How to Fix Your Drifting Nintendo Switch Pro Controller
Reading Time: 3 minutesIs your Nintendo Switch Pro controller experiencing drift? Here’s how you can fix it, both easily and safely.
You are hard-pressed these days to find a gaming controller that doesn’t eventually succumb to drift. It’s such a widespread issue that companies such as Nintendo and Xbox have even faced lawsuits from all around the world because of it.
Joy-Con drift is the most common form of drift for Nintendo. But although drift may be less common in Pro Controllers, they are not immune to it by any means. So if your Nintendo Switch Pro Controller is drifting, here is how you can fix it.
How Do I Know When My Nintendo Switch Pro Controller Is Drifting?
If your controller is suffering from drift, you will become painfully aware of it almost immediately. The way that a controller usually works is that the player applies pressure on the joystick and moves it in a certain direction. The joystick then senses that input and reflects it in the game.
If your controller has drift, the joysticks sense incorrect input, and start moving your character around as if they have a mind of their own. This can result in lost matches or untimely deaths and is exceedingly annoying.
If your Nintendo Switch Pro Controller has been exhibiting any of these symptoms recently, it has drift. Thankfully, there are a few ways you can try to cure it yourself.
How to Calibrate Your Nintendo Switch Pro Controller
Before you do anything with your Nintendo Switch Pro Controller, it is a great idea to calibrate it. This is the best way to diagnose if it is drifting or not, and it might be enough to solve your problems without further action being required. This step is also the first thing you should try when you are trying to fix your Nintendo Switch Joy-Con drift.
Follow the instructions below to calibrate your Nintendo Switch Pro Controller.
- Head to your Nintendo Switch’s System Settings by pressing the gear icon.
- Scroll down to Controllers and Sensors.
- Select Calibrate Control Sticks.
- Tilt and hold the control stick that is drifting.
- On the next screen, you will see a circle with a cross-section and a + symbol in the center. Nintendo warns you to only recalibrate your controller if there is an issue. If the + symbol turns into a circle when you are not touching the controller, it is drifting, and you are safe to go ahead and calibrate it. Press X to calibrate.
- Press Calibrate.
- Follow the on-screen prompts and move the joystick in each requested direction until the triangle changes color.
- Rotate your stick when directed.
Once you have completed this process, your controller has been calibrated, and hopefully, your issues are gone. If not, you can try cleaning your controller.
How to Clean Your Nintendo Switch Pro Controller
Most of the time, controller drift is caused by dirt and dust getting under your joysticks and disrupting your controller’s sensors. Cleaning any debris that may be present can be enough to fix your controller drift. To clean your controller, you will need some rubbing alcohol and a Q-tip.
These are essential supplies for any console owner to have and can also be used to clean your PS5 console and controller.
Cleaning your Pro Controller sticks is an exceptionally easy process. All you need to do is dampen your Q-tip with alcohol and clean underneath them. Move the joysticks around in a circle, making sure to fully extend them, so you don’t miss any spots.
You can then lift the joysticks up and push them back down a couple of times to try and loosen any dirt that may be underneath the housing.
Once your joysticks are clean and dry, reconnect your controller to your Nintendo Switch and see if it has helped your situation. If so, great! If not, you may need to seek further support from Nintendo. Take your controller into your local games store to discuss sending it away to Nintendo to be repaired.
Prevention Is the Best Cure for Controller Drift
In most cases, calibrating and cleaning your Nintendo Switch Pro Controller is enough to cure it of drift. Making sure you are taking care of your controller and cleaning it frequently are the best ways to keep drift at bay.
But if it is too late for you, hopefully, this guide has been enough to fix your drifting controller.