What is Joy-Con Drift?
The problem occurs when the analog stick on either Joy-con is not being given any input but yet still sends input signals to the switch console.
This makes menu navigation and gameplay difficult if not impossible depending on the severity of your drift.
What causes Joy-Con Drift?
The main culprit behind the issue is the analog stick mechanism becoming clogged with dirt or debris causing issues with making proper contact the graphite pads.
A newer cause that was recently discovered happens to be a lack of pressure on the mechanism.
Are there any user fixes for Joy-Con Drift?
The easiest and most common fix so far as been to spray compressed air inside the analog stick housing.
This fix has the least amount risk of damaging your controller and needs no disassembly of the Joy-con. This method of repair only works if dirt or debris is stuck in your analog housing. A lack of pressure will require a different method.
The next step for stubborn dirt is using isopropyl alcohol with a Q tip to really get in there to dislodge anything stuck on the graphite pads. Make sure the Joy-con is powered off and allowed to completely dry before you power it back on.
It seems that a permanent fix in the form of adding some thick paper or sheets of cardboard underneath the housing for the analog sticks will be the best repair method. However that requires taking apart and putting back together the Joy-con which can result
Does Nintendo acknowledge the Joy-con Drift issue?
Yes it does! First after the class action lawsuit filed against them Nintendo started issuing free Joy-con repairs and even refunding users who paid for past drift repairs.
Then in June 2020 during an investor Q&A Nintendo’s President Shuntaro Furukawa himself offered a public apology with this statement “We apologize for any inconvenience caused to our customers regarding Joy-Con controllers, We are continuing to improve our products, but currently Joy-Con is subject to a class-action lawsuit in the United States and is a pending issue so we cannot comment on any specific actions we may take.”
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