Joy-Con drift: sticks moving on their own or not responding

Updated Troubleshooting

Before assuming a hardware fault, check whether the stick inputs have been remapped. A remapped controller shows a wrench icon next to it in the bottom-left corner of system menus. Nintendo strongly recommends checking this first.

Joy-Con control sticks drifting or not responding

Symptoms
Stick input registers without touching it (drift), or the stick doesn't respond or responds incorrectly.
Documented cause
Remapped stick inputs, outdated system or controller firmware, a skin/cover interfering, uncalibrated sticks, in-game tilt controls, or a hardware fault in the Joy-Con.[1]
  1. Reset remapped stick inputs. A wrench icon next to the controller means its inputs are remapped. Put the system into sleep mode; on waking you can reset the controller inputs.[1]
  2. Update system and controller firmware. Install the latest system update and make sure the Joy-Con have the latest controller firmware.[1]
  3. Remove skins and calibrate. Take off any skins or covers, then calibrate the control sticks in System Settings → Controllers and Sensors.[1]
  4. Check game tilt controls. Some games, such as Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, have tilt controls that can look like stick problems when enabled.[1]
  5. Send the Joy-Con for service. If the sticks can't be calibrated, only the Joy-Con needs servicing — don't send the console. Nintendo's online request covers the US and Canada.[1]

Check how the Joy-Con are registered

With the Joy-Con attached, open the Controllers screen from the HOME Menu and confirm they show as attached. If they don’t, Nintendo has a separate article for Joy-Con that aren’t recognised while attached.

Service

Nintendo’s online service request is for the Joy-Con only. Don’t send in the console. It’s available in the US and Canada. Elsewhere, contact an authorised service centre.

These steps apply to Nintendo Switch and Switch OLED Joy-Con. For the built-in sticks on the Lite, see Switch Lite control sticks. Joy-Con 2 for Switch 2 are covered in Joy-Con 2 vs Joy-Con.

Why sticks drift, and what calibration, dead zones and Hall-effect sticks can and can’t do: Stick drift explained.

Sources

Last checked

  1. Joy-Con Control Sticks Are Not Responding or Respond Incorrectly — Nintendo Support Nintendo · Official support

See also

Related

Devices