A Chinese brand of gaming accessories has created a kit for the Switch controllers. The goal: to cure the console of the Joy-Con Drift, this evil that eats away at all owners of the Nintendo console. This kit allows you to replace the two joysticks of the controllers. Only fly in the ointment: you need to have some experience in electronic tinkering.
The Joy-Con of the Nintendo Switch are victims of an evil called the Joy-Con Drift. As a reminder, this is a phenomenon that blocks the joystick sensors of the console controllers in one direction. It crashes unexpectedly. And the character on the screen goes out of control. To make matters worse, it crashes more and more often as you use the controller. And all joy-cons eventually fall victim to it.
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In these cases, there are several possible outcomes. Either the controller is still under warranty. You send it back to Nintendo who repairs or replaces it. Either your console is no longer under warranty, it can also work with Nintendo. Otherwise, then you have to go through a third-party repairer whose work will have the same effect. Finally, you can also buy a new controller. Either way, the problem is only temporarily fixed. In 2021, we reported in our columns a rustic hack that uses a piece of paper. But, again, lasting answer point.
This kit cures a Nintendo Switch from the Joy-Con Drift.
Here is another solution that comes close to the most permanent solution. She comes to us from GuliKit, a Chinese brand that produces gaming accessories, especially for the Switch. The company presents the GuliKit Hall Joystick for Joy-Con », a kit consisting of two joystick modules to replace those of the Joy-cons. GuliKit claims that its module resists the phenomenon of Joy-Con Drift because the process that calculates the movements of the joystick is based on “contactless” mechanics. Instead of using potentiometers, these components use magnets. A technology that you find in Saturn and Dreamcast controllers in particular.
On paper, this seems to be the ideal solution. Especially since these joysticks also have another advantage: the hats are removable and therefore replaceable (while those of the joy-cons are fixed). There are, however, some limitations. First, these joysticks are more permeable to dust. And dust is an enemy of electronics. Then, you have to open the levers (with a risk of breakage which is not negligible) and have a taste for electronic hacks. Because, ultimately, it is indeed a component replacement. A replacement that obviously voids the warranty. So if your console is less than a year old, this solution should be avoided. But the initiative remains good. And it is to be hoped that Nintendo will take inspiration from this to create more resistant joy-cons.