of controller has been gaining popularity among gamers: the xbox controller drift controller.
While it offers some unique benefits, this type of controller also has its share of drawbacks. In this blog post, I will discuss the pros and cons of using an xbox controller drift controller to play video games. Stay tuned.
How To Fix Xbox One Controller Joystick Drift

Few Joystick analogy Drift Fix suggestions
- Make sure that your controller has fresh batteries and that your controller is updated.
- Press and hold the power button on your Xbox One console for 10 seconds.
- Once your console is powered off, unplug the power cord.
- Wait 5 minutes and then plug in your console.
- Power on your console and try resyncing the controller to your console again.
Follow these steps to update your controller wirelessly and to support the Xbox One Stereo Headset Adapter:
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