https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/two-joy-con-drift-lawsuits-have-been-dismissed-after-five-years/
Two significant lawsuits over Nintendo Switch Joy-Con drift have been dismissed in U.S. court.
You can get third-party Joy-Con controllers that use Hall effect sensors. Hall effect sensors cost more than potentiometers, which is why they aren't what console vendors typically ship, but don't experience drift.
You can also get replacement Hall effect analog sticks from Gulikit and install them in your joycons yourself. They also made them for the Steam Deck. I installed a set in my old LCD Steam Deck and it was really straightforward, but I suspect the joycons take a bit more work.
It’s a shame they don’t make them for the PS5 - there are multiple third party controllers with Hall effect sensors that are compatible with pretty much everything else, but there’s only one Hall effect controller compatible with the PS5 (the Nacon Revolution 5 Pro), and it’s $200.
I suspect the joycons take a bit more work.
It looks like you need a Y00 bit screwdriver.
https://wiki.handheldlegend.com/gulikit-hall-effect-sensor-install-guide
They also make them for the new 8bitdo controllers (at least the SN/SF30 pro, those shaped like SNES controllers. One of my favourite controller designs ever).
Unfortunately it seems they don't sell those sticks as parts, only in new controllers.
My SN30 pro's left stick started to drift, and it means it's basically dead. I'm a bit pissed about that.
I have the 8bitdo SN30 Pro+ and almost got one of their Hall effect controllers for my most recent controller (but ended up going with the King Kong 3 Max instead).
I noticed they have a repair parts section on their shop, but frustratingly, it doesn’t have analog stick replacements - just the joystick caps.
There’s an iFixit guide to replacing them, but it doesn’t list where you can get the new part, either. I’m guessing they use a standard part - maybe even one you could get for a few bucks off AliExpress - assuming you’re up to the task of desoldering the old stick and resoldering the new one.
Yeah, I saw their repair part section, they offer very little.
To make it more annoying, I already repaired that very controller. I had to change the battery because the old one was becoming useless. It was not too easy, since all I could find as a generic part (following a YouTube tutorial) was a slightly bigger battery that was a pain to fit in the case.
Nobody should have to do that and it's fucked up that they won't actually fix the problem.
Nintendo issued an apology in 2020 over the issue, but argued that players who purchased the items were bound by the user agreement of the Nintendo Switch and thus ineligible to participate in a class action lawsuit against the company.
I'm not a lawyer, but this seems suspicious. How would this work? If I purchase a product in a retail store, where exactly would I sign something agreeing to give up my eligibility to participate in a class action suit? Are they trying to argue that linking the hardware to your account carries over the restriction to any hardware used?
Presumably when you pair them with the switch console and agree to the terms electronically.
But what if I bought them for my PC or phone and never actually used them on a Switch? Does just having 'by using this device" in the front of the agreement make for a valid agreement?
"You can't all sue us" clauses need to be thrown out and criminally punished.
EULAs in general are unenforceable bullshit. "By buying this object you agree to--" Nope! I can't make a contract with an object. Certainly not with one I already bought and own.
Game File reports that both Nintendo and the parents who brought the suits on behalf of their children called for the cases to be dismissed.
So both sides agreed to drop the case. Probably because the complainants ran out of money to pursue any further, or they settled out of court. Or both.
It sure would be a shame if you bought new, identical Joy-Con controllers, found they didn't have drift, and returned the old drifty ones by accident.
5/28 Ninja Edit: today I learned is a form on Nintendo's website where you can fill out a repair request form. I thought the US had been excluded https://repair.nintendo.com/cc/soConsumer.html?lang=en&sys=SWTCH&type=JOY-CON
Kinda dumb to do that when they already repair them for free (including shipping) with < 1 week turnaround.
I would hope Nintendo is not using returned hardware for replacements. It happens accidentally in every job I've worked, but absolutely should not be the normal process.