Nintendo Switch 2 won't suffer from Joy-Con drift, thanks to a new patent
The Nintendo Switch's biggest problem could be avoided on Switch 2
The latest Switch 2 leak will please anyone who has concerns over the durability of Nintendo’s next controllers, as it appears Nintendo will address Joy-Con drift once and for all.
A new Nintendo controller patent was spotted by accessibility consultant Laura Kate Dale that shows Nintendo is considering using magnetic sensors for the Nintendo Switch 2 analog sticks – commonly known as hall effect sensors. The patent was filed on May 11, 2023, and published on September 7.
Hall effect sensors are far superior to the commonly used potentiometer sensors as they’re less prone to failure due to their contactless design. Potentiometer joysticks can often succumb to wear and tear due to the sensor making physical contact with other moving parts over time.
It’s why a consumer group in the UK called Which? claimed Joy-Con drift was the result of a mechanical fault within the controller itself. Which? urged Nintendo to offer “no-quibble” repairs and replacement as a result of its findings.
➡️ The Shortcut Skinny: Switch 2 Joy-Con drift fix
🙌 Switch 2 could use hall effect analog sticks instead of the ones found on the Joy-Con
👍 Hall effect sticks are more durable and far less prone to stick drift
🆓 Nintendo now offers free repairs for anyone with Joy-Con drift
👏 It appears the company doesn’t want to make the same mistake with Switch 2
We’ve seen countless third-party controller manufacturers switch to the more reliable and accurate hall effect analog sticks, such as the excellent GameSir G7 SE controller and 8BitDo Ultimate controller. However, Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo continue to use the cheaper, less reliable potentiometer joysticks.
Joy-Con drift is easily one of the biggest weaknesses of the Nintendo Switch. It’s become such a common problem that Nintendo eventually announced it would offer free repairs worldwide for anyone who encountered the issue.
Nintendo will want to avoid a repeat of that situation with Switch 2, which is tipped to launch towards the end of 2024. Recent rumors suggest it could be more powerful than we initially thought, and may launch with one of the best PS5 games. The flip side is that if the Switch does include beefier specs, it may be the most expensive Nintendo console to date.
We could get an official Switch 2 announcement soon, as Nintendo historically holds a rather substantial Nintendo Direct during September. Last year Nintendo held a Direct on September 13, so fingers crossed we’ll hear something soon.