According to various sources, the Nintendo Switch 2 could be presented tomorrow. I'm really looking forward to the new console! For me, the Switch is one of the best consoles of all time and despite the many leaks, I'm very excited about the launch.
Despite all the anticipation, there is one problem that definitely needs to be fixed: drifting Joy-Cons.
What is Joy-Con drift?
With this problem, the analog sticks on the Nintendo Switch register directional inputs even though you don't touch them - they "drift" in one direction. Hence the name.
Although drifting analog sticks can in principle occur with all controllers, it is quite common with the Joy-Cons of the Nintendo Switch.
Alone in our editorial officeSeveral of my colleagues and I had to deal with this.
- I've had to trade in my Joy-Cons five times.
- Only plays with the Switch in dock mode with a Pro Controller.
- tried to repair his, but after failure he bought new ones.
- believes it was caused by his many travels. He also bought new ones.
- has the problem with all four of his Joy-Cons. It's so bad that he can't even use the Nintendo Switch's main menu properly.
- And I had Joy-Con drift with the original Nintendo Switch and the OLED version. Surprisingly, my Switch Lite was spared even though I used it the most.
How does Joy-Con drift occur?Most controllers today use potentiometers to sense their position. This is used to determine the electrical resistance between two substances.
- On the Joy-Cons, a metal spring rubs against graphite blocks, from which small particles can come off and contaminate the mechanism.
- On many controllers these potentiometers are mounted on the side, but on the Joy-Cons they are oriented vertically. The aluminum frame of the joysticks can deform when pressed, meaning there is less support for the small components.
How could the Switch 2 address the problem?
Hall effect or TMR analog sticks:The position of these analog sticks is determined using magnets. This means that the components do not touch each other and there is significantly less wear.
This makes these two types of analog sticks particularly drift-resistant. Some manufacturers even advertise “drift-free”, although reverb effect and TMR sticks can also drift at particularly sensitive settings (e.g. a small dead zone).
Unfortunately, not a single one of the three major console manufacturers has installed magnetic analog sticks. The feature is popular with third-party controllers and PC handhelds.
I really hope Nintendo has fixed the sensitive analog sticks. Although we will probably only find out when we see the first teardowns of the Nintendo Switch 2. I think it's unlikely that Nintendo will advertise such an innovation - even though it's pretty important.
Now the question is: Have you ever had problems with Joy-Cons drifting? What have you done about it? What features and functions are you most hoping for? Personally, I'm still hoping for backwards compatibility with the entire Switch game library. Feel free to tell us in the comments what your biggest wishes are for the new Nintendo console.
