Fix Joy-Con Drift by CLEANING the Joystick 🕹 - Nintendo Switch DIY Repair

[@Telverston]

This is the best video on this subject. Thanks! Not everyone has the hands to do this sort of thing, but for those that do, this is the video you want.

[@namedkenn]

Thank you for the compliment! 🙏🏻

[@Liquid12322]

I just fixed mine with a pack of joystick replacements. It wasnt to bad

[@stonedsavage7814]

@Jon you will have to buy a whole new sensor if you messed up the shielding case.

[@OffizierDoge]

I could feel my heart pounding feeling like anything could breal at any time

[@jessa5967]

as someone who just followed this video, i was honestly so surprised it still worked when i put everything back together.

[@namedkenn]

@@jessa5967 trust me, I feel the same way too 😆

[@jettleon2535]

i know it's quite off topic but do anyone know of a good place to stream new tv shows online ?

[@fabiangrosch6309]

If you have the right tools it isn't that hard. I crushed my Akku by the way 🤣

[@fettygorilla2189]

I broke the hardest part one :( I though it was flexible

[@rashef]

Did everything exactly (including losing a screw) and it's revived. Hopefully for as long as possible. Thanks. :3

[@namedkenn]

🤣 As long as it gets back working right hahaha glad this video could help!

[@darkstar189]

I've found that most products I've fixed usually have at least one screw you don't really need. That's my way of saying I usually end up losing something along the way :)

[@anymoose]

It's not a proper DIY repair unless you lose a screw

[@namedkenn]

Ahahahha can’t agree more☝🏻

[@primusoriginal8648]

@Dichali Nash no

[@rorlrl]

It was my first time fixing a controller or any electric thing. It now works again thanks to your help.

[@namedkenn]

Wow congratulations! First time and you got it back working again, that’s some good hands you got there 😁✌🏻

[@anoddspatula5687]

Dude well done! the joycon is something not even people that are used to fixing ps4 and 360 controllers are brave enough to fix. Congrats!

[@Wandernder-Mann]

Hello was wather not beter then alcohol when i dry the cleant Part?

[@Wandernder-Mann]

Sorry wen i not perfect can English i am from Switzerland and speaking early German

[@Xahos_]

@@Wandernder-Mann I used rhum and worked well x) but be sure it is dry haha

[@FunnysunNet]

This is by far THE BEST VIDEO on youtube explaining everything you need to know about how to fix a joycon. There are many more but they just replacing the joystick. This one is actually shows you how to repair it instead of buying a new one.

[@quirkyninja]

Dude this is top notch! Exactly what I needed and now both my L joycons are back to normal! Thanks so much!

[@therealdoodmilan]

"Thanks for watching"? No, dude. THANK YOU for making this amazing and detailed video!

[@namedkenn]

Hahaha I'm so glad the video helped! 🙏🏻

[@saiyoucho]

Followed this to try to fix a joycon I bought with a broken joystick. Turns out the inner plastic holding the joystick is broken in two places. Extremely hard to fix by super glue, but I think replacing the joystick should make the controller like new again. Good guide.

[@DokuFREENET]

Happend to me Today, it fell while it was attached to the "JoyCon Comfort Grip" and that plastic broke, i now bought a new stick, will replace it when it arrives in a few days.

[@antlurrs]

This fixed my drift problem, as well as my character not wanting to go "down" very easily. Incredibly frustrating if you have meaty, sweaty hands, but worth it for saving 70 dollars on a new pair every year, lol. My character drifted a tiny bit after doing this, but stopped almost immediately. Thanks a ton, dude.

[@shadowx394]

This fixed my analog stick, nice tutorial. I did break the small metal tabs on the top and bottom of the analog stick but it will still hold together with the grooved tabs on the side

[@namedkenn]

Whoo good job good job, I hope it will stay working for long!

[@guillermoroldan4210]

I broke all three lol

[@strickerarts]

Lol I broke one tab and it's still not put back together, I'm going to have to do it soon 😂 because after this joycons I do the other one.

[@schnabeltierMCMLXXXV]

I broke all 3 tabs too and the tabs don't hold it together. Tried it with glue but didn't work. So I have to install a replacement stick. Luckily I ordered some :-).

[@Cesarr468]

Thank you so much for this! I did my best to replicate everything step by step except I rushed it and cracked my battery terminal so for everyone else out there...slow and steady! Due to my rushing, I still have a tiny bit of drifting (like really really tiny pinch) but seems to be minor enough to disregard. Thank you again, man!

[@namedkenn]

Whoa sorry to hear that 🙏🏻 but I agree with what you said, slow and steady 💪🏻 You’re welcome! 😁

[@thiagohencke7230]

Can't believe this actually worked. Thank you very much sir, you deserve a medal. Just to clarify, in my case there's no dirt or anything inside the analog, but i passed a contact cleaner anyway. I bought my switch brand new and after less than a week this drifting problem started, now it's fixed, hope for at least a couple months. Thank you again!

[@namedkenn]

You’re welcome, and thanks for sharing your experience!

[@Huberchet]

Thanks man! nobody usually shows a right joy con disassembly, let alone the mechanism itself! Personally though i'd disconnect much less ribbon cables on disassembly, just enough to access the stick mount as it can be tricky to insert them back without damage

[@Maverick.D.]

This was HARD as nails to do with my BIG meaty hands. BUT, it worked!!! Thanks a lot for the video, man!

[@patatusmomo4825]

As a butter fingered person, I was scared to do this, so my dad got the things needed and did it himself while I was watching. AND I MUST THANK YOU DUDE, YOU FREAKING SAVED MY SWITCH! (Though my dad's patience was floor low, so I must try to never make him fix my controller again) .

[@naturewatcher7596]

Thank you for showing exactly the cause of the problem and what fixes it. Others just replacing the joystick without showing what happens inside it. Why to throw away an old one, if it just needs some cleaning and works as new again. (Prefer the method of cleaning it from outside, without disassembling the whole thing, if it'll work).

[@peteelectromagnetic-nether9370]

Thank you for this vid. Completely solved the issue. Was pretty fiddly and did require tweezers - but saved a fairly costly repair. Thanks again!

[@cavebat]

Thank you so much. Just finished my son's left Joycon and he's over the moon happy. Only thing we encountered was the metal tabs on the joystick module itself are incredibly easy to break off- I broke most of them. Thankfully I was able to get everything back together and get it working. thanks again. Outstanding quality video; really well done.

[@namedkenn]

Exactly, I broke the metal tab on my second time cleaning it, in the end I tapped it together and they work just fine but yeah, I didn’t realize at first it was that easy to break. Anyway, glad to help! 😁

[@sdk2n]

I broke both of the tabs on one side of the joystick off and used tape to repair it... somehow it still works perfectly

[@a_slakoth7420]

Did this 3 years ago with some contact cleaner on heavily drifting Sticks. The Stick drift actually didn't ever come back after easily over 1000 hours of use. This method works extremely well!

[@martticopriv]

Wow. I got it fixed even though i thought i destroyed the thing. Thanks for the video! 🧡

[@lian7092]

after reading this comment i tryed too , and yes , it worked , like magic

[@eveykhan]

This was EXTREMELY helpful! I managed to break one of the metal flaps that clips onto the analog stick, though. That was on me. Thank you so much for this video!

[@namedkenn]

I'm glad it helped! :D

[@Pinkielover]

The breaking of those metal tabs are pretty unavoidable..

[@baldorigami]

Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!! You helped me fix my right joycon stick. I had never done anything related to electronics or disassembling electronics and you gave me the confidence to do it. I am so grateful. Thank for being kind and humble enough to share your knowledge with everyone.

[@namedkenn]

You are very welcome :D always a pleasure to help!

[@Michelle-nl5xl]

Hi @baldorigami I don’t know if you will still read this, but is the joystick you repaired still working? I’m not sure if I should try this or completely replace the stick

[@baldorigami]

LuvieMoo, if you have a replacement stick, it’s always better to replace it. In my case I didn’t have another joystick to replace it with, so I opted to trust this wonderful guide. It continued to work perfectly for 3 months, but I live in a very dusty city. I recommend this for emergencies because the metal casing in the stick is not meant to be opened, therefore, it’s very complicated to remove it and even more so to place it back because it can be uneven because of the bending and when putting everything back together it might not be as snug. Learning how to replace the sticks is a great investment because joycons are crap and they are expensive.

[@Michelle-nl5xl]

baldorigami Thank you so much for answering, I guess I‘ll just try both methods because I have two drifting joysticks and see which works better. Thanks again and have a nice day :)

[@antonginov1530]

I fixed my left joycon! Thank you sir! The drifting was not fixable with contact cleaner anymore and that method fixed it!

[@erichams1036]

I almost gave up sometimes in fear of breaking it completely, but I got it! It's now fixed! Thank you!

[@kevinpeng7219]

Fixed the Left Joycon with video. Very informative. Best video on the subject. I'd like to add that the spring for the L-R buttons are easily come off, careful when dismantling.

[@namedkenn]

Glad it helped! That's true, you have to be careful at everything honestly haha

[@Dzefr1]

I really appreciate the video, and you showing that even if you screw up some stuff that you can stil do the job. I broke all three metal hinges and put joystick back on with only side ones but it still holds and works normally. I ordered new one just in case I ever need it. Keep up the good work!

[@namedkenn]

Thankyou for the support! 🙏🏻

[@trevorstoddart9624]

I broke the same stuff. Works perfect.

[@MP-pv4eb]

Wonderful tutorial. I've used it to fix 4 or 5 joycons so far. The rest I've had to replace due to breaking the tabs but practice makes perfect. Once you practice you can also leave many of the wires connected, you just need to be very gentle and delicate. It really cuts down on time though.

[@namedkenn]

Thank you so much! That’s true fiddling the wires takes so much time ✌🏻

[@matthieud.1131]

Here is my experience following this tutorial: I had 2 left joycons with a slight drift that was getting worse and worse (from the calibration menu, I could see that they were centered but often would not come back fully to the center, or would do it slowly). First joycon: I opened the joycon as indicated in the tutorial, and managed to break the same little metal piece as in the video. I put everything back together after cleaning inside and went to the calibration menu. Now the point was way off-center, and when trying in-game, I had a very clear drift, a lot worse than before. I went back to calibration and tried to calibrate a few times, without success. Then I don't know what I did (left the calibration menu, or restarted the game, or moved the stick in some way, I don't know), but it's now well calibrated. I have no idea what I did. Second joycon: I managed to break both metal pieces, making it impossible to close the stick back. I still thought I'd try putting it back together, since the metal piece ultimately rests on the plastic piece separating it from the battery. It was a bit hard to hold everything so that the spring wouldn't bounce out, but I managed. Calibration showed a very slight drift initially, and after re-calibration this joycon now has no drift. Still, there is a spring in there ready to bounce at my face next time I open it... In the end, the hardest part is taking the stick itself apart. The rest is very easy. Given that a new stick is barely a few bucks on Amazon, I have ordered some and next time I have a drift, I'll just replace the stick and not bother cleaning it.

[@Iruga123]

About first joy con and calibration: you took joy con off the console and put it back again. Some magic with attaching joy con to console. I had it today, could not understand why it wont calibrate...

[@ehrenbandiger692]

I broke both little metal things on the stick on both joycons I repaired, but I think it wasn't very difficult putting it back together

[@VongolaEX10]

@@ehrenbandiger692 I’ve just broken both of them in both my L and R managed to place them back in but I want to ask if there is any problems to doing that

[@ehrenbandiger692]

@@VongolaEX10 the stick should really be closed, otherwise there could appear a different kind of drift. I closed them additionally with tape, then the drift is gone but it will maybe appear after time because of dust and stuff

[@VongolaEX10]

@@ehrenbandiger692 I’ve just tested both of mine and after calibration it seems that it is fine also the tape is pretty much useless when you use the L3 and R3 (push button on joy cons) anyway- I actually tested and also tape doesn’t effectively close the base however is is an excellent placeholder until you place on the battery plastic piece which is supposed to sit flush on the top of the joystick assembly- tested by pushing down more when reassembling- if the pushing had a strong reaction force then it meant I had to go back and readjust. Anyway the best assessment is to have a look at whether or not your joystick is perpendicular to the socket or not and whether or not the battery has less values in one direction which wouldn’t matter anyways after you calibrate Edit: the tape isn’t useless however imho it’s only useful when you’re reassembling afterwards it might as well be a piece of paper trying to stop punch

[@romanromga1003]

I've just finished replacing my drifting joy-con stick with a new one.Thought, with having tremor and not having tweezers it was quite a challenge. Thank you for the guide.

[@namedkenn]

Good job! Now please go ahead and have some fun 😁

[@thenewbgamer6416]

Your enjoying it, and you may notice that it may start moving by its self. So what do you do with it? Me: take it to an exorcist as it may be possessed by a demon.

[@jasmijn-1419]

thenewbgamer64 pro. idiot65 just cry and suffer

[@mikimouse3001]

It's interesting to see the solution they used for the thumb stick.. from what I've seen they're using carbon pads similar to what you'd see on a ordinary button, while the older tv consoles used wipers (basically a potentiometer) to register movement.

[@bear_loves_coffee7817]

Thanks mate. One right stick sorted. Those metal clips have broken off but that will make it easier next time 😄

[@MultiSuiss]

Did as you instructed. Joycons finally work again, thanks a lot!

[@broventures9738]

Great video dude! Just got the screw drivers in today to work on it and it's back in business! Best tutorial I could ask for! Thanks so much!

[@namedkenn]

That’s great to hear! You’re welcome 👍🏻

[@bromine1480]

i'll just buy another pair of third party joycon. i'm sure you helped a lot of people but im not the kind of guy to do precision work. thanks for sharing and helping everyone else! keep up the good work

[@ravaviera1939]

Listen, I'm a 24 year old art student, i do not know shit about this and it took me 2 hours but the joystick runs as smooth as butter now, thank you so much ❤

[@theyammi437]

It’s amusing that Nintendo doesn’t acknowledge this issue lol

[@dsboy2392]

Oh the do know about this but they just dont do anything about it

[@justarandomweeb3220]

Its their way of advertising the pro controller

[@irregularzero9537]

More like infuriating. I find it pretty insulting that in order to avoid not buying another 40 dollars left joyon, I have to dismantle the controller myself, which, lucky enough, I have enough experience with electronic maintenance to go blind without fucking anything up, Realise it's far more work than anticipated once I reach the analog module, keep going further anyways, manage to remove the select and L chips out of the way, remove the analog module, get stuck figuring how to remove the safety cap without breaking the wire, check a guide online, realize you can unplug the module, unplug the module, dismantle it, come close to losing the O ring and spring, realize that this bullshit drift was only caused by some dirt getting under the rotating joints and contacts, clean it up, reassemble it all, realize I forgot a part, disassemble it again, mess up during the opening of the analog module's cap and end up losing the solid plastic minus button, spending about an actual full hour and a half franctically looking everywhere for it, accept that I may have lost it forever and may have to purchase a maintenance kit to replace it, calibrate the controller, test it and feel reliefed that the joycon drift problem seems to be dealt with for now. I mean it's legit a dirt problem and even though I have moderate experience with electronics, it's easy to fuck something up while messing inside the joycon. Meaning that most people will just opt for buying a new one since this is far more work than people are willing to put in. All of this for a simple dirt problem that Nintendo doesn't want to admit is a design flaw on their part.

[@themartianmantis2694]

@@dsboy2392 that's exactly what not acknowledging it means.

[@bkballa989]

But they do, they let you send it in

[@lian7092]

thank you , it actually worked to clean the inside up even if it didn't look dirty and now the joystick somehow works on my switch lite

[@somedudewithakeyboard]

Thanks, dude. Fixed both joycons like a boss.

[@hanhan6316]

used this tutorial to replace the whole stick and it works perfectly now. Thanks sir, you gained a sub :)

[@MrsVazquezy]

Nice gonna try

[@hanhan6316]

@@MrsVazquezy ew

[@MrsVazquezy]

@@hanhan6316 I knew it was you lmao

[@hanhan6316]

@@MrsVazquezy stop stalking me weirdo

[@MrsVazquezy]

@@hanhan6316 😛😘

[@Cheshie]

Great video! Thanks! Putting the joystick back together was by far the hardest part for me. Little plastic pieces everywhere that aren't secured. Very frustrating but finally got it and am back to XC3!

[@BeeWhistler]

Well, it worked for now, but we also ended up snapping off the tiny metal bits we bent slightly to get it open. We just put it back into the device but when joycon replacement sticks are $8 it seems more worthwhile to just have a few handy and replace them every 6 months.

[@namedkenn]

Exactly, my second time trying to clean the joycon was also a nightmare, the metal bit snapped and I had to tape it. Just as you say, it's handy to have a couple replacements ready

[@sillygingerkid1161]

Had nothing to lose as my joycon was super unstable with the drift and had the replacement parts saved and waiting oredering. Took me a bit but got them apart and back together. Working like new after a quick restart and calibration.

[@DavidDaeschler]

This was awesome. Thank you! Saved me from having to replace controllers

[@whoknow2932]

It's working flawlessly again! Thank you.

[@namedkenn]

You're welcome!

[@simonlund6616]

In case anyone breaks off the hinges on the metal casing of the joystick (like me), try and put something soft on the battery to create a little pressure when you close the lid. This makes sure that the joystick actually hits all contact points.

[@neoroxx]

as long as the contact pads are not worn off, cleaning the dusts actually helps to revive the drifting issue (as long as the drifting issue is caused by dusts and not worn pads)

[@ZeldaPodSmashers]

I did this yesterday because the drifting was getting out of hand. Now it's like new again! I had to look up another video to see what to do inside a left Joycon, because in this video it was a right one. Unplugging the battery was probably the scariest thing for me, because I needed to pull too hard for comfort. Other than that, no problems.

[@redamaleki]

Thanks for taking the time, I was able to repair mine when one of the inner plastic pieces snapped thanks to your video of pulling the control stick apart!

[@Punmaster9001]

I needed to see where the insides of the joystick went because I was already past the point of no return. This video was a big help, I just hope the drift goes away for a long time if not for good

[@namedkenn]

Be extra careful when handling everything! Hopefully this will fix your problem :D

[@Punmaster9001]

@@namedkenn I was careful. I'm at the point of "If this doesn't work I'm going to order a replacement stick" after several cleaning attempts that only fix the drift temporarily. I figured what the hell, I'll take it apart and see if I can clean it and get it back together. It's when all the little moving parts fell out into my holder that I needed to see how they all fit again. Hopefully this works. I had better luck cleaning out a new 3DS joystick with the same problem.

[@SuperLuigiGuy64]

I've been saying this to people so many times!!!! Thanks for making this video.

[@namedkenn]

Glad the video could help! 😁 by the way don’t forget to subscribe if you haven’t, it would help me a lot!

[@kadash977]

Thanx Kenneth I'm an amateur repairer and have like 10 original drifting sticks. Now I'm gonna need a LOT of patience and cotton ahah. TYVM

[@kadash977]

Ok broke 2, fixed 6 :D

[@namedkenn]

That’s still good! 🤣 now I need to fix mine too, they started drifting again

[@kadash977]

@@namedkenn or buy new ones for 2$ each :)

[@silentregret2549]

Everything was fine, opened it up, cleaned it inside it was really pain in the ass getting it back in till one of the side’s lock snapped lmao. So I wrapped it with tape and pooof all better now. Thanks man life saver!

[@namedkenn]

Hahaha good to hear it’s back working! 💪🏻

[@feraldeercolony]

I'm at the part where you gotta put the metal thing back on the rest of the joystick and I'm losing my mind. Maybe I will have this finished by the end of the month! Really tho, thank you for the video. Super helpful! My contacts were extremely dirty somehow, so I have complete faith that this is gonna fix it.

[@duflMOMOdufl]

My left joycon joystick wasn't sensing when I pulled back on the joystick (which was not good for playing Dark Souls Remastered), followed your instructions and saw that on the black sensor pads within the joystick seemed to have stains around them, so gave them a clean with a glasses cloth (didn't have any suitable cleaning fluid) and put it all back together, and works much better! Still slight drift off centre from normal position but it senses all directions now 👍 have ordered a replacement stick though as I'm sure the issue will arise again

[@jasmijn-1419]

I cleaned mine and it worked great again, now ~6months later they started again so i’m here again to fix it😁

[@Diavire]

Nice job on explaining the steps, went a bit quick, had to pause alot, but I got it taken apart and put back together with this, so thanks :)

[@namedkenn]

You're welcome 😁

[@Oz1455]

I use them to play Smash, and I've used them a whole year before they started having these issues. About two weeks ago, I did the cue tip+alcohol trick, but now I might be having issues with it again. Seems like a ton of work to go through, and this is coming from an amateur who's dissembled iPhones, the Switch Dock and my own computer- things like that. The video is good and informative, I'll give you that.

[@ninerthat]

Perfect fix for my drifting joycon. Follow along and use a steady hand. Don't be surprised if you break 2 out of the 3 tabs on the anolog stick casing. Thanks for the vid!

[@VongolaEX10]

Do those tabs actually have any effect on the performance except for assembling the joystick- I broke the two small ones in both of my sticks and I’m slightly worried

[@theHaPK]

Thank you for a really working guide. I disassembled joy con, but didn’t go all the way with disassembling the stick itself. Now I have confidence!

[@namedkenn]

Glad it helped!

[@theHaPK]

​@@namedkenn unfortunately, I wasn't able to put joystick assembly back as some metal flaps got broken very easily, I went on Amazon and ordered 2 pieces of replacement joystick assemblies for just $9 which is still way cheaper than replacing the whole joycon.

[@jamiehouten911]

Many thanks, great video. I managed to to clean both controllers without disconnecting as many ribbon cables. I did snap off the tangs on the stick housings but both controllers work a charm now.

[@ItHappens129]

It was my left controller that was drifting, so it was much easier to fix, there were a lot less wires. And it worked so well!

[@daniellehwing4667]

Thank you, your video was basically a class for me. Did you have any issue with how fragil the metal encasing of the analog and how infuriating easy is to break the batery connector? I had to reconnect with the connector broken... it was hard but manageable. Thank you Kenneth! Got a new subscriber for that... And no thank you, Nintendo, for such a below standars controller...

[@eradicatinglove]

wow very nice man i never opened mine before. i still have original joycons and never had drift

[@N1nj4t3nd0]

After trying everything this did the trick. There was dirt on those black contacts on the ribbon. Great Vid.

[@namedkenn]

Great to hear that!

[@chrisdude5150]

Thanks it works like new and now i know how to open it up to replace a part

[@josemariodurand4597]

Gonna try this on my joycon graveyard to see if some L joy cons still work. Nice job!

[@afreen5058]

You don't have to disconnect the little ribbons. You can just turn the parts over and lay them on the side. Even the scary tiny lil one near the top left. This is easier than you think! The battery cable is a lil tough to take out. Pull it UP towards your face, not sideways. The joystick is very easy to take out if you're doing this on the floor on the carpet with a sheet underneath.

[@chaunceycurley8131]

best video hands down.

[@netweed09]

Very nice and clear video. Much appreciated fella, you are a star!

[@xochi8902]

thank you so much for this tutorial!! I fixed my drift (for now) :D I think my problem wasnt just dirt. idk what the part is called but it's one of the plastic and pronged metal parts inside the analog stick, the prongs were twisted together. so I think that's why my drift was so bad. I did break one of the tabs but I was able to tape it together. anyone who's attempting this be careful of the tri-tip screws, they are very easy to strip. I stripped one of mine and had to Dremel the top off of it which wasn't ideal.

[@LonexCyborg]

Next time you have drift on Joycons just use A light dab of WD 40 beneath the joystick then move it in a circular motion to lubricate the joystick inside the controller. It's easier fix than having to open the controller which is quite easy to mess up a connector or strip something off by accident.

[@namedkenn]

Ohh right right that's the very thin metal thing right? I also broke my metal tab on my second time cleaning the joystick but a little tape fixed it for the time being 🤣 also that's true, we have to be very careful with every step!

[@calvarezr]

Thanks! Your instructions worked like a charm for me :)

[@3x5b]

10/10 worked like a charm

[@b.o.j.1442]

Only video that actually helped thanks dude

[@namedkenn]

You're welcome!

[@brandonbradley3680]

Make sure you lift the battery connector UP off of the motherboard. I ruined mine trying to pull it away from the socket (parallel to the motherboard). Otherwise it was a breeze.

[@BabeeYouGotIt]

Amazing! This tutorial fixed my joycon drift like a dream. I tried the paper trick, didn’t really work. Upon inspecting inside the actual joycon, I realized that the debris was the problem all along. Thank you thank you thank you!

[@firmbutton6485]

the little metal tangs that make contact with the carbon pads get weak over time, they need bending out a tiny bit to reset them. Clean pads at same time.

[@zdspider6778]

Exactly. People don't understand this and choose to put cardboard paper under the whole thing, lol. That black stuff he cleaned in the video, isn't really dirt. It's lubricant. It needs lubrification. Ultimately, it's still metal grinding on carbon, which means it will completely wear out eventually. By design. The only TRUE best design for a proper joystick is to use hull effect (basically magnets). No direct contact, no problem. Nintendo went with a shit design. Flimsiest shit I've ever used. They should have looked at the Sega Dreamcast.

[@christostheo9602]

I bought replacement sticks but the quality was trahsh. Then i found this Video and it actually worked :)! Took a bit more time than expected but now i still have the original parts inside my JoyCons which is clearly better than the replacement :D

[@NigelAyow]

Hey I just wanted to let you know that your video helped me out and my joycon is now working. After cleaning the joycon stick and calibrating, drifting is gone. I had major drifting to the right. Initially, i fixed it temporarily by cleaning under the joycon stick cover with a qtip. After playing for about a week drifting came back. This definitely worked for me. I will report back if anything changes. Cheers!

[@namedkenn]

I'm glad you got to fix it! In my experience the drift will come again a couple months later, and by then you'll have to be even more careful because I snapped my metal clip, just a little tip 😁 hope yours won't drift as quickly tho

[@gurvmlk]

@@namedkenn That makes sense, since after just one time the metal clips holding the stick together are probably infinitesimally loosened, and therefore less capable of keeping out tiny particles.

[@Agent1_-]

Oooooh my gooooood pretty much everyone who owns joy cons will have to do this at some point. I ordered the screwdrivers so I could clean mine.

[@namedkenn]

Yeahh exactly 😂 just be very careful when doing it. Good luck!

[@Agent1_-]

@@namedkenn I did it! They work perfectly now. Your video is like the only one that's actually helpful. Why doesn't this have more views? Saved me from getting new joy cons.

[@namedkenn]

Haha good one 👍🏻 I made the video exactly just because of this reason, everyone else is just posting guides to replace them, but I thought why don’t I open it myself and see if I can clean it 🤣 saved me a lot of money too! And yeah I’m just starting out so I hope this video could get to more people, will appreciate it very much if you could subscribe and share if you know of any friend needs help 😁 I’m happy this video helped!

[@trigger1377]

I never had to do it because I actually take care of my controllers

[@Xerecy]

This helped, thanx. Did you mention that slightest overbed of the metal brackets might result in their breaking off? I broke 2 out of 3, but got the job done, no drifting )

[@namedkenn]

Welcome 😁 although I never break mine that’s why I didn’t know what it takes to break it, I knew I have to be very very careful on that though, anyways good that yours is fixed!

[@RickL_was_here]

A late bit of input here for anyone that might be viewing this... The black strips inside are the actual contact points and if they're worn through, i.e. no black at the contact points (zoom in with a camera), this method won't help you much. Given the amount of work involved and the level of difficulty opening the thing, you're better off just buying a replacement kit from Amazon (less than 20 bucks for 4 and it comes with all you need and then some). If you do attempt this, you should gently clean the bottom side of the contact arms as well as they will pick up debris. Be very careful with the ribbon/power cables, you don't actually need to disconnect them if you're careful, other than the one that feeds the + or - button to gain access to the screw on the left or right controller, I don't remember which (it's the most difficult of them of course). It is quite difficult to reattach that 1 so I'd almost recommend taking the screw that holds that button in place out instead and folding it to the side to remove the screw for the stick (it's under that other+/- ribbon cable). Both the left and right are completely different from one another so you'll see what I'm talking about once you open them. I'd also recommend dental picks to help with lifting the ribbon cable clamps if you go this route, those can break very easily. I've done stuff like this before and the repair typically doesn't last very long (it ends up being more of a wear issue anyway).

[@sethbarnes3684]

Going to try this on both my controllers as they are both drifting terribly. If I do break one of the controllers themselves I don't really have much to lose at that point (been meaning to get a second pair for more friends) so it should be all good either way.

[@namedkenn]

Yeah, just be careful on each and every step, especially when opening the metal plate, do it very slowly and gently, and you should be fine 👌🏻 I hope you succeed, good luck!

[@dref737]

Thank you so much! The video was so helpful and now my Joycons work perfect.

[@namedkenn]

Glad it helped 😁

[@blstdLuiG]

they still working?

[@kilowatt8401]

Tried this with my left joy con and I ended up breaking three of the metal tabs that hold the stick assembly together. Luckily, the clips on the sides were able to hold it together after I cleaned the contacts, though I was worried that the stick might not work at all after I was done(I was being a bit rough on it and I wasn’t in the right place to be working on it either). After some calibration though, it worked! Stick drift is completely gone, and hopefully it’ll stay that way for a while.

[@gladr9272]

I cant get the side clips to hold it :( how do you do it?

[@DropDeadAgain]

so my whole joystick came apart help?

[@hpog2468]

Thanks! Fixed my drift problem. I had problems with pulling out the battery though. The whole plug came right off the board. I had to solder the wires back onto the board. But it's all good now.

[@Padtocanner]

Many thanks for the guide. Was able to replace left Joycon first time. 👍

[@sleekgeek36]

Plzz answer would this also fix the left analog joycon button sometimes it reads and sometimes donts im panicking and might end up buying a new pair again

[@trackno.1875]

Holy shit, this actually worked for me, my switch as collecting dust for 2 months because of this

[@GapSamaa]

Amazing video, bro. Thank you very much to sharing with us! Good job, well done.

[@namedkenn]

Glad to help!

[@drwoke8172]

Ok holy crapppp it is 12:52 and I lost my sanity trying to put the metal part back on the joycon but thank you so much for the tutorial I said frick it and tried to fix it myself before by a new one so this saved me 60 bucks and it works now so thanks :))

[@captainho0k]

Ordering the Triwing screwdriver now hopefully all goes well as my launch switch has finally become unplayable due to drift. Subbed and liked!

[@PritongLamok]

This tutorial really helps fixed my switch lite analog drifting issue. Thanks Kenneth. 🙂

[@namedkenn]

Shoot I just noticed the ‘lite’ word 😳 I was wondering the same thing too actually, since you have to open the entire switch right!

[@tetradon3564]

Really important point i want to make here is, the battery connector needs to come "up", not "back", otherwise you could pull the wires out. Otherwise, excellent instructional video. Doing this felt like "Journey to the Center of the Atom!"

[@2010ngojo]

I would also suggest cleaning the metal prongs/fingers. Again, be gentle as they can easily be bent. Dirt/debris can build up on them and won't make good contact with the pads.

[@hoot-hoot-birb9438]

Very in depth , Exactly what I need to fix my friends drifting joy con . Only one question , what if I only have metal tweezers? Is it possible to use my metal one but just be super duper carful, or should I go buy plastic tweezers?

[@rizwanrafeek3811]

@Kenneth Tanaka My son's device had this problem, so I dropped 4 drops of sawing-machine oil on the middle ball of joy-con, ever since it then it works just fine, I never ever have to remove it apart. Drop 4 drops at each four corner of joy-con, it works like magic.

[@cc-vidsyt]

Can you come to my house and do it for me pleeeeeeeeeeease 🥺 Lol

[@namedkenn]

Oooohhh boi

[@bloovboi4260]

ikr. i need someone trustworthy with experience to do this for me

[@User28207]

Lol same

[@ForceHost]

Incredible, already bought new ones but thought I'd give this a shot and it worked! Didn't even use rubbing alcohol since yeah it's not exactly on the shelves in the UK but followed to the letter. We even have the same screwdriver set 😂