Joy-Con Drift on Switch Controls: Some Switch controls have flaws in their directional pad, but this problem can be solved with a few tips. See what they are!
TheNintendo Switchends up being quite successful due to its portability and because of its original titles from Mario and other characters. In turn, to play on it, most people end up using their ” Joy-Cons “, which are the official joysticks of the console and that are attached to it.
6 Tips for Solving Joy-Con Drift on Switch Controls
Although they are very practical and even comfortable, many people end up having a problem called “Joy-Con drift”, which makes Nintendo’s controller detect some movements that its players did not perform, which, of course, gets in the way of games. To help you know how to get rid of this problem, We separated some tips for you to try to solve it. Check out!
Clean the Joy-Con
One of the most effective solutions to end the Joy-Con drift is to clean the control, which can be done without opening it, but which exposes an internal part of the directional pad, which is the main responsible for the problem.
Before starting cleaning, it is recommended that you leave your Joy-Cons with a zero charge on your battery to avoid any problems when letting the cleaning product come into contact with any electricity.
So, with the Joy-Con decoupled from the Switch and everything turned off, with the help of tweezers or something with a fine point, you must lift the rubber part that is below the directional pad to pass a cotton swab moistened with isopropyl alcohol in the mechanism of the lever (seen in the image below) or, if you prefer, a clean electrical contact can also be used. In this step, remember not to overdo the amount of liquid used for cleaning.
This process, it should be noted, must be done on all “sides” of the directional pad to be more effective, but remember not to overdo the amount of liquid used in cleaning to avoid possible risks or damage to your control.
Also, do not let the cotton swab moist or the liquid used touch the material of the Joy-Con finish, as this can cause stains on it or other damage.
After applying the liquid to the region, move the directional pad in all possible directions without pressing it. Then, wait about 15 minutes or even longer for your cleaning product to dry completely before the Joy-Con or the console is turned on again.
This process, it is worth noting, despite correcting a good part of this Joy-Con drift problem, must be done periodically, even if its control does not present the defect again. So, you can see it as a good practice to keep your control “sanitized” and avoid new problems in your parts.
Update the control
This “update control” term may sound strange, but in addition to updates to the main video game system, Nintendo makes updates for Joy-Cons available separately. So, sometimes updating them can fix some problems, which were seen in old versions. To perform this update, just follow this step by step:
- Go to “Console settings”.
- Select the “Commands and sensors” option;
- Swipe down the screen and select the “Update commands” option.
The step-by-step above, it is worth noting, was done with the system defined. However, regardless of the language set on the Switch, the step by step to update the “Joy-Cons” or recalibrate them, as we will show below, is always the same. Only a few terms translated into other languages, of course, should be different.
Recalibrate Joy-Cons
After performing the previous step by step, it is always a good idea to calibrate the Joy-Cons, which can remove small “dead zones” or involuntary movements caused by errors in the system and not in the controls themselves. See how this calibration should be done:
- Go to “Console settings”. If you prefer, you can remove the Joy-Cons to perform this procedure;
- Now, go to “Commands and sensors”;
- Click on “Calibrate the control handles”;
- Press the Joy-Con directional pad to be calibrated;
- Follow the step by step to perform the calibration;
- Now, repeat the same steps as above, but go to “Calibrate the motion sensors” and follow its instructions. This last step, although optional, is recommended for the solution of any problems.
Contact Nintendo authorized service
Despite not having officially released the Switch, Nintendo still has authorized technical assistance here. Another good news is that since it is a problem recognized by Nintendo, the Joy-Con is repaired free of charge.
Information on how you should proceed to send your inspection for repair must be obtained from the store itself. Your address and contact phone number can be found on this Nintedo ” Consumer Assistance ” page.
Change the defective directional pad
If you have already tried the solutions above and your problem persisted, there is still a way to try to solve the Joy-Con Drift without having to spend a lot. However, this solution requires some of your skills with tools, as it is necessary to open the control to perform the repair.
In most cases, the Joy-Con Drift solution ends up consisting of changing your main directional pad, which in our research, has a price ranging from R $70.00 to R $100.00.
This procedure, it is worth noting, does not require welding, but you will also need a set of special screwdrivers to be able to remove and place Nintendo’s proprietary screws from the Switch.
Get a new Joy-Con
We recommend this option only as a last resort since the price of a new Joy-Con is not very inviting. However, it is worth remembering that the “Joy-Con Drift” does not always end up affecting the two Joy-Cons.
So, instead of spending on a pair of Joy-Cons, look only for the Joy-Con on the side that is defective. This item, although a little more difficult to find in this way, has its price reduced by almost half when compared to the “complete pair”.