The Analogues and the Furious: Kyoto Drift

[Neon Ignition]

We're months into the new generation with reports of stick drift being an issue, this following issues from the previous generation too. Chief amongst them is Nintendo with a stubborn refusal to address it when it can even cripple one of their SKU's.

Eight years into the old gen, four into the Switch and 8 months into the new gen...

Have you experienced the drift?
If so, how often and from which makers controls?

[Yakumo]

The only controller I've ever had stick drift on was the Switch. Not only once either. 4 bloody sticks! What's even more embarrassing for Nintendo is that it was the system that has gets the least use.
Saturn, Dreamcast, 360, Xbox One, One X, Series X, PS2 and PS4 controllers (all official) have never given me a problem. Even 3rd party controllers I have for the PS2 and PS4 are rock solid. They are made by Hori mind you.
All my 8BitDo controllers are solid as well.
So, in my experience, only Nintendo and their ****ty joycons have ever been a problem.

[Adam]

It's happened to me on about 6 DualShock 4's across that generation, and my launch DualSense controller just started doing recently. On the DualSense it was messing up a lot of games, on Hitman 3 I couldn't sprint while holding forward. Resident Evill Village, my character would move slightly backwards on it's own, and the map would pan by itself, all that good stuff. Used to be, you could go onto their support website here in the UK and submit your controller details like the serial number and styling, and they would give you a free shipping lable to print out so you could return it. Now you have to call them, but it's the same thing, you get emailed the shipping lable. I only found out about them replacing controllers in the last year or so and I've done it twice already. They returned my DualSense with a replacement the other day, in about a 2 week turnaround. It's ****!

[MartyG]

Haven't had any problems with mine with drift, but I did have an original Xbox wired pad that gave out due to wire wear.

Had two microsoft wireless mouses that no longer fully work, making double clicks when I don't want them to, but the end up getting knock on the floor all the time, so I can't completely blame the hardware.

And I've had two flight sticks that have developed drift issues and are no longer useable.

[Neon Ignition]

I've never had it in any controller I've had from new. I've had one or two second handers that came with the issue.

Not had it with the Joycon either but they've always felt flimsy and where possible I lean to using the pro controller which will be extending their lives. I'm curious about how much how people hold controllers factors in as well, if certain pressures or angles of pressure mean they wear out for smome more than others.

[kryss]

Both sticks on the original joycons I got with the machine at launch.
One fixed and one replaced a few weeks back, free of charge.

[fishbowlhead]

Never had it on any controller bar n64 when gunk and crap would get in the analog mechanism, a proper take apart and clean out would sort that though.

Ill count myself lucky.

I wonder if people with constant issues are playing certain types of games that make the flaw that much worse?

[Asura]

Mine started to drift; however, there was a crazy offer on Amazon for Joycons for a few hours a while back (it was weird honestly) and I got a replacement pair for <£20, and I use the drifty ones just for RingFit.

That being said, like many others here it seems - this is the first ever first-party controller where I've had this problem, for any console. I've had controllers screw up before but only cheap third-party ones. This applies doubly for Nintendo hardware which traditionally can survive a war.

[dataDave]

I've never had it happen, although with most Bluetooth controllers they've lost sync occasionally, and when they re-sync the direction has calibrated as default - so things get crazy until I turn them off and back on again.