Nintendo Switch: 5 ways to fix Joy-Con drift -- with or without tools
- Calibrate or recalibrate your Switch Joy-Cons. The first thing you should do if you notice Joy-Con drift (especially...
- Clean your Joy-Con's joystick. If you still experience Joy-Con drift after calibrating and recalibrating, the next...
- Nintendo will fix Joy-Con drift for you. If calibrating...
Full Answer
How to repair switch joycons?
Return checklist:
- Connect your USB drive to your PS5 console.
- Go to the home screen and select Settings > System.
- Select System Software > Back Up and Restore > Back Up Your PS5.
- When there are multiple USB drives connected, select your USB drive.
- Select the type of data you want to back up, and then select Next.
How to get joycons repaired?
- Deal Value: Drift repair for Joy-Con controllers is now free; customers who previously paid for drift repair can receive a refund.
- Time Frame: Until further notice.
- Things to Remember: To receive a repair refund, you’ll need to provide proof of the transaction. You can only claim this deal if you live in North America.
How to fix switch joystick?
- Replacement analog joystick for Nintendo Switch Lite and Joy-con. ...
- Fix common joystick problems and revitalize your controller new again
- NOTE: Please make sure you calibrate after installation
- Comes with the "Y" Tri-wing Screwdriver and "+" Cross Screwdriver repair tools, tweezers, pry tools and "Y" Screws
How to fix a broken Joycon?
Required spare parts
- Unscrew the four screws circled in red that secure the rear case of the Joy-Con with a Tri-wing screwdriver.
- Insert the nylon spudger between the front and back case. Carefully lever up the spudger to separate the two parts.
- Use the point of the nylon spudger to gently lever up the battery connector in order to disconnect it from the controller.

Can Switch joy cons be repaired?
Joy-Con Information Due to shipping regulations for lithium ion batteries, repair can only be set-up for a maximum of four (4) Joy-Con at a time. If you would like to set up a repair for five (5) or more Joy-Con, please fill out an additional form to receive an additional shipping label.
Is Nintendo still fixing joy cons for Free 2021?
As a reminder, Nintendo is still offering free Joy-Con repairs in North America. All you need to do is fill out an easy form, and live in the USA or Canada, and you're good.
How do you fix a broken Switch Joy-Con?
1. Calibrate or recalibrate your Switch Joy-ConsRemove your Joy-Con from the body of the Switch.Go to System Settings.Scroll to and select Controllers and Sensors.Select Calibrate Control Sticks.Then press down on the control stick for the controller you want to calibrate.
Is repairing a Joy-Con free?
In 2019, Nintendo started repairing Joy-Con drift for free, even with an expired warranty.
How much does Joy-Con repair cost?
How Much Does Nintendo Charge to Repair Joy-Con? All Nintendo products have a limited hardware warranty which covers manufacturing defects for twelve months from the date of purchase. So, any repairs required during that time are free. If repairs are needed after the warranty has expired, it costs $40.
How much does it cost to repair a Switch Joy-Con?
If you're outside the warranty, Reddit users had previously reported costs of $40 for an out-of-warranty repair, which is nearly the cost of a replacement single Joy-Con controller. (They run for $50 individually or $80 as a pair.)
How long do Nintendo joy cons last?
approximately 20 hoursThe Joy-Con controllers take approximately three and a half hours to fully charge. When fully charged, the battery duration for the Joy-Con controllers can last approximately 20 hours. This can be shorter depending on the software application and functions being used.
How long does Nintendo take to fix joy cons?
How long does a Joy-Con repair take? The general consensus indicates that Joy-Con repairs by Nintendo can take anywhere from 3 days to a month.
What causes the Joy-Con drift?
It's unclear what the cause of Joy-Con drift is but one Joy-Con teardown published on Reddit by user u/rainbopython in April 2019 claims that the drift problem could be caused by wear-and-tear over time while other theories point towards build-up of dust inside the casing around the stick.
Is Joy-Con drift still a problem 2021?
Best answer: Unfortunately, it is possible for the Switch OLED to experience drift issues. Nintendo has made minor updates to Joy-Cons over the years, but the ones in the Switch OLED are the same as the controllers that came with the Switch V2, so they're still susceptible to drift.
How long does Nintendo take to repair Joy-Cons 2021?
How long does a Joy-Con repair take? The general consensus indicates that Joy-Con repairs by Nintendo can take anywhere from 3 days to a month.
How long are Joy-Cons under warranty?
The dock, the Joy Con, the adapter, and any other extra devices are considered as accessories, and thus are warrantied for only three months. The warranties are reserved for the original purchaser, meaning the person registered as the buyer either at the point of sale, which is the store, or on the receipt.
Personal Information
Your repair instructions and shipping label will be emailed to you. Please enter your Nintendo Account email or primary email address below and ensure it is accurate.
Shipping Details
The address you provide will be used to ship the Joy-Con back to you. If you live outside of the US or Canada, you must use a repair center in your area.
Repair Terms (required)
Please carefully read and check each one of the repair terms below before submitting your Joy-Con repair.
Why does my joystick drift?
Users have dug into the issue to find the cause, and thanks to this joystick teardown from Reddit user rainbopython, it’s easy to see the contact pads on the joystick’s circuit board wear down over time. The pads are made of a softer material than the metal prongs from the joystick that press down on these pads, accelerating the wear process and causing the joystick to drift, often within a matter of months.
When did the Nintendo Switch launch?
The Nintendo Switch has seen massive success since its launch in 2017, but we’re now seeing the console’s first big scandal, in the form of failing Joy-Cons.
Does a miscalibrated controller hurt?
While the hardware flaw itself has nothing to do with calibration, a mis-calibrated stick can still cause drift—so it never hurts to recalibrate the controller first, just in case. It’s quick, free, and doesn’t require fixing any hardware.
Can you replace a joystick assembly?
It’s not the most ideal solution, but replacing the joystick assembly is your best bet if you want a properly-working Joy-Con again. (At least until it fails the next time.)
How to recalibrate a Joystick?
To recalibrate, press the X button. You'll be asked to move your joystick in a specific direction and let go. Eventually, after doing this left, right, up and down, you'll be prompted to rotate your control stick in a circle clockwise.
What to do if you encounter Joy Con drift?
If you encounter Joy-Con drift, the first thing you should do is check the calibration.
How to tell if a joystick is calibrated?
You'll come across a calibration check screen. If you're not touching or moving the control stick, you should see a plus sign in the middle of the circle. And when you're touching the controller or moving it, you should see a dot. Move the problematic joystick around and you should see the color of the circle change from black to blue. If not, it's time to recalibrate your control stick.
How to get alcohol out of joystick?
If you look closely at the joystick, it looks like it's wearing a graduation cap, the bottom of which has a rubber or silicone covering over the top part of the mechanism. Saturate a cotton swab with 70% isopropyl alcohol and then dab the swab against the bottom part of that "graduation cap" to get some of the alcohol under it.
How much does a Nintendo Switch cost?
Whether I'm building an island in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, soaring on a glider across Hyrule in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild or just enjoying the chaos of MarioKart 8, the Nintendo Switch ( $365 at Amazon) is my absolute favorite piece of tech released in the past few years. But with its plastic build, weird kickstand and just-OK battery life, it's far from perfect. And now after two years of use, my Switch suffers from Joy-Con drift, which makes games seem possessed. When I'm not touching a Joy-Con, characters walk off on their own or selection screens become a rapid scrolling mess. It's like someone else has taken over the console and they're not great at playing games.
What to do if playback doesn't begin?
If playback doesn't begin shortly, try restarting your device.
Can you remove joysticks?
This last tip is the most drastic. You can remove the problematic joystick and put a new one into the housing. There are numerous kits online. I got one on Amazon for $14 which comes with two new analog stick modules, and tools.
