Nintendo fans’ waking days are still haunted by the stick drift issues with the original Switch’s Joy-Cons. Those hoping for drift-less Switch 2 sticks may want to keep hold of their third-party controllers for now. A Nintendo of America exec confirmed the Switch 2 $90 Joy-Con 2 controllers won’t use longer-lasting Hall effect sticks, but that the new Joy-Cons will still be “durable.”
Nintendo Switch owners (this writer included) still find issues with their original Joy-Con controllers, and we hoped Nintendo learned its lesson for the sequel Switch. In an interview with Nintendo Life, Nintendo of America VP of product development and publishing Nate Bihldorff said the Joy-Con 2 are “not Hall effect sticks.” Hall effect joysticks rely on an electrical conduction technology that allows them to remain out of contact with other components. This leads to less friction and lengthens the lifespan of the joystick. Some high-end controller makers like SCUF are moving toward Hall effect and its proven ability to provide precise controls for a long time.
So the lack of Hall effect is surprising, especially given the increased price of the console and controllers. But Nintendo is still insisting it’ll be fine. Bhildorff added the company designed the controllers “from the ground up to be the best possible experience for our consumers, whether it’s the immediate effect of the Joy-Cons that you’re playing, how they’re interacting with the game, or durability.”
But what kind of joystick is it? Other than Bihldorff’s statement, Nintendo has not officially offered specifics for what technology its using in its controls. A rep at GuliKit, one of the few companies that makes Hall effect stick module upgrades for the Switch, thinks the Switch 2 is likely using carbon film potentiometer joysticks. That’s the same kind of technology used in most stock controllers. They work but the accuracy of the joysticks can degrade over time.
In our hands-on with the Switch 2, we found the sticks felt better than the original Switch without any sense of sponginess you may feel on cheaper devices. But those are presumably brand new devices, they haven’t had two years of your 10-year old mashing on them. Those who bought a Switch in 2017 had a few years of active play before stick drift issues became more than just occasional, anecdotal nuisance. A 2022 study by UK consumer group Which? (via Eurogamer) blamed wear on the contact points between the circuit board and joysticks as well as dirt buildup on components.
Beyond an apology from Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa and promises for free fixes, Nintendo rarely offered any insight into drift issues besides claims that the company has improved the sticks since launch in 2017. Beyond conducting at-home, ad-hoc repairs, some annoyed Switch owners tried to take the company to court over their annoyance of their broken, relatively expensive controllers. After several years, those cases largely went nowhere, and two of the major class action lawsuits were dismissed in U.S. federal court.
And most Switch 1 owners had to live with drift as a fact of life. If you’re willing to crack open your Joy-Cons you’ll still have some hope for Hall effect on Switch 2. GuliKit told Gizmodo it is working on Hall joystick conversions for the Joy-Con 2 controllers, similar to its $20 hall effect retrofit sticks on the original Switch. There’s no word on GuliKit’s release timing, yet, but the company confirmed its older controllers like the KK3 plus a slate of new controllers “which are to be released quite soon next month” will be compatible with the $450 Switch 2 on release June 5. The preorder date is still up in the air.
Sure, you may want to avoid Joy-Cons altogether, but that will mean you miss out on the new mouse controls that will be a big part of games like Metroid Prime 4: Beyond and Civilization VII. For that, you’ll need to pay extra. The new Joy-Cons 2 cost $90 compared to $80 on the original Switch. If we’re paying more for controllers—practically as much as we’re paying for some Switch 2 games—we should hope that they last us from now until Nintendo’s next console arrives.
