One of the biggest issues with the original Nintendo Switch system was the infamous Joy-Con drift. VGC got to chat with a Nintendo representative to ask them some questions about the system and naturally they asked how the Japanese company plans to combat the drift and whether it will affect the new console. The Nintendo representative said that the control sticks for the Nintendo Switch 2 have been both redesigned and improved. It isn’t clear whether they use hall effect sticks or not.
“The control sticks for joy-con 2 controllers have been redesigned and have improved in areas such as durability.”
Actually, I’m gonna say they probably used hall effect sticks to combat the Joy-Con drift problem to prevent any particles or dust getting inside the controllers and I hope we don’t have to spend too much money on the new joy-con repairs. I’m still very curious about its performance.
They didn’t. Otherwise they would say they did, because we all know what those are and have been secretly hoping that this is what they would do.
Actually they wouldn’t. Notice how the answer wasn’t even confirming stick drift is a thing. So he isn’t going to explain how they fixed a problem they won’t talk about. But I think it’s Nintendo confirming in a round about way.
They have hall effect. It was in patents and confirmed in a teardown.
We’ll see on mass release, though.
They never mentioned the drift officially because that would confirm there was a problem and they would’ve lost legally in some cases. So they wouldn’t say if it was fixed as that was prove it was there to begin with!
That was such a politicians response.
Durability has nothing to do with drift.
You may want to look up the definition of durability…
“The ability to withstand wear, pressure, or damage.”
That was a complete non-answer. Betcha they WILL drift.
I can tell it will in overtime.
Not a complete answer.
I bet they’ll have more drift than need for speed Tokyo.
😄no seriously hope it’s improved or eliminated!
yes, it answers well… beside!
We’ll see, but I admit that it’s surely a problem that I doubt will be fully repaired, whether it’s now or in 10 years.
My V1 Switch is in need of new Joycons. I was waiting until Switch 2, but even after everything that’s been announced, there are still factors like the potential of the Switch 2 being way more expensive. It makes me wonder if I’ll be cherishing my Switch V1 more often due to that.
Is there a controller that doesn’t drift? This is the only answer you can give to that statement. Even if there was an answer there could still be a few bad apples.
Aaaaaaand no Hall effect joysticks.
Yeah, with this and the sky high price that it’s gonna get higher even more, I guess I’m gonna dip out. Guess I’ll wait till there a second hand market for this thing, or you know, when the next smash comes out.
Never had a drift problem on the Switch, tearing of the rubber on the left joystick though.
We asked about drift… Not durability.
Nah, modern Nintendo is all about cutting costs and pricing as high as its market will allow. Otherwise, you don’t get download-only physical games that still cost $10 more.
Nintendo controllers are generally solid in overall performance. If you’re experiencing drift, it’s worth checking whether it’s actually stick drift or just game lag or outdated software causing input delay.
Nintendo’s wording definitely feels careful, but “improved durability” could still be meaningful. Drift usually happens due to wear inside the potentiometer mechanism, so better materials or sealing could reduce long-term degradation even without Hall Effect sensors. The real test will be how they hold up after a year of heavy use.
Whether they’re Hall Effect or not, what matters most is long-term consistency. The original Joy-Cons often developed slight input movement before full drift became obvious. I’m more interested in teardown confirmations and real-world user reports after launch rather than PR statements. Durability claims are easy, lasting performance is harder to prove.
Interesting to see Nintendo’s response, but the real concern remains whether the new Joy-Con 2 will truly solve the long-standing drift issue. Even with redesigned sticks, Nintendo confirmed they are not using Hall effect sensors, which are known to reduce drift caused by wear over time
In many cases, performance issues in games aren’t just controller-related but also come from hardware imbalance. It’s always a good idea to check your setup here: https://devicexa.com/tools/bottleneck-calculator/