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[winjer]

I had some stick drifting with the Switch controller, but was mostly fixed with cleaning it. Also, I have played it very little lately.
But I had stick drift twice on the Series controller that I use on PC. The first time it was still on warranty so I just had it sent to repair.
The second time, It was no longer under warranty. I did disassemble it and cleaned the stick with drift. And did a firmware upgrade. But nothing fixed it.
So I got a Bitdo Ultimate 2C controller. So far, seems really good. I'll probably never buy another Xbox controller again.

 

[yurinka]

I never had a drift in Switch, PS4 or PS5.

Maybe it's because I clean my gamepads from time to time.

 

[Griffon]

Got 5 dual sense controllers (4 sense and an edge), countless Xbox pads, 4 switch joycons, pro controller, index controllers every previous gen console's pads multiple times including handhelds going back to the N64 and PS analog.

Never had stick drift. I'm gentle with my tool(s).

I've really had basically no mechanical problems at all with controllers. I still have my launch Nintendo 64 controller and it works great, much less Switch or recent Playstation consoles. Not saying that means it doesn't exist or anything.

You're both either full of shit or you barely played the 64.

The N64 controller destroyed itself in an absolutely guaranteed way (the plastic stick is getting grind to dust by its own mechanism), it is destined to fail and cannot survive not matter what you do as you use it.

The N64 remains the worst of all, I had to replace my controllers multiple times, and I have none that remain usable.
Someday I need to go and install a metal stick on one of those.

With that said, PS controllers have also been trash since the PS4, whereas I have a TMR DS3 that still works flawlessly to this day (yup, the first series of DS3 used TMR sticks... They never die).

 

[simpatico]

I've been on the same XBone controller since the Bone launch windows. Had to buy analog stick socks because I wore them bald. Dirty Rally 2.0 has an input testing feature that helps you set dead zone. Both the sticks on this things are at a total zero when at rest. Crazy. Wish it would die to make me buy and try a new one.

 

[DownLikeBCPowder]

You're both either full of shit or you barely played the 64.

The N64 controller destroyed itself in an absolutely guaranteed way (the plastic stick is getting grind to dust by its own mechanism), it is destined to fail and cannot survive not matter what you do as you use it.

The N64 remains the worst of all, I had to replace my controllers multiple times, and I have none that remain usable.
Someday I need to go and install a metal stick on one of those.

With that said, PS controllers have also been trash since the PS4, whereas I have a TMR DS3 that still works flawlessly to this day (yup, the first series of DS3 used TMR sticks... They never die).

I have about 30 64 controllers due to fears of eventual obsolescence due to use, but my launch model that's painted blue custom from decades ago I still have and is still the controller I use when I play. Not only did I play plenty of 64, I still play it to this day intermittently. I did not allow anyone else to use this particular controller, however. Careful use of this controller will retard the decaying effect and while it certainly is inevitable one way or another, it is absolutely accelerated by careless use. I completely disagree that use is not relevant to the rate of decay.

Is it as peerless as a brand new controller? It's not, but the slight dead zone it has developed over time is perfectly fine, especially considering the reputation and reality of that particular hardware. I'd agree that it's the most likely controller to manifest a problem from what is considered "regular" use.

 

[kiphalfton]

Why incorporate better design when you can sell 2, 3, n controllers? All these shit tier companies are greedy and couldn't care less about the consumer.

 

[Pejo]

The only Dualsense (out of 4) that I have that didn't (yet) get stick drift is the 30th anniversary one. Absolutely unforgivable. And I'm not even hard on my controllers.

I found some videos on YouTube that show how to manually fix stick drift by taking apart and cleaning the controller, so I do that on a rotation. They usually last a few months before the stick drift comes back though, so it's not a permanent solution.

 

[Garibaldi]

You're both either full of shit or you barely played the 64.

I love lying about N64 controller drift on the internet. Especially for absolutely no reason.

Oh wait. No I don't. I've never had controller drift. Ever. Accept it or don't. I don't really care.

 

[poodaddy]

I cant speak for Xbox but the quality of the controllers for Playstation 5 sucks. I am actually on my third Dualsense, its ridiculous

I've bought controllers from all three with mysterious issues, not all of which are related to stick drift. Bad D-Pad on an Xbox controller, bad triggers on a Dual sense, stick drift on six different joycons now, (between my daughter, my wife, and I all having our own Switch), and I've had no issues with any products out of 8bitdo other than some slight software wonkiness that they honestly do need to work out. The big three are fucking out of their minds with what they're charging for controllers these days; I say support the other guys who are not only offering a better product, but at a better price.

 

[Generic]

PS5 controller is comfortable but insanely expensive.

 

[Dirk Benedict]

Electronics repair youtuber Tronicsfix is voicing his opinion about the use of the standard joysticks in controllers, causing controllers to fail prematurely. For about the same cost manufacturers could use Hall Effect or TMR joysticks which will provide better reliability and last longer. Instead the big 3 use standard joysticks that are known to fail to get people to buy more. He makes several great points in the video.

Few things that arent covered in the video. Controllers never go down in price. Every gen the price of the licensed controller stays the same but now we're seeing increased prices. Also, PS and Xbox do not allow 3rd party wireless controllers unless the 3rd party manufacturer gets a license from them. I dont believe they're getting rich off selling extra controllers like what he says in the video, but do think they do this to offset the loss on each console sold. Each console has bluetooth, you can connect bluetooth headphones, so there's no excuse why we cannot connect a bluetooth controller. Or use a controller with a 2.4g dongle(MS banned these on their consoles)

Looking at what other companies offer. 8bitdo makes some of the best 3rd party controllers. This controller is about half the cost of an Xbox controller and it has a better polling rate, hall triggers and sticks, and 2 extra buttons.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DB4LXDP7?th=1

There's also Gamesir, this controller has hall sticks with BT/2.4ghz connectivity for $25.

GameSir Nova Lite Multiplatform Controller

GameSir Nova Lite equips Hall Effect sticks, ensuring a long lifespan of the controller, say goodbye to stick drift. Featuring analog triggers, 20Hz Turbo function,

gamesir.com

Not saying the big three should list their controllers for $30, but for what they are charging they should be at least better than 3rd party controllers. Up until last gen first party controllers were the way to go. Now we're seeing 3rd party controllers exceeding the quality of first party controllers.

The 8bitdo is so good, I panic bought another, even though I barely owned it a few months. It is hands down the best controller I've used and it has a pleasant aesthetic to boot. In a few months it'll be a year and the dead zone is still as tight as when I first* got it.

 

[dreamstation]

I've had 2 dual sense controllers develop pretty bad stick drift and I know others that have had the same. For how good the controller is when it's working, they're quite poor in quality.

 

[MicTyson]

They have been crap for a couple of generations now.

The console manufacturers are full of greed.

 

[Lokaum D+]

Most Gamesir controllers come with hall triggers and sticks, its been a couple years since i've been using them, zero problems

 

[Housh]

I've been balls deep into Chinese pro controllers and IEMs for the past year now and loving it.

 

[Heimdall_Xtreme]

I cant speak for Xbox but the quality of the controllers for Playstation 5 sucks. I am actually on my third Dualsense, its ridiculous

Exactly

everyone worships the DualSense, but for me, it's a piece of crap, along with the Switch Joy-Cons. I barely use them, I clean them, and yet they still have Drift.

If I experience these issues again, I'll use the ones made in China or generic ones.

 

[Antwix]

Haven't really encountered stick drift (yet). I still have and use a 360 controller from ~15 years ago. I did replace the sticks on them though since the rubber just plain wore out after like a decade. Controller still works great though.
I didn't have much play time with my PS4 before I sold it so I didn't experience it with that. And my Xbox One controller did mess up but it was the dpad. The metal disc beneath the dpad got messed up somehow and started double tapping sometimes and not clicking sometimes.
My current XSX controller I've had since launch is still perfect.

 

[omegasc]

Controllers have Ray Tracing now!?

Oh...
Yeah, I was a little skeptical at first. Never had any drift on my controllers until the DualSense. Got one controller out of three with drift on both sides: the one that came with the launch PS5.
The quality of the materials used on the analog modules went to shit this gen, I believe.

 

[Kagoshima_Luke]

My issues with PlayStation controllers have been the shoulder buttons sticking/breaking. No stick drift so far.

 

[SILKYSMOOTH30FPS]

I cringe for everyone who bought the Edge.

 

[Three]

The rubber on the sticks is also garbage.

I remember the DS4 rubber would disintegrate badly after a while but I've not had an issue with the dualsense so far (5 years of use)

 

[Hollowpoint5557]

For every 100 hours I play on my xbox I play 1 on Playstation. I'm on my original pack-in Xbox controller, I'm on my 3rd Dualsense.

 

[llLeonhart]

never meet any, sometimes, I wonder how hard people playing with their controllers?

I Think the game actually matters a lot. I play Genshin Impact, and menu navigation is done exclusively by the left stick, you can't use d-pad.
I think the flickering required constantly is a factor to aggravate the issue for sure.

I have swapped 2 dual senses, though I got drift several more times which I was able to fix with some contact cleaners or even WD

 

[BeardSpike]

Most Gamesir controllers come with hall triggers and sticks, its been a couple years since i've been using them, zero problems

GameSir Super Nova is my go to controller right now.

I'm waiting on GameSir G7 Pro to properly launch. That one is gonna have TMRs and will be (is?) smaller than regular Xbox controller but bigger than Super Nova - with Xbox style profile and all.

G7 Pro Overview - Redefining the Flagship Experience | GameSir

The Xbox G7 Pro, the world's first to adopt the TMR magnetic variable resistance joystick, integrates PC body-sensing mapping functionality, redefining the new era of control and upgrading the gaming experience once again. Innovation breakthroughs continue, and surprises keep unfolding.

gamesir.com

 

[Comandr]

I have a launch Xbox series controller, two launch DS4 controllers and two launch DualSense controllers and none of them have stick drift. I have replaced the caps on one of my DS4s though.

What are you guys doing to your controllers? I really wonder. I eat and game but always wipe my hands before picking the controller back up. I clean them every so often. You know, the absolute bare minimum maintenance.

Idk. DualSense is basically the perfect controller imo. The only thing that could make a DualSense 2 better for me is with the inclusion of 4 additional programmable back buttons standard, like steam deck.

 

[Danny Dudekisser]

It's very disappointing that first-party controllers have gotten so bad in this regard. It is what it is, I guess.

I'm excited for the 8bitdo Pro 3 to come out next month.

 

[ShakenG]

1 had drift and i never replaced it till the new colours became available. I ended up using can air to blow it and never had the problem again.
(PS5)

 

[Sunkrest]

I'm a keyboard and mouse guy but I bought Xbox one controller around it's release and it's still working fine. I had to change the rubber part of the analogue sticks few times but no issues with buttons or drifting so far. I'm not upgrading it to or Series X or Dual sense controller - I'm afraid of the issues you guys talked about in this topic and the prices of "flagship" controllers are just bad.

I was thinking about picking up 8bitdo Pro 3 soon along with 8bitdo 64 and 8bitdo m30, all 3 controllers for emulation. Xbone controller will be replaced when it dies with something like Vader 4 or Ultimate 2. Hopefully Steam Controller 2 will be on the market by then.

I refuse to buy hardware from companies that expect me to replace it every year or two. I hate this cash grab mentality.

 

[DeepSpace5D]

I can't remember getting stick drift on any controller I've ever owned for as long as I've been gaming. I had a very loose N64 joystick eventually, but that's as close as it's gotten for me.

 

[Soodanim]

Shit controllers are one of the reasons I'm happy to stay on PC. Do any third party PS controllers exist?

I currently have an 8bitdo Ultimate 2 and I love the functionality of it (extra shoulder buttons are nice), I just wish it was bigger. It's not a perfect match for my large hands.

But it's the one that most closely meets my needs. Everything else has rubber grips or lacks some other functionality I want, or is £100+ and me not seeing the value for money in it.

 

[cireza]

I personally never had stick drift, but I have two kids and wanted cheap and resistant controllers for them. Bought two PowerA controllers for less than a single official Series X controller, and I was pleasantly surprised by the overall quality of them. They work, they are fine, the sticks are good.

Third Party controllers are definitely a great alternative now, the official controllers are absolutely not worth the asked price.

 

[LimanimaPT]

I'm on my second ps5 controller. Fortunately they suck so bad that they break before the warranty expires.
I've lost the count of ps4 controllers I've got.

 

[GymWolf]

Yep, especially last 2 gens, build quality has gone down the shitter.

The solution is always a third party, cheaper but better controller, too bad consoles don't have as much choice as pc.

 

[P:axMagellanic]

My 360 controller lasted like 9 years. My Xbox one is still going after about 6-7. (PC)

I've been through 2 PS4 controllers and 2 ps5. Absolute dog shit.

 

[Paasei]

Of all the consoles and their respective controllers, I had stick drift only once. Some 3rd party gamepad I used for PC.

 

[duck_sauce]

Im still salty that i cant use the 8bitdo controller with my ps5 pro. Not very customer friendly.

 

[jm89]

On my third dualsense

I might open my other 2 that drifted and see if i get lucky with just a clean.

I've never had this problem with any other playstation controller.

My dualshock 4 that i got with my launch ps4 took one hell of a beating when i use to play cod nearly every day, it never drifted.

 

[Nicktendo86]

I've only experienced drift with one controller (left joy con) in my 39 years and Nintendo repaired it for free so not sure how widespread this issue really is. I don't play as much as I used to so maybe it's an issue with newer systems?

 

[hinch7]

One of the reasons why I don't buy stock controllers anymore. If it doesn't have hall effect/TMR its a nope from me. That and putting back buttons behind expensive paywalls.

 

[Brigandier]

The quality of the sticks the big 3 use in their controllers are definitely an issue and when they're all so expensive they all should be using hall effect analogues as standard. We should all not just expect better quality but demand it.

Far too many gamers go out and spend $80 on a new Duelsense or whichever controller far too easily and need to be made aware of $20 fixes from eBay sellers that will replace bad analogues with HE.

I have 2 Dualsenses in my cupboard with bad drift, I'm going to send them off for repair soon.

 

[justiceiro]

I don't get it, outside of N64, controllers didn't had this issue until the switch.

There is no good dpad anymore. There is no good sticks anymore. What happened?

 

[Z O N E]

I've been extremely lucky with mine, but my friend unboxed a PS5 Controller AND an Xbox Controller on the SAME day and they both had stick drift.

It's getting even more ridiculous than it already is.

 

[Rivdoric]

A lot of third party controllers don't provide some official controller features, eg : Impulse Triggers on Xbox controller.
I think Gamesir do but that's the only one i can think of ?

 

[Gamer_By_Proxy]

I've only had temporary issues. Wiggle the sticks around some, good to go.

 

[Peroroncino]

Had issue with every single joycon and 4x Dualsenses.

No issues with Xbox's one so far, but I barely play the console, so maybe it just didn't reach the threshold yet.

 

[Trilobit]

Dualsense has very minor stickdrift which I've only noticed in Prey. But my "Pro" Switch controller has it pretty bad. I'll likely go with 8bitdo in the future.

 

[Rodolink]

Ive never had drift issues on any controller.
Nevertheless the PS2 triggers sticked all the time.

 

[Mayar]

I still use my first Dualsense that came with the console (I bought it at the start). I didn't wait for drifts to appear, as soon as they started selling Hall Effect Joysticks (Sensors) for PS5 online, I immediately ordered a set for both sticks, they still work.

 

[RCX]

Xbox controllers have gotten obviously worse with time.

My 360 ones were bomb proof but since the Xone generation they fail consistently. Either the sticks or L1/R1

 

[spookyfish]

ive been gaming for nearly 40 years and have never once had stick drift.

I've had many Switch joycons (I kind of collect them because I'm stupid) and have never had a problem. Now, my son has had two go on him. So, I have seen it.