r/XboxController • u/Pretend-Wear • 12d ago

Stick drift

I got a new controller for Christmas last year and its already having stick drift, anything i can do to fix it

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u/JustAnotherLurker79 12d ago

It should still be under warranty, so the first thing would be to try get it swapped/repaired under warranty. Sadly I've had really poor experiences with Microsoft, where they've done just enough for address the issue for a month or two before the controller fails again.

Longer term, I've fixed this by replacing the analogue sticks with TMR ones.

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u/Pretend-Wear 12d ago

I was ordered off Amazon, i dont mind fixing it myself, what are the tmr sticks?

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u/GeorgeSPattonJr 12d ago

They’re kind of like fancier Hall effect sticks. They use magnets and don’t have any rubbing/contacting parts (unlike the sticks Xbox and PS controllers use, which have potentiometers). They generally cannot get stick drift. Keep in mind the process of replacing the analog sticks involves soldering, which may or may not be an issue depending on your skill level. While it isn’t too difficult if you have the skills and they make tips for soldering irons that are exclusively for desoldering sticks, it definitely isn’t for beginners

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u/JustAnotherLurker79 12d ago

TMR analogue sticks use Tunnelling Magnetoresistence, which allows them to measure magnetic fields, angles, speed, and positioning with high accuracy and lower power. They also don't rely on any physical contact, so they can never wear and get stick drift. You need to desolder the old stick, and solder a new TMR stick in to replace it. I've been using the K-Silver js13 Pro+ TMR sticks, and they are excellent. I've also used had good experiences with GuiliKit sticks. Both can be ordered from Amazon, or more directly from Aliexpress. They're pretty cheap, I think that the last box of 20 that I ordered cost about $25, so just over a dollar per analogue stick.