NintendoNintendo has confirmed that the Switch 2 Joy-Cons will not feature hall effect joysticks, which are the best way to prevent stick drift.
The Nintendo Switch is one of the most popular consoles ever, but many customers have experienced massive stick drift issues with its Joy-Con controllers.
Customers with these issues can send the problematic controller to the company’s repair center for one free replacement, but it doesn’t fix the problem. One way that could fix stick drift almost entirely, however, is the use of hall effect joysticks.
Unlike regular sticks that use a mechanical contact point that wears down over time (and cause stick drift in the process), HE sensors use magnets that remove the contact point and therefore don’t wear down nearly as fast – if at all.
Fans hoped that the Switch 2 would feature hall effect joysticks to limit stick drift on the Joy-Con 2, but Nintendo has now confirmed they’re not being used in the new console.
Switch 2 Joy-Cons have been designed from the ground up
During NintendoLife’s interview with Nintendo of America’s Nate Bihldorff, they outright asked him about the Joy-Con 2’s joysticks and whether they’re hall effect sensors or not.
“Well, the Joy-Con 2’s controllers have been designed from the ground up. They’re not Hall Effect sticks, but they feel really good,” Nate replied.
Despite the lack of the much-needed Switch 2 upgrade, the new Joy-Cons could still be less prone to stick drift. However, it’s something that we’ll have to wait to see until after the console releases this June.
NintendoIt’s unknown why they didn’t go for HE sensors in the Joy-Con 2’s, but one can safely assume that it may have something to do with the way they’re attached to the screen.
Instead of using a rail system like the original, the new controllers use a strong magnet to attach to the tablet. It’s possible that using the magnetic joysticks alongside the attachment method caused interference with the controls.
Nintendo hasn’t directly revealed much about the Switch 2’s internal hardware as of writing, but Nvidia has shared that it will feature things like DLSS and Ray Tracing to rival the performance of a high-end PC graphics card.
