These Joystick Replacements Might Fix Your Joy-Con Drift for Good - Lifehacker

There are multiple factors that might contribute to Joy-Con drift, but the fatal flaw seems to be related to the potentiometers found in many controllers on the market, even on the PS5's DualSense contoller.

Over time and use, these potentiometers can wear out, tricking the system into thinking the joystick is positioned in a certain direction when it’s really not.

That’s why you might boot up a game of Breath of the Wild, only to find Link running to the left before you even touched the controller.

If you’re under warranty, you can send your Joy-Cons off to Nintendo for a free repair, but that takes time and, worse, it merely a band-aid solution: The issue is hardware related, and since Nintendo isn’t changing the design during its repairs, it’s possible you’ll experience drifting again on the same controllers over the long run.

There are no potentiometers or other critical moving parts rubbing against each other and wearing down over time, which means, in theory, drift worries shouldn’t apply.

Just remember that this type of repair voids your Joy-Cons’ warranty, so only attempt it if you’re outside that window, or if you like to game dangerously.