I'm on my 3rd set of Xbox one controllers. The old Xbox 360 controllers would last for years before needing new electrical components. But these new ones are just junk. I tried to resolder one but the tolerance in there now so tight that I ended up frying it... So gave up on that idea.
this post was submitted on 24 Feb 2024
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A lot of people have mentioned cleaning it out. If you can open it up and clean the potentiometers that are underneath the joysticks, that works best. I use isopropyl alcohol for this, just spray some over the pots and wiggle the stick around for a little while to move the internal wipers and clear away any gunk.
After that I add dielectric grease - I use lithium grease but there are other types - to the potentiometers after the cleaner has dried. This protects against particles and corrosion and extends the lifetime of the potentiometers significantly, and reduces how often you need to do this. It has to be dielectric grease because it is non conductive. Conductive grease will short out the pots and stop them working correctly.
I find the joysticks will last quite a few years after doing this.
I don't know what people are talking about with how others use the controllers; the speed or violence of movement of the sticks should make no difference to how fast the potentiometers degrade. It's possible if their kids are using the controllers, they just have dirtier hands and that's making the difference.
Eventually however the controllers will degrade no matter what. If manufacturers used hall effect sensors or just added grease to the pots to start with, the controllers would last so much longer, which is maybe why they don't do it.
Yeah, joystick build quality has been going down for me since the second Xbox One controllers. Last one I had couldn't get past 4 months without a smidge of drift already showing (just past the free 3 month warranty, fuck you MS). Got a Hall Effect one from Gamesir this time and I forget it's not an official one until I have to use the D-pad (really hate non-mechanical D-pads) but otherwise worth the $40 so far.
Oh also Hall Effect joysticks are just so nice to use. They feel frictionless.
Can't wait until an Elite that comes with Hall Effect sticks. Surely that is the next step for the next gen controller. Certainly at that premium price point.
I have the Valve Index and my game plan is that I have a soldering iron and the Aliexpress link ready to go. I have not owned it long enough to know how good or bad the life span is yet though. Just based off the rumors I looked into how to get the stick replacement before buying.
I can attest to how mine lasted which might help. I used it semi regularly maybe once or twice a week for the first 2 months. After on and off use it lasted for 7-8 months before the right joystick started to drift but I do know I could be a little rough with it while playing Boneworks so I'm sure that didn't help.
I did the repair on the right controller with the cheap Ali express joystick and found it to be a massive improvement in quality and actually clicks in propperly now.
It's not an amazingly easily repair and I'll admit to damaging the capacitive touch on my joystick due to being a bit rough on the dissasembly. But if your half competent with soldering and got a decent toolkit then go for it.
get something with hall effect sensors.
I like my Gulikit Kong Pro controller. It has an xbox-style layout when you swap around the face buttons and has hall effect sensors
I can usually fix most cases of joystick drift by taking plastic safe electrical cleaner, and spraying it in around the joystick. Works for sticking buttons too.
I usually use CRC QD cleaner, it's usually $5-10 and is available at Walmart, Amazon, and a bunch of other places. If you use something else make sure it says plastic safe on the can.
Do you do this without even opening the controller?
I might try this before opening my Ps5 controller if it doesn’t work.
Yes, with the controller off, I spray down around the stick. Wait awhile before turning the controller back on so that the spray has time to evaporate.
Someone told me it fixed Joycon drift (which it does), but since then it's fixed a lot of non-joycon controllers as well despite the different thumbstick designs.
Okay well thanks for the answer.
I’m gonna try to find an equivalent product then.
I used to think that Xbox controllers ALWAYS drift within a year.
Then I started keeping a secret controller away from the kids. It lasted years with no drift. I got a new one and let the kids use my old one.... Drift in a month.
It's not the controllers. You just drop it too much.
It's not physical damage, they really are just crap now. Used controllers for a decade and a half. Early Xbox One controllers lasted for years until the face buttons would become sticky. 360 controller was a tank, only had a loose trigger. All the ones I've had recently just keep getting drift.
Same conclusion for me.
The way some of my friends use controllers wants me to not have them around my house. Loudly banging sticks against the outer extremities, while for me it never even makes a sound.
I take care of my controllers, and only had very minot stick drift on 5-7 years old X/PS controller.
I got a 360 controller that is going strong but my Playstation and Nintendo controllers ended up drifting. I think they just don't make them like they used to. My 360 controller is still one of my daily drivers.
For me it’s the other way around, old X360/PS4 controller had some minor stick drift, but no problem with newet gens
I dunno, my old 360 controller is so loose. I wound up getting an xbone controller a couple of years back to replace it.
I've never had a controller with drift problems, and I know how I treat my controllers. I've seen people with controllers that drift all the time, and I've seen how they treat their controllers. There's definitely a link.
That said high quality controllers (like first party ones) generally drift less, but not always (see switch joycons). If OP is killing his controller in months then something is going on.
but not always (see switch joycons).
And PS5 one. I've had a lot of controllers over the years and I've never had stick drift, except with joycons and the PS5 controller.
The switch pro controller is probably my most used controller, because it's so ergonomic. I put the switch pro controller through a few thousand hours of smash bros. The stick is visibly deformed from mashing certain inputs over and over. And then a few thousand hours more playing Zelda and monster hunter (and souls games on PC). I wouldn't be surprised if it's had over 10 thousand hours of use. No stick drift on the controller.
I was gifted a PS5 controller because I was planning on getting the PS5. I never got a PS5, but that's a different story. Anyway I decided to break it in to get comfortable with the layout and feel of the controller. Maybe max thousand hours of playtime which I'd consider it very light usage. And the left stick started to drift left. I've looked into it. It might just be an unfortunate speck of dust interfering with the sensor, but cleaning it requires almost complete disassembly and quite frankly it wasn't that good of a controller anyway so it's just collecting dust.
I've had drift issues with my pro controller several times and I think I have less play time than you. Many of these controllers use the same stick component inside.
I’ve been suspicious that newer production lines for joysticks have been cutting costs in cheaper materials for a while now. I usually replace the joysticks when they drift, but I’m also quite comfortable to taking things apart and fixing them.
I remember my old PS2 controllers never drifted and that was back when I played hard on them every day after school. These days I hardly have time to play during the week, and they regularly go bad within a year or two.
That is kind of just how non hall effect thumb sticks are. But I've had great luck with Deoxit D5. You have to take apart the controller so you can squirt it directly into the switch itself but as long as it's not a mechanical problem like a weak spring, the Deoxit usually gets it working like new.
Even some isopropyl alcohol works. My controller was drifting and I took it apart to blow it out and give it a good cleaning with alcohol. Works flawlessly now.
Was it an Xbox controller or a ps5 controller?
Xbox. I can't stand the controller stick layout of PS controllers.
Yeah alcohol works well. WD-40. too.
WD-40 leaves residue, it is not suitable for cleaning
It's one of the messier options but it still works well. The switches in my logitech g604 have been bounce free for over a year now after hosing then down with WD-40. That's longer than any of the warranty replacement mice lasted.
Deoxit leaves a residue, too, that will stain clothes. That residue is what helps the contacts from oxidizing again in the future.
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