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Analog Stick Drift Repair

If you know, you know. If you don't then when it happens to you it will frustrate the hell out of you.

You could be playing a game and all of a sudden your controller will just veer off. Worst time this could happen is if you are playing a war game where you are using a sniper rifle for example.

There are websites where you can check your controller for stick drift. Each analog stick should do a complete 360-degree circle when moving and should be dead centre when not. For the longest of time people have referred to the stalk as the "analog stick" but the component part is actually called a "ALPS Thumb Pointer™".

From a mechanical point of view, part of the analog stick called a potentiometer is responsible for the X and Y movements. It is vital this part is clean from debris, but it can also wear down over time. They are rated for just 400 hours of continuous movements.

Most replica parts you can buy off eBay will fit but rather than doing a 360 degree circle they perform a square-like movement. This can potentially translate to erratic movements whilst in a game.

At CRS Norwich we have investigated this issue and as a result now only use the official part "RKJXV". Our replacement offers the full 360-degree range. However it is almost impossible to get a dead centre point because the control board is calibrated at the manufacturer. Usually this is no problem, so long as the resting position is inside the "Dead Zone".

In worse case situations if after replacing the part does not fix the issues then the most likely cause of the problem would be the Controller PCB (Printed Circuit Board) itself.

If you require your controller serviced, click here to contact us.

Article By: CRS Shay
Date Added: 2021-04-21 12:15:00

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