Switch 2: Nintendo could well solve Joy-Con Drift, and for good this time!

Owners of a Nintendo Switch will tell you: the weak point of the Japanese giant’s console is its controllers. Fragile, they tend not to stand the test of time, becoming unusable after a while. Except, of course, for those who are ready to inflict an additional challenge on themselves.

Joy-Cons are one of Nintendo’s biggest selling points. They can be removed at will, allowing you to play in different configurations, alone or with others. This innovation was not without posing some problems, which the Japanese giant has not really managed to contain over the years.

Magnetic fields to the rescue

The Switch 2 is the subject of much speculation. While the console has been revealed to a privileged few, information about it should multiply quickly, and we will have more and more details on what it will have in its belly. In the meantime, a patent filed by the Japanese firm could tell us more about the controllers of its next device.

Indeed, if there is one thing that the Switch 2 could, and should, improve compared to its predecessor, it is the problem of joystick drift. These contain a potentiometer that uses physical electrical contacts to register movements, and are therefore likely to wear out (too) quickly. Which inevitably leads to drift, pushing a character in one direction, even without touching the damaged stick. If all controllers using this technology can have the same fault, the small size of the Joy-Cons makes them particularly sensitive.

To solve this problem, Nintendo reportedly intends to use Hall effect sensors. These use variations in the magnetic field to detect movement, eliminating the need for physical contact. These joysticks are therefore more robust and already used by a number of third-party manufacturers, who have been offering replacement kits for the Switch for several years.

While it is not certain that the Japanese giant will use this technology for its future console, it seems that it plans to do so at one point or another. And, hopefully, as soon as possible, which would save a lot of wallets and video game nights.

Source : Neowin