It’s no secret that modern technology is not built to last. From washing machines, microwaves to even PC components, there is a distinct lack of quality control in modern products, which results in a high failure rate.
What used to be the norm (that is, devices working for years and sometimes, even decades) has now turned out to be the exception, as modern tech breaks down very often, requiring user intervention and at times – the outright purchase of a new, replacement item.
Naturally, this extends into controllers too – and most modern controllers exhibit a variety of defects, which include but are not limited to stick drift, faulty buttons, and more.
Stick drift issues are rampant in almost all mainstream controllers
Almost all mainstream controllers (at least, those produced by the big three – PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo) exhibit some sort of defect once used (and abused) down the line. This is quite unlike last-gen controllers like those found within the PS3 and Xbox 360, which lasted literal lifetimes.
Indeed, modern controllers exhibit a series of defects – the most prominent of which would most certainly be stick drift. For the uninitiated, stick drift is a phenomenon where the analog sticks of a controller begin to exhibit erratic, involuntary movement.
In short, these sticks move on their own, hence the term ‘drift’. Stick drift can be of varying degrees, but one thing is certain – the analog sticks are (almost) entirely busted, with no possible quick fixes.
The only way to fix this defect would be to change the analog stick’s potentiometer sensors, which is a very involved process. Coupled with the general difficult-to-repair nature of these controllers, most affected users end up purchasing a new controller instead of dealing with the hassle.
This is by design, and companies benefit greatly by making players purchase multiple parts over a shorter period of time. Perhaps the most controversial of these failures would be the stick drift associated with the Nintendo Switch’s joycon controllers, which can be quite fatal during a competitive match.
Joycons almost always fail, and the issue is quite widespread. Nintendo is yet to officially acknowledge the issue, which makes things even worse.
Then again, neither Xbox nor PlayStation are in a particularly good spot here, as their controllers are also known to exhibit the same issues. Interestingly, the same potentiometer-based sticks are also present within the pro controllers as well, which is doubly unfortunate.
Hall Effect sensors are the (expensive) future
A proposed replacement for potentiometer-based sensors is of the hall effect variety. In short, hall effect sensors use magnets to approximate movement inputs, which are a lot more accurate. Given that there is no wear and tear in this ‘movement’, hall effect-based analog sticks and triggers also last a lot longer.
Unfortunately, hall effect components are quite a bit more expensive to manufacture and incorporate into a design, which makes them far less attractive to manufacturers. It is, thus, no surprise that many choose to ‘cheap out’ and use the traditional potentiometer controls instead – even if they make for a worse product in the long run.
Read on for more controller-related stuff, such as the best Marvel Rivals settings for the same.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
