New and Improved(?) Drift Free Nintendo Switch Sticks

Gulikit has released a new batch of their Hall Effect Sensor stick replacements and sent some over for me to test out! Let's walk through installing them and see if they really are an upgrade.
Want to grab replacement sticks or a controller that uses hall effect sensors?
Gulikit Stick Replacement: amzn.to/43gTREn
Gulikit King Kong 2: amzn.to/3KGAflK
8bitdo Ultimate Controller: amzn.to/3MpEH9Y
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[@demolitionman5384]

I have placed them in every joy-cons mod i have done. For my nephews and little cousin. Also made some joy-cons as tribute to GBC and GBA

[@Zain4hmed]

As someone who repairs joy cons- I respect this

[@davidtobin1]

The transition/morph between controllers at about 30 seconds is amazing.

[@HarmonicWave]

Check it out at 10:25 as well. Kind of trippy.

[@julienmelnick]

I feel like gulikit is really changing the game. I am so nervous when cracking into the hardware.

[@WeAreNotExperts2007]

Julien Melnick what a coincidence since I was just watching you before this video

[@pepito69]

That’s exactly why I haven’t bought them

[@leo-ub6nb]

I think anyone has the ability to do it. I do like tinkering with stuff, but I also don't have a lot of experience when opening up these controllers. When I was first watching tutorials on how to do a shell swap on the Joy-Cons, everyone was saying how bad the experience was, do it *only* if you are 100% positive you want to do the mod and to set aside a few hours. It took me about 1 hour and I replaced *everything* for the shell swap. Some people leave the middle plastic piece that seperates the shoulder buttons to make it easier/faster, but to me it just looks half-assed, especially if the colors don't compliment one another. So of course, when I decided to do it, I was quite nervous. But when I opened it up, it felt relatively easy and fairly straight forward. After that first time, I felt very confident afterwards. I've opened them up a few times more to do some other things like, replacing the plastic Joy-Con locks with some metal ones, changing the left Joy-Con buttons for a D-pad, etc. They still feel good, nothing is loose, everything works and I'm very happy with the results. This is the original set of Joy-Cons that I got with my V1 (unpatched 😏) Switch and they've been doing great since then! Still no stick drift, but I probably haven't put in as much time on my Switch than most others have. When the drift does come, I will 100% be replacing them with the Gulikit set. Just trying to make you feel more confident about the procedure. It's not as difficult as the earlier Joy-Con shell openings make it seem. Is there any risk, yes, as with anything. But, IMO, the risk is relatively small and the payout, knowing that you did some mods and got it to your liking, is huge!

[@johnmarstall]

I'm a doofus and I've successfully replaced the stick module in a Joy-con. You need the right screwdriver and you need to be especially carefully not to break any ribbon cables; but it's a pretty easy mod. Like Kevin says, the Joy-con R is trickier than L. Do the L half first to get the hang of it.

[@pest174]

Agreed with Leo and John. Go slow, organize work space. Takes about 10 mins to complete. I recommend taking out the battery, because after doing the swap with the battery still connected it was a pain to calibrate.

[@h1tchman]

Would love to see a zoomed in version of this video. It was quite hard to see what you were doing

[@linkinworm1]

Finally a proper in depth video on these. Ill probbaly hold off till they can fix them last couple issues

[@onepiece190993]

Thanks to really show the differences, i was thinking about changing mines as a preventive measure, but im sticking to oem ones

[@Jakco808]

Love your videos Kevin! They're so qell edited and relaxing tbh

[@mariogarbey8933]

I got the first batch of gulikit install and no issues so far , they just work, besides the cosmetic gap (not a big deal )I think they are close as it gets to Nintendo sticks but without drift and that’s a win in my books.

[@thegrumpydino67]

As soon as I saw Austin Evans' video on this I kept on thinking "come on Kevin upload a review..." Well delivered

[@DapperIndividual]

I actually just installed these the other day when I noticed some bad stick drift. So far, my only complaints are the caps not having the same grip as OEM and not having any color options except white sticks. However, seeing as the stick tops are removable, I hope they sell different versions in the future. Very happy with the final result, probably gonna install these in all my Joy Cons as the year goes on.

[@asutora.5363]

you only need to calibrate it to get it working correctly

[@squishyflac]

​@@asutora.5363 What? It's only about the grip, not anything about calibration lol

[@asutora.5363]

@@squishyflac i mustve been delusional or read smth wrong when i posted that comment

[@squishyflac]

@@asutora.5363 It happens

[@Leticro]

@@asutora.5363 I misread the first sentence too as "I actually just installed these the other day AND I noticed some bad stick drift". One of those "read too quickly and my brain filled in the wrong words" type moments I think.

[@keijimashta]

Its the best replacement, I bought two sets to replace my two nephew's switch and SLite. I did a shell swap with the SLite and after putting the stock ones back on with thumb caps the left stick for some reason would not want to go full left and the right one wouldn't go full right even after multiple calibrations. I tried with pokemon scarlet and going full left the character would only walk when doing the full stick rotation. A side note, if you accidently pull or some how pop the thumb part off you can put it right back on, which is a neat design on their part compared to nintendo's where it will completely break off. Just be careful not to loose the dust cap that sits between. I ended up snipping an old stick to replace it.

[@MariusMerchiers]

I installed them in two joycons. No more drift and the sticks move a little less to the sides but it's not a problem. Be sure to calibrate after installing them. One complaint I have is that they are slippier but luckily Gulikit provides rubber thumb caps in the package

[@JasonwithaJay]

I put these in my Odin, and I love them. AYN set the thumbsticks really deep, so the increased height makes a huge difference. I'm thinking about getting them for my joycons, but I have 3 pairs. That's a lot of money to fix something that isn't broken.

[@kwok57]

Having replaced my joycon sticks twice, I am relieved to have the Gulikits installed and hopefully I never think about it again.

[@guiltronprime351]

I actually have these, I've had no drift whatsoever, I had a joycon with a customized Dpad that drifted, installed the new one and yeah, happy with the result

[@timenomad3031]

i've been in electronic school for a year and half and man, it changes your whole perception of how everything works, the consoles feels like toys same for phones (at the moment of tweak and repair i mean) hahaha nice video :), i'll change my joysticks soon.

[@glenfoxh]

This is amazing. Not had stick drift yet, and had my switch since they first came out. But I also feel, it's just a matter of time till I do. I want to get this kit. Is what I feel all controllers should have.

[@halomaniatico100]

What about now?

[@cadenchurchill4296]

Those Mario red Joy-Con look so good! 😍

[@GenocideNiev]

Just swapped mines. Work like a dream!

[@drmariojonathan]

Grey coming in nicely my dude

[@GD_Osman002]

3:15 Warning to everyone who opens a nintendo switch joy con. The right side set of joy cons seems to always have issues with the SR SZ buttons whatever they are called. The 2 orange cables you see poking out in this video. Idk why sometimes it dies or dosent work properly anymore and you need to buy a new one (dosent happen often but I've experienced it 2 times in my life with 2 separate joy cons right side not left yet) but ofc can replace by buying new ones cheap from either AliXpress or other places. Just a heads up to you all. Do this at your own risk. Edit: when I say buy a new one I don't mean controller I mean just that thing that died so u buy it screw them out and put new one and set the things set into the joy con and it tbh has no issues at all. Hope this helps

[@michaelrodolfo9219]

Experienced this with two controllers. Is there any information why it happens?

[@anhonestreviewer7015]

@@michaelrodolfo9219 because of the crease in the ribbon cable that is caused during the manufacturing/assembly process. That crease disrupts the button inputs, and if really bad stops working altogether - which then necessitates a replacement.

[@michaelrodolfo9219]

@@anhonestreviewer7015 So the design is flawed from the start 🙃 I had to replace the sticks on all of my joycons, and noticed the crease on those ribbon cables. But I thought Nintendo would have probably thought of that and something I shouldn't be concerned about. But here we are. Very frustrating 😐

[@kolithehapty4883]

Gap is fixed, perfect now I can buy them

[@someonerandom42]

Nintendo should really be taking notes rn.

[@Verchiel_]

Taking notes of what? How to be more consumer friendly and spend more money on better hardware as opposed to using cheap stuff like the rest of the industry and cashing in on people buying replacement parts? We're far from that reality. If it's any large company that's going to release hall effect joystick controllers first is most likely xbox.

[@DanielPortia]

You're acting as if Nintendo doesn't know about this. They know that stick drift is an issue but choose not to address it since they make more money from selling more joycons. Your problem is thinking Nintendo care about you more than profits.

[@williamvun]

@@Verchiel_ Sony actually. Then they change back to potentiometer.

[@Crimson0047]

One time me and my dad were swapping sticks on me and my sister's joycons and the final ribbon cable was SO ANNOYING so thanks for making a guide for people who might run into it

[@amazinggoose104]

Nintendo have to now repair every Joycon drift for free in EU and best of all, it has no time limit. Gamers woke up 😎

[@JuanD817]

This + an extremerate d-pad shell and a grip will get you the best joycon experience

[@Alkaris]

I've been using the Guiliking King Kong 2 Pro Controller and it noticeably feels a lot better in some areas than the traditional Nintendo Switch Pro Controller, especially the trigger buttons which have a much nicer feel to it.

[@pkinneavy]

So the guilikit "kit" I got that had enough stick for two sets of joy-cons also had all the necessary screwdrivers and tweezers included. So not having y-tips is a barrier to replacement for these.

[@JAYJAYBEBE]

Isopropyl on a q-tip every once and a while under the flap of the joycon keeps the drift at bay. If it ever acts up again, a quick round with the q-tip and it is back to normal.

[@sohanarahaman8070]

I feel like this is a pretty good tutorial for every switch model from the regular switch and all that OLED switch

[@blue4006]

I already order this . Wish be as good at there gulikit pro controller

[@Martinez53072]

Swaped mine out just the other day, not much play time on them yet but definitely looking forward to it, only issue is now the right joycon dosnt read amiibo, so I'll have to crack it open and see if I can figure out what's going on

[@beardalaxy]

isn't the amiibo reader inside the stick on the right joycon?

[@UnoTheFirstOne]

I’m wondering if you’re still able to use Amiibo on the right Joycon with the new sticks

[@cadenchurchill4296]

I’m guessing that should be fine, doesn’t seem the replacement affects the NFC coils at all.

[@DanielPortia]

of course you're still able, the IR sensor isn't touched.

[@SaskSneeze]

I've noticed the stick drift on the my left joycon so I ordered this from Amazon.ca. Best case scenario it works... worst case scenario I mess it up and have to buy a new pair of joycons. I hadn't noticed the drift getting bad because I usually use my pro controller but when I use the switch in portable mode it is very noticeable. It looks a bit tedious to swap them out (and you have to do it twice) but I think the payoff will be better than just getting new joycons.

[@SlyHiro]

Good to know that they fixed the gap issue that's the main reason I didn't want to get them I've changed the joysticks so many times on mine and my nephew joycon and that having a little less range of motion doesn't seem that big of a con to me

[@joeydelmarsjr.646]

my pink left joycon has jutter, i replaced the joystick and all buttons work even L3 works but up down left right on the new joystick dont work., what am i doing wrong and it still has jitters i double checked all ribbons cables are seated all the way.

[@beardalaxy]

i'd be curious in seeing how these stack up against other joycon stick clones that aren't hall effect in terms of usability/feel. obviously those clones will eventually wear down as well, but how close they perform to the original sticks is still a point of comparison.

[@xanderyusuf7494]

Don't you think you should've zoomed in closer when you were replacing?

[@ShireenPlays]

I was just about to comment this, you can barely see what he's doing...

[@dhdr27]

It’s a good video, but kinda hard to see that’s going one. Maybe next a lttle more closer to the Joycon. KZbin Zoom also works but that’s is kinda blurry :)

[@8bitsamurai6]

Idk if just mine but the pair i got were way to stiff compared to the og imo. Which i do prefer the reg joysticks because they are great for indies and retro for being tighter smaller sticks which are more like a dpad. These are 2 pricey to me when you can get high quality replacmentd for 8 bucks. Im a big fan of the alps stick also. Got them on my onexplayer and they are amazingingly smooth and tight.

[@luisramirez-or5vg]

I need some of these for Dualshock 4 & Dualsense

[@DonovanMcNabb5]

You gotta play that Telecaster you got on showlight in the back

[@FanBoy0189]

Does it affect the NFC/Amiibo functionality of the Right Joycon? How about the functionality in games like 1-2-Switch?

[@fluffypomeranian]

No, Amiibo works, according to the Amazon Q&A

[@tiagomizuno3794]

Hey, could you tell me if after they the battery run out or when you turn off and on, did the joycons discalibrate?

[@reluttr2]

Did they fix the clicking/popping issue that the first run had?

[@Cmon3play]

you should zoom those joycon disassemble of yours so that we can see clearly ..

[@jdmvette]

Ordered...thx

[@Mando746]

Where can I get that compact screwdriver set you have?! 😮

[@HarmonicWave]

But how do these compare to the $10 ones you can get on Amazon? I've replaced most of my left sticks with those, so I'm wondering if this is better or how it's different as far as feel and range of motion.

[@haters3327]

one is potentiometer, other is hall effect. it should be clear

[@beblessed1030]

theoretically this 1 would last a lot longer without drifting

[@koji85]

Entonces los dreamcast los tenían? Porque para mi esos eran los mejores sticks que he usado en mi vida para jugar quake 3.

[@kamenrider2180]

can it be replace for nintendo switch lite

[@newtguy]

What about the pro controller, anything for that?

[@charcoalcharizd]

i have a swsh switch lite and both sticks are drifting to where it is unplayable

[@geekyhairybestia6152]

anyone know if these work in the pro controller as well

[@RodimusPrime29]

Is this about the same process on the Switch Lite?

[@caleasthetic]

why do people only remeber the hall effects sensors in the sega dreamcast. They where first used in the sega saturn, but nobody seems to mention that system.

[@kote1355]

The hall effect sticks used in PS Vita as well) Everyone forget about this.

[@tinystar3010]

Would be nice if you had actually zoomed in during the install....

[@LS95774]

Meh, ifixit probably has a more detailed stick replacement guide anyway

[@moongurd20]

I have been lucky so far. One Pro Controller is drifting for me and no joycons yet. I am on my third pair after switching switches though so 😅

[@romariomolina1285]

Can we get a new video like “Hall Effect a year later” vid? It would be great

[@pickleeggs3340]

doods got jimmy on his head

[@KyashiTran-san]

If PlayStation and Nintendo will send me on next month will have my great fan in the Future

[@NucleicAcidic36]

I've had my switch since 2018 with the same joycons and It is my primary console to play on especially handheld, I've never had any form of drift that wasn't able to be fixed through recalibration in system setings, idk how so many of yall constantly brake your sticks

[@musicotensai]

Sega Saturn had this technology 30 years ago. Dreamcast as well. One thing Sega was good at was hardware that was meant to last.

[@depressedwatermelon411]

What if I just put a little plastic wrap around my official sticks

[@renq1984]

can u use amiibos with this?

[@user-rey77]

What switch games do you recommend?

[@Tommy_turner_]

The installation part feels a little zoomed out for me thats watching on a small phone.

[@user-gw4vb7ds6k]

Would it affect amiibo functionality?

[@CJTas87]

How to make sure you get the new no gap version?

[@omegawaffles7348]

there’s a sticker apparently to close the gap

[@kote1355]

Original joy con stick cap is small, slippery and uncomfortable! I can't use them with comfort without Kontrolfreek thumbstick)))

[@mangaas]

One of my Joycons has a piece of a small credit card pushed inside to fix the drift (saw the fix online) and it works, the slight extra pressure counteracts the drift. I'm sure it'll continue to fail again, but at that point, I don't care, I'm not buying anymore Nintendo or console products. Co trollers have become $100 products that fall apart within a year, meanwhile my PS2, PS3 and XBox 360 controllers all have zero drift. And are beyond a decade older.

[@Chillwavesonly]

I agree with you, never had any issue with drift on my ps1/2/3|4 or on my Xbox 360/one , Nintendo joy cons on the other hand it’s a different story , I even bought the hori pro but that also drifts …

[@Solotiempodeosio]

Its work on switch lite?

[@Rayu25Demon]

Would you kindly share share your desktop wallpaper ?

[@MysticalGesture]

Would this work on Switch lite too ?

[@cadenchurchill4296]

They should! According to iFixit the Joy-Cons and Switch Lite both use the same stick parts.

[@MooMooTheWolf]

Yeah it works on the lite too

[@michaelthomas8147]

It's six years into the console's life and people are still trying to resolve this issue. No other company but Nintendo could get away with something like this.

[@tinystar3010]

You sir, have forgotten Sony. I just bought my 3rd ps5 controller because I'm tired of opening them up every 3 days to clean for stick drift. I also have 9 ps4 controllers with the same issues, same joystick components. Pretty sure Nintendo Switch is a baby in comparison to ps4.

[@Aredude67]

@@tinystar3010 THIS. My time with my PS4 I went through 5 controllers. Each time they started to drift I would just be sad. Each controller lasted me a year, max.

[@jesusramirezromo2037]

The PS4's joysticks are also really bad

[@_MrJasonW]

6 years into the console’s life and I’ve yet to experience this stick drift problem on either my Switch or either of my kids’ Switches. I’m sure it exists, however maybe it’s not as prevalent as the internet would lead you to believe. After all, it’s not like the internet to blow a small issue completely out of proportion.

[@ridingnerdy6406]

You need to zoom in when working on something that small, my dude.

[@gerrbearmac]

Of course there is no reasonably priced option in Canada 😢

[@larryholland9380]

Can you do one for Switch Lite?

[@jonathansalvador981]

Yes you can. The left joystick is easier but the right joystick is beneath the motherboard

[@squishyflac]

Only thing I don't like about them is the caps, they're not grippy at all

[@Lwokey]

i have a oled from 2023 and a day one nintnedo switch nether have switch drift

[@williamvun]

Its NOT DRIFT FREE. You still need to recalibrate the joystick after you install it. These stick just last longer than usual potentiometer.

[@toxicshot4528]

i have my switch over 2 years and no drift, what am i doing wrong? :(

[@HolyCow0273]

What do you mean, drift is bad, if anything your very lucky.

[@chingoedw88]

​@@HolyCow0273 sarcasm

[@jesusramirezromo2037]

Newer Switches/Joycons got a quiet fix, they don't drift as bad as early Joycons

[@rizwanzaman1793]

Umm... Will this work on the Switch Lite?

[@dertypmitbuzzcut]

Ig so, atleast it says it works for switch lite

[@ashishdhingra8034]

One thing that almost all of these KZbinrs get wrong is that switch in most of the regions, especially the Asian region, uses JIS screws instead of a Philips ones. Now they look very similar, and someone who is not all experienced will not be able to tell the difference at all. The difference people will feel is that if you use a Philips head on a JIS screw, you tend to strip the screw, which makes it 'un-removable', but using a JIS head on a Philips screw might not strip the screws. So be careful with that, and if a kit sells Philips heads with it, I would strongly recommend buying a JIS set separately. Also, I suggest all the KZbinrs to please mention this. This serious issue can make the joycon repair from very easy and cheap to very difficult and unnecessarily expensive.

[@Sinerwray]

Will it work on the lte?

[@nickarganbright7218]

A bit late but yes, I have done it to 3 sets of joycons and a switch lite, but it is a lot more involved to do with the switch lite because it requires you to completely tear down the system, my switch lite was getting old, battery was getting weak, case wasn't looking so fresh anymore, so I did a complete refresh if you will. New beautiful case new battery, the joysticks were still fine but considering it was a complete teardown and I didn't want them to break right after putting it back together I put these in it also. I do not regret it. But joycon joysticks are interchangeable with the switch lite to make a long answer short.

[@jaredlee-kk6xo]

​​@@nickarganbright7218just find a professional to help for the change

[@somerandomeguyonyoutube]

Put gulikit in my switch and deck

[@BAT_115]

I wonder why Kevin’s videos haven’t been recommended lately.

[@Nearnface]

wowooww

[@child8669]

I've never had drift

[@toututu2993]

It's kinda sad that most companies are still using a joystick that's even worse than the original playstation duelshock joystick

[@ChaoGirDja]

Well... to bad that the Drift-Phenomena is not caused by wear down of the Potis... At least not to this Point (but may be in the feature, if the wear down realy becoms an Problem). kzbin.info/www/bejne/jJrHaZ9_jdKNrac But yea, it is sad that this old technology is not used widely. The GeameCub-Controler was ohne of the last i know of, where Hall-Sensors get used.

[@beardalaxy]

it is caused by that. this fix just helps mitigate the damage temporarily. getting a new stick works too, and especially if it's a hall effect stick it'll hopefully stay that away unless it gets physically damaged.

[@CarbajalQZ]

No full tilt? Yeah I’d rather stick with the official sticks then.

[@devilsnevercry7]

Stick drift super sucks, I’ve changed a few sticks successfully including on a switch lite, but for me personally the joy con itself is not a comfortable controller too use for long periods of time, it has a badass rumble though :)

[@AaronOfYell]

Couldn't you have moved the overhead camera any further away? We're in danger of seeing what you're actually trying to do here

[@Ativetah]

:)

[@pedr0_m198]

ayo baldie

[@jat9926]

I’d rather just take it to a game repair shop and ask them to do it than attempt It myself.

[@Petsofwarcraft]

cute video. please zoom in closer.

[@bottledwaterprod]

Did Gulikit go on a marketing spree or something? All the KZbinrs are featuring their sticks this week, but they've been available for a awhile.

[@Deadlines-X]

yes.

[@sharkosaurfps]

They’re sending the new revision out now, so that’s probably why

[@CannedMemes1]

Wauw the switch is like 7 years old now ? An yeah the third Partys fixed it not Nintendo