Elizabeth Cole Nintendo have known from about 2 months in to the Nintendo Switch launch that there was an issue. In fact, there was a video released very early indeed and they would have seen from the huge number of issues people were facing that this was the case. They have failure rates - these were vastly exceeded regarding joycon issues. What I am saying is, they could have and should have changed the design of the joycon WAY before even the Lite was a flicker in their eye. It’s not ok.
I find it unreal that Nintendo knew about the drift issues with the regular joycons and then proceeded to use those same sticks on a device that can’t replace the joycons lol.
@@penncakes07 how can you buy more controllers when the idiots at Nintendo made the switch lite have non detachable joycons? It would be much easier to just buy joycons that are detachable.
@@kvin9210 so i think its better to not buy the lite then? I mean lites cool but if its a ticking time bomb and eventually will drift ill pass, with reg switch u can replace the joycons this one u cant,this device is terrible then,better save up extra 100 and get v2 or oled?
@@kvin9210 probably because if you bought the cheaper Lite version already and they charged for fixes, it might be expensive enough to fix that the average consumer would just say fuck it and buy a new nintendo switch console. more $$ for nintendo. It's pretty scummy how companies get to do this all the time, "Planned obsolescence" is not only bad for consumers but horrible for the environment.
Atleast it would be worth buying, you get an actual switch with/without drift and better graphics and framrate, the joycons can be easily replaced. The Lite destroys the purpose of a switch, it might as well be the bottom half of the 2ds but shittier.
My daughter just opened her Switch Lite today for her birthday that we pre-ordered over the summer. Right out of the box the left stick has the drifting issue. Thank you for this video, very informative.
I just got my switch last Friday & the left joy stick already has a drift issue. My character from animal crossing moves by itself or when I move to the left it won’t move. Update: I cleaned my joystick with air pressure dust & a little bit of alcohol with a q-tip and so far has been working.
To anyone having issues. Go to Settings, Controller settings, and calibrate your joycon. I've done this and since then my drifting has been fixed. Haven't had issues since.
This is why I buy all of my electronics from Best Buy and get their warranty plan. Anything that goes wrong with it I bring it back and they give me a brand new product of whatever it is I am bringing back.
Yeah, they serious screwed up with the Lite by not resolving the drifting. It's not like they started manufacturing without knowing about Joycon drift, it's literally been a thing since launch of the original Switch.
Hey Spawn! I'm a father of two young boys that love their Nintendo. One of my sons' broke off their left joy con and I thought I was going to have to buy a new Switch Lite. I found your video on UA-cam and found it very informative and I want to thank you for helping me make my sons' day by fixing his Nintendo! Thank you for your video!
Thanks for this. My son happened to snap of the left thumb stick of his new switch lite and I was very apprehensive of tearing it open and trying to replace it. Thanks to you he’s a happy camper again.
@@musicalmouse2398 Yeah, I really don't know how to fix things either. The most taking apart I've ever done is taking apart my r4 card to tape some paper inside of it lol. I'm considering buying a normal switch now because the drift is so insane that I literally cannot walk anymore. I know the normal switch has a drift problem too but.. at least I wouldn't feel as horrible while taking apart a joycon to try to fix the problem than my whole console
@@boringhumanbeing3826 That's fair. I might end up pulling apart my switch lite to fix the drift problem. He makes it look fairly simple so... Hopefully it actually is!
When you realize Spawn tore down the Switch Lite, put it back together, only to realize the left analogue stick went bad... tore it down once more to remove the stick... then put it together AGAIN... only to then tear it down once more to finally replace the stick. Truly a mad lad.
@@antoniolomeli7956 : Maybe....but he did originally tear the Switch-lite down purely for entertainment, and is now trying to show how to replace the control stick if drift issues are a problem...... he bought, and sacrificed a fully working Switch Lite for the benefit of his viewers.... Fortunately it looks to be still working, but he was willing to risk-it for his viewers. So enough of your snide, negative comments.... if you watch this channel, then you should know that those nasty, snide type comments don't apply here. Jon is a damn good-guy...you should know that.....
I finally started getting drift on my left analog stick. I used a syringe with 99.99% IPA and shot a little under the grommet and started moving it around in circles. I then blasted canned air in there a few times and then left it powered off for a day to make sure it all dried up. It completely fixed it.
Woohoo! Successful left analogue stick replacement here! Thanks so much for the video! (And newswave, and spawncast etc etc). One corner of the shell feels less than a mm off, like a clip didn't go back in quite right - but all the buttons work, all the screws went in, and everything else is golden, so i'm not too worried about it. Thanks again! My left analogue stick had started not only drifting, but also poorly registering, and making a physical click noise, when I pushed it to the right, hence the replacement need.
Bless you for this, I dropped my switch lite which broke the clicking on my left joystick but thanks to this and a repair kit it's now completely fixed! Thanks so much!
@@1rage17how does this help with joycon drift? I'm thinking of getting a switch lite and am worried about joycon drift so I'll buy covers if that can prevent it. But I'd like to know how it works if that's okay :)
For my 2 Year Anniversary, my girlfriend surprised me with a Switch Lite because she has a Switch already and we love Animal Crossing. I got my Switch January 13th and its so cute and fun, and i maybe used it 15% of the time i had it up to this comment. Animal crossing comes out and i'm having a blast. Literally 2 days into using it everyday my left stick starts acting weird. Every so often i would be using it and walking to the right or at an angle to the right and i would slow down or just stop moving altogether. I am avid gaming for the last 18 years, and i KNEW this was a manufacturing problem. I open my settings to pull up my Joy Con calibrator and boom. I can see exactly what i thought was happening with my eyes. ALMOST EVERY TIME i would move exactly to the right with the left stick it, it would go right, and with my finger pushing the stick and it not moving at all, you could see the stick on screen pull back to the middle slowly. So absolutely bummed out over this. It went from only happening just sometimes in game to almost every time i go right now, sometimes even left, but hardly ever. I can't even get on the phone with Nintendo because they're so backed up. My love for Nintendo was hurt today. FIX YOUR JOYSTICKS NINTENDO!!!
@@TheSpeedfoever I eventually did fix it, some dust got caught under the circle pad forcing to go upper left as soon as it was turned on. I don't like opening things up so it persisted for a while, until i got a hold of a another broken 3ds I could use as spare parts.
Nintendo appears to be handling the drifting issues in the same way Apple handled the butterfly-switch keyboards. “Let’s just wait till we get sued, guys!” I love both companies and their products, but ffs, man.
My daughter snapped the cap off of her left thumb stick and I was able to fix it thanks to this video. Did it for $10 Nintendo wanted $90. Thanks for the video.
If you’re following this video, might want to reapply the new thermal paste to your heat sink and panel after opening it, especially if you’re a few years in. Won’t hurt and takes only a moment and ensures you’ll keep the device running smooth and alive a while longer. Thanks for the vid!
Exactly. Nintendo either planned to make the joycons consumable or they were negligent in not conducting proper testing. With the Lite, they were negligent in using the same part when they already knew it was defective. That's why a class action lawsuit has been filed. Everyone affected by this should join it.
I bought my switch lite 7 days ago and the left controller is already drifting, I was considering just selling and buying a regular switch but then i will loose all progress in animal crossing :(
Katy Holiday any update?? I opened my switch lite a day ago and I already have a drifting issues and I only got it for animal crossing. I want a new switch lite or switch but I don’t want to lose my animal crossing progress so far. I’m pretty early in so I guess I could afford to lose my data.
@@まりえ-q1r I ended up getting a new switch lite a couple days later. I had bought the switch lite that had drifting problems from Walmart and I returned it and got my money back. With the money, I order from Target a new switch lite and received it like two days later. I have had my new switch for over 6 months and I have no drifting problems or any problems at all.
The fact that this is even a big enough issue to make a video on is an absurd. Don’t get me wrong I appreciate that Spawn Wave did this to show us, but how Nintendo used the exact same thumb sticks as the joy cons knowing they are prone to issues and can’t be separated from the system is completely irresponsible. A pox on ur house Nintendo
Huh? Getting drift on a replaceable controller is better than getting it on an irreplaceable one. If you have a Switch you can use another joycon while Nintendo services it (or repair the joycon yourself, which is far easier than taking a Switch Lite apart). If you have a Lite, you have to go without your entire console while Nintendo services it, or risk seriously screwing up by taking it apart.
@@hewakens I'm sorry but I think you may have misread my comment. I said that getting drift on detachable joycons are bad but getting them on non detachable is even worse which is the exact same comparison you made so I am confused on your expressed confusion. No worries though.
@@PotatoPL- You are right about all analog sticks can drift, but the switch joycon sticks are flawed from the factory level where they use a material (obsidian probably)that wears off fast. This mostly causes the drift.
Thunder One not everyone is an English native speaker, UA-cam is international and everyone tries hard to communicate with each other. You could correct him instead of just calling him out?
1:45 whenever I hear "tweezers" it makes me think about the 'TheVerge' video "How to build a 2000$ custom gaming pc" where the guy called zip ties "tweezers" 🤣
Probably not, this drifting issue seems to be forcing customers to replace their joycon or switch lite entirely, thus making nintendo more money and selling more of the defective hardware
@@LittlePlant888 luckily the pro controller doesn't have this issue mine doesn't too but most people doesn't know that you have to get a pro controller big you don't want to buy defective hardware every 6 months
Ok here’s my rant on joycon drift- My joycon drift: Literally doesn’t let me move sometimes. I could have the stick all the way to the left and my character is moving right or standing still, it makes it so hard to play games and I hate it! Nintendo, why is this our job? To fix it? We paid so much money and yet we still have this problem. It’s ridiculous, I wish they would do something about it (Also, thanks for the video, I’ll try to fix it soon)
I thought the drift was caused by dust getting under the rubber cap at the base of the stick. I’ve seen videos of people cleaning under them and fixing the drifting that way. Wouldn’t that be easier than replacing it entirely?
Bill Foldes Then why does the drifting stop when you clean it? It just seems like a design flaw if you ask me. If the rubber caps at the base of the sticks were a bit longer to reach under the seam of the hole in the joycon where the sticks come through maybe dust wouldn’t be able to get under them. Seems like a pretty simple fix if you think about it.
@@pokelestrals2024 it's probably not dust but graphite debris from rubing metal parts of the stick and graphite on the stick board. That's why copressed air and contact cleaner work, they essentially move the debris away from registering it as input. But it's a temporary solution because once you rub away the graphite from the board completley you'll end up with a permanently defective stick.
Arjuuken! If that’s the case then replacing the stick is still just a temporary solution. It may just last a bit longer than cleaning would. Nintendo should have fixed this issue a while ago with the joycons. This issue with the switch lite is going to be really annoying, after all the complaints about the joycons they shouldn’t have released it without fixing this issue. I’ve had my Switch for about a year or so now and I just started getting drifting problems with both joycons.
@@pokelestrals2024 yep, there's no permanent solution for this problem because sticks are horrible and quite possibly the same in Lite as in original Switch. I hope the lawsuit makes them change the desing enough for this not to happen again. Maybe I'll get myself a Lite then...
I got my switch lite about a month ago and it started drifting very noticeably last week 😂 granted, it's seen heavy use due to the pandemic... since repair centres are also closed, I'll probably have to fix it myself. thanks for the video, it's super helpful.
Huge thanks for this, SW. I just recently started replacing my regular switch joy con thumbsticks and now I noticed my Switch Lite is drifting. Well I ordered new thumbsticks today and I'll get to replacing them.
Thank you for this. Two days after purchasing my Lite, and there is an annoying dead zone on the left stick. (And this Lite is to replace my bricked Switch until everything re-opens to get it repaired). Awaiting my replacement stick in the mail.
i have fixed many joycons for the normal switch, so I offered to fix my friend's switch lite that had a left joycon drift after watching this video...ended up breaking the power button/volume cable in the process...but the joycon's fixed! (i paid for a new ribbon cable and i let them borrow my switch until i can fix theirs, i felt bad :( hopefully everything will go well! ) Edit: fix went well, switch is back to normal, but unfortunately both replacement joysticks were duds (drifted right out of the box). Note to self and others fixing lites: test the joystick on a normal switch joycon before putting it into a switch lite, it's much easier to do and saves the tears when it ends up being a dud in the lite 😆
Okay, was I just lucky with my Switch Lite? I have been playing on mine a ton since I got it on release day (I have 65+ hours in FETH alone) and I had no issues with the sticks. I have had no problems with my Switch at all in fact and I am still very happy that I got it.
Some people just don't get drift for a while. Took me a year to start getting drift issues although they are on the original switch not the lite, I thought everyone was overreacting until I got drift myself lol, now I can barely even play it unless I wanna spend another $60 for new joycons or a controller
Elapsed time since purchase means nothing. It's about how many hours of wear is on them. Adding together the hours from my play history, mine drifted after a bit more than 200 hours. Every joycon will drift due to their defective design. A steel arm drags along a graphite pad when the stick moves. This eats away at the pad. Anyone who doesn't have drift yet just hasn't used theirs enough yet.
this is awesome!! my switch lite's left stick has been drifting terribly lately, this was exactly what i needed!! i cant believe i was able to fix it, thanks for the vid
Good job but at 13:44 I don't know why everyone stops at that point when they check their sticks. That screen is very misleading to how your stick dot really look like. You need to manually go into the second manual test to see if the dot can touch the last circle & not have a pull back bounce when going in a circle. If you do see a bounce back near the last circle your sticks are no good. Trust me as this has been a major factor in finding out you will get drifts sooner.
I just found this video and wanted to say thank you! I have absolutely nil experience with this stuff, but after watching your walkthrough 9 or 10 times, I was able to successfully change out a joystick on my Switch Lite 🙏
$7 on Amazon prime and a few days for shipping, and the Switch Lite is working like new again. Thank you for the breakdown. if i can give one tip to others when reassembling, on the top, close the case on right to left, popping the headphone jack over last. This is because there is a lip in the center, near the vents, that needs to go under first before the top will close, and i found it more difficult to try to push that lip under when closing the case left to right.
My left joy stick on my lite started to drift during AC. It made it hard to play it anymore as that is an important piece to play. After watching your video and mentioning calibrate the stick, I calibrated my left stick completely and it fixed the issue! I didn't have to tear the system apart or anything. I just recalibrated the stick completely and drifting is gone!
Instalike for speedrunning LA with no joystick. You're the best gaming journalist at brutal sarcasm and you really save it for the best moments. Kudos.
Drift is normally caused by dirt/dust getting into the mechanism, or by the conductive pads being worn (and debris from them contaminating the interior). This isn't something that happens in a few days, it's more of a long term problem. I wonder if the Switch Lite drifting is caused by something else, or if some of the sticks are just defective, because this is way too soon for it to be happening due to wear. Speaking for myself, my Switch that was bought in Oct 2017 does not have any drifting problems, and I haven't replaced the joycons.
Mine has drifting problems but that's because it was a gift and I have no iodea when it was bought. It sucks because it's constantly stuck and I even tried to clean out the debris with a Q tip and rubbing alcohol and it works but it still gets stuck. I also can't afford to get it really fixed because it's out of warranty and I should just get a new Nintendo Switch and forget about the Switch Lite.
@@Supersoccerchic There are 2 different causes of drift. 1) dust, dirt, or other debris getting into the stick housing. If this is all it is, then you can spray PCB cleaner in there and it will resolve the issue. Most cases of drift fall into this category. 2) actual damage to the pads - if this is the case the sticks must be replaced. They are less than $10.
Or remove the heatsink and use some new decent thermal paste. It's only a couple dollars and probably gets better temps then the generic crap Nintendo and other companies use haha.
I bought two year warranty with my switch light for the fact that maybe before the two years they will come out with a revised not messed up Joy con drift switch light. Anyways thank you spawn wave you always have great knowledge on video game news
@@probrickfilms555 yes, but the Switch Lite has non-disconnectable joycons. With the switch, it was a turn off, but here, it's a straight up anti-system seller. They need to fix these, especially for the Switch Like. On a personal scale for me, I was deciding between Switch, gaming PC, or Switch Lite and a less powerful gaming PC. This drift problem, it's making me drift (catch my drift with that pun?) towards gaming PC.
I just bought the Lite today not knowing about this issue. I just returned to a Nintendo systems after so long. I started experiencing this problem TODAY where my character either doesn’t move when moving the left joystick to the left or walks the opposite way. Can’t believe what I’ve been reading about this issue lol. Wow.
Had mine less than two months and got it and didn’t want to wait since Nintendo is backlogged due to Covid according to their site. Replaced and working.
I like how the Turquoise color of the Switch Lite (as of making this comment) is the most beloved version of the system, so far and for some reason, its the same one that Spawn Wave loves doing surgery on.
I’m one of the lucky ones. My first Switch never had drifting issues, and I had two pairs of joy con. I got it at launch. When the Lite came out I decided to get that, in the first day it had drifting issues, so I went back to Gamestop since it was in warranty and just got a different one without any drifting issues to this day.
Torchlight31 Oh yeah there’s absolutely no reason this should still be an issue. It’s been over three years since the system launched, and it can’t be so hard it takes this long to fix. They just aren’t willing to do it
Completely agree on trying to rebuild the joystick. They just don't go back together right. Plus you can buy a new one for $3.50 now on ebay. Thanks for the tutorial
It's an overstated problem echoing in the internet chamber. I have launch joycons with 1000s of hours, no drift, it doesn't affect everyone and it certainly doesn't affect that many units above a generally acceptable failure rate. The youtube circle jerk is ridiculous.
I have yet to experience it on my switch but wanted the lite because I heard it’s much more easier to play handheld. Now this makes me change my mind about getting the lite
The Switch joycons have drift, too, so you won't escape the problem. They use the same part. However, you're right in that it's better to have it in a detachable joycon. The best solution all around is to not buy either Switch until Nintendo comes up with a permanent fix, but seeing as how they've known about this since a few months after the Switch's launch, I wouldn't hold my breath.
Wow, they did not put the sticks in an easily accessible spots. Nintendo's warranty repair shops are not gonna have a good time once drift really kicks in in a couple years. I followed your video replace a Joycon stick a few months ago (physically broken, not drift) and that was barely any trouble at all. This is enough to put me off getting a Switch Lite just for the repairability of the standard Switch.
@@xt6997 I did, did you? 00:20 The joystick got damaged under the tear-down but he decided to put "drift" in the title for views. A "How to replace your Switch lite joystick" title would be more accurate.
S. N. This is teaching you how to change your sticks if you ever experience drift. How is that clickbait? It just so happens that his switch lite doesn’t have drift, but if it did, the process would still be the same.
@@weequahic10 The drift comes after month's or years of constant use, you don't get drift after a a week or so.(i own a left joycon that drifts).The drift in the title is purely for views.
How did they not fix this for the Lite - it really is unbelievable...
It was already in production during the drifting joy-stick lawsuit so they had no time to reverse the damage.
Elizabeth Cole Nintendo have known from about 2 months in to the Nintendo Switch launch that there was an issue. In fact, there was a video released very early indeed and they would have seen from the huge number of issues people were facing that this was the case. They have failure rates - these were vastly exceeded regarding joycon issues. What I am saying is, they could have and should have changed the design of the joycon WAY before even the Lite was a flicker in their eye. It’s not ok.
Awesome seeing you guys here! I love your channel!
They wanted joycons to be treated as consumables, ppl buying new pairs every 6-10 months.
Mihai Dobromir That’s my conspiracy too, like wtf Nintendo
I find it unreal that Nintendo knew about the drift issues with the regular joycons and then proceeded to use those same sticks on a device that can’t replace the joycons lol.
To make u buy more controllers
Its called greed buy more controllers they make more money because their assholes who already knew the drift was there but refused to fix the problem
@@penncakes07 how can you buy more controllers when the idiots at Nintendo made the switch lite have non detachable joycons? It would be much easier to just buy joycons that are detachable.
@@kvin9210 so i think its better to not buy the lite then? I mean lites cool but if its a ticking time bomb and eventually will drift ill pass, with reg switch u can replace the joycons this one u cant,this device is terrible then,better save up extra 100 and get v2 or oled?
@@kvin9210 probably because if you bought the cheaper Lite version already and they charged for fixes, it might be expensive enough to fix that the average consumer would just say fuck it and buy a new nintendo switch console. more $$ for nintendo. It's pretty scummy how companies get to do this all the time, "Planned obsolescence" is not only bad for consumers but horrible for the environment.
I can't wait for the Nintendo Switch pro! It's going to have a more powerful Drift!
RetroCheats 4K drift
Yeah!!
LMAO
Now you're playing with power!
Atleast it would be worth buying, you get an actual switch with/without drift and better graphics and framrate, the joycons can be easily replaced. The Lite destroys the purpose of a switch, it might as well be the bottom half of the 2ds but shittier.
My daughter just opened her Switch Lite today for her birthday that we pre-ordered over the summer. Right out of the box the left stick has the drifting issue. Thank you for this video, very informative.
Sounds like you were the victim of return fraud. Someone had drift so they bought a new Lite, did a switcheroo and returned it.
@@hewakens that sounds very possible
He could check if the console number and the number on the box fit together
I just got my switch last Friday & the left joy stick already has a drift issue. My character from animal crossing moves by itself or when I move to the left it won’t move. Update: I cleaned my joystick with air pressure dust & a little bit of alcohol with a q-tip and so far has been working.
@@deannacorona that cant be true, you have been probably using it wrong
Why is this our job
Cause nintendon't
Raven thy Wicked Nintendon’t
because sega does what nintendont and that is making good controllers
All consoles I’ve used have had drift, my ps4 slim had drift right out the box
yEAH U RIGHT
*How to fix drifting on the Nintendo Switch*
Solution: buy another analog stick and hope you have enough experience to open it up and mess with it.
You need little to no technical experience to fix this
End of Time k
If you don’t know how to unscrew a few screws...yikes
Crew Rogers k
@@MasterKcoop k
Literally received my Lite 3 days ago and it has already started drifting. How ridiculous!
사랑해방탄 same here
I got mine 2 days ago and it's doing the same thing.
Got mine yesterday.
Same. Exactly the same im so f***g mad-
To anyone having issues. Go to Settings, Controller settings, and calibrate your joycon. I've done this and since then my drifting has been fixed. Haven't had issues since.
This is why I buy all of my electronics from Best Buy and get their warranty plan. Anything that goes wrong with it I bring it back and they give me a brand new product of whatever it is I am bringing back.
And this is why I love Best Buy
@@whytho.1659 they also have some amazing cheap pizza
@@5kulld are you thinking of the right store?
@@DRXSeinen whoops i was talking about cost co
does their warranty ever expire? do you have to like renew it annually?
Replace the analog and then your good for another 2 weeks. Yay!!
Don't settle for less, fight for more
Unfortunately a lot of people bought a Switch Lite, so why would Nintendo give a shit? Exactly.
I love this reference. XD
@@kastaway-mtx and they're still buying regardless of the news , it's just stupid
Lol I'm happy the Switch Lite exist, we can count out all the idiots apart.
Fight for a pro controller
it’s honestly quite unbelievable that even the switch lite has drifting problems
**running in the 90s**
True
I cancelled my switch lite pre ordered back in August and just got a regular switch because of this problem.
Yeah, they serious screwed up with the Lite by not resolving the drifting. It's not like they started manufacturing without knowing about Joycon drift, it's literally been a thing since launch of the original Switch.
It doesn't they where fake. He is future proofing here as many are lol. Spawn does this with everything it why he is awesome.
@@fuentesjuanjose90 LOL it doesn't even exist dude we are waiting to see if it's a thing.
Hey Spawn! I'm a father of two young boys that love their Nintendo. One of my sons' broke off their left joy con and I thought I was going to have to buy a new Switch Lite. I found your video on UA-cam and found it very informative and I want to thank you for helping me make my sons' day by fixing his Nintendo! Thank you for your video!
Thanks for this. My son happened to snap of the left thumb stick of his new switch lite and I was very apprehensive of tearing it open and trying to replace it. Thanks to you he’s a happy camper again.
What a lemon
Nintendo are just pissing on their customers and telling them it's raining at this point
Best analogy I heard all day. Well done
*cheffs kiss* best analogy
Time to take a piss
GameStop Employee: I've never experienced drifting issues with my Switch Lite
Me: *plays animal crossing for a week*
Left stick: RUNNING IN THE 90's
Musical Mouse SAME ISSUE OMG
I haven't even had my switch lite for a week. It started drifting at day three. Day. Three. And I didn't even play for hours :/
@@boringhumanbeing3826 WOW
@@musicalmouse2398 Yeah, I really don't know how to fix things either. The most taking apart I've ever done is taking apart my r4 card to tape some paper inside of it lol. I'm considering buying a normal switch now because the drift is so insane that I literally cannot walk anymore. I know the normal switch has a drift problem too but.. at least I wouldn't feel as horrible while taking apart a joycon to try to fix the problem than my whole console
@@boringhumanbeing3826 That's fair. I might end up pulling apart my switch lite to fix the drift problem. He makes it look fairly simple so... Hopefully it actually is!
When you realize Spawn tore down the Switch Lite, put it back together, only to realize the left analogue stick went bad... tore it down once more to remove the stick... then put it together AGAIN... only to then tear it down once more to finally replace the stick.
Truly a mad lad.
Ed Mx I’m sure he did it just for videos... I doubt they actually got damaged
@@antoniolomeli7956 : Maybe....but he did originally tear the Switch-lite down purely for entertainment, and is now trying to show how to replace the control stick if drift issues are a problem...... he bought, and sacrificed a fully working Switch Lite for the benefit of his viewers.... Fortunately it looks to be still working, but he was willing to risk-it for his viewers.
So enough of your snide, negative comments.... if you watch this channel, then you should know that those nasty, snide type comments don't apply here. Jon is a damn good-guy...you should know that.....
Steve's Stuff and also clicks. It’s his job to make videos.
With how often he does this stuff, it probably took no real effort for him.
I’m watching this because I just bought a switch lite and I’m having anxiety about joy con drift
This is why I sold my switch lite to get the removable joy cons switch
Hei i bought switch lite early Jan, few days ago it's drifting.
Just keep ur switch clean and don’t be rough with it
Did your switch lite get joy con drift?
Yo me too lol
I finally started getting drift on my left analog stick. I used a syringe with 99.99% IPA and shot a little under the grommet and started moving it around in circles. I then blasted canned air in there a few times and then left it powered off for a day to make sure it all dried up. It completely fixed it.
I highly reccomend buying an ice cube tray and placing the screws in one ice cube hole for every layer. Works a charm!
Woohoo! Successful left analogue stick replacement here! Thanks so much for the video! (And newswave, and spawncast etc etc). One corner of the shell feels less than a mm off, like a clip didn't go back in quite right - but all the buttons work, all the screws went in, and everything else is golden, so i'm not too worried about it. Thanks again! My left analogue stick had started not only drifting, but also poorly registering, and making a physical click noise, when I pushed it to the right, hence the replacement need.
Fast and the furious: joycon drift
piplup2009 laugh
Drift what’s drift lol
@@kittkat2007 *Takumi Fujiwara has joined the chat*
I would pay for that movie
Lmao
Bless you for this, I dropped my switch lite which broke the clicking on my left joystick but thanks to this and a repair kit it's now completely fixed! Thanks so much!
this same thing happened to me! so glad for this video tutorial
That’s why I always use a silicone case and joystick button covers on mine (theyve got so many cute options, right now I’m using lavender penguins🐧)
@@1rage17how does this help with joycon drift? I'm thinking of getting a switch lite and am worried about joycon drift so I'll buy covers if that can prevent it. But I'd like to know how it works if that's okay :)
For my 2 Year Anniversary, my girlfriend surprised me with a Switch Lite because she has a Switch already and we love Animal Crossing. I got my Switch January 13th and its so cute and fun, and i maybe used it 15% of the time i had it up to this comment. Animal crossing comes out and i'm having a blast. Literally 2 days into using it everyday my left stick starts acting weird. Every so often i would be using it and walking to the right or at an angle to the right and i would slow down or just stop moving altogether. I am avid gaming for the last 18 years, and i KNEW this was a manufacturing problem. I open my settings to pull up my Joy Con calibrator and boom. I can see exactly what i thought was happening with my eyes. ALMOST EVERY TIME i would move exactly to the right with the left stick it, it would go right, and with my finger pushing the stick and it not moving at all, you could see the stick on screen pull back to the middle slowly. So absolutely bummed out over this. It went from only happening just sometimes in game to almost every time i go right now, sometimes even left, but hardly ever. I can't even get on the phone with Nintendo because they're so backed up. My love for Nintendo was hurt today. FIX YOUR JOYSTICKS NINTENDO!!!
So go for the original switch then hu?
I liked the 3ds sticks I never had problems with them
ben31uk same
My original 3DS had drift...
DS sticks?
@@MrTendo0 how? It works fine
@@TheSpeedfoever I eventually did fix it, some dust got caught under the circle pad forcing to go upper left as soon as it was turned on. I don't like opening things up so it persisted for a while, until i got a hold of a another broken 3ds I could use as spare parts.
Nintendo appears to be handling the drifting issues in the same way Apple handled the butterfly-switch keyboards.
“Let’s just wait till we get sued, guys!”
I love both companies and their products, but ffs, man.
Hope they get their fucking asses sued!, they already should have been sued a long time ago, when this crap started
@@Flpstrike They did get sued in the US, but it seems like they don't care enough to fix it on the Lite.
Apple products aren't worth spit with their over pricetag.
@@rayminishi689 Well, with their all in one macs, the prices aren't really that bad. You pay for the components as many people have pointed out.
Samuel Sanchez what’s with the butterfly switches?
And nintendo thought itd be a good idea to use the same materials from the normal joycons on the lite for some reason. Smh
I don't even have the switch lite why am I watching this..
Future preparation....
Omg me too 😂😂😂😂😂😂
Just in case someone giving away a nintendo switch to you with joystick problem
My daughter snapped the cap off of her left thumb stick and I was able to fix it thanks to this video. Did it for $10 Nintendo wanted $90. Thanks for the video.
If you’re following this video, might want to reapply the new thermal paste to your heat sink and panel after opening it, especially if you’re a few years in. Won’t hurt and takes only a moment and ensures you’ll keep the device running smooth and alive a while longer. Thanks for the vid!
Yeah when he said not to take it off, you're definitely supposed to re-apply it every now and then
@@diverman1023 not just that, the rule of thumb is if you disassemble something and the thermal paste is exposed, replace it
* saves up for switch lite *
* Buys it *
*It starts drifting when you turn it on*
Nintendo: So instead of selling replacement joy cons, we can just sell replacement consoles? Hmmm.... Make it happen!
Exactly. Nintendo either planned to make the joycons consumable or they were negligent in not conducting proper testing. With the Lite, they were negligent in using the same part when they already knew it was defective. That's why a class action lawsuit has been filed. Everyone affected by this should join it.
I bought my switch lite 7 days ago and the left controller is already drifting, I was considering just selling and buying a regular switch but then i will loose all progress in animal crossing :(
Katy Holiday any update?? I opened my switch lite a day ago and I already have a drifting issues and I only got it for animal crossing. I want a new switch lite or switch but I don’t want to lose my animal crossing progress so far. I’m pretty early in so I guess I could afford to lose my data.
@@HeyHey-zw8tb Did u get a new lite or fixed it? How is it now?
@@まりえ-q1r I ended up getting a new switch lite a couple days later. I had bought the switch lite that had drifting problems from Walmart and I returned it and got my money back. With the money, I order from Target a new switch lite and received it like two days later. I have had my new switch for over 6 months and I have no drifting problems or any problems at all.
Just followed along and changed out my broken left joystick on my lite. Thank you so much for the tutorial! Worked perfectly!
I literally watching this before it even starts happening because i have bad luck lol
Same. I'm trying to ease my anxiety here.
Haven't even bought a lite, that's how paranoid I am lmao
@@kithalie The analog stick is so fragile, I'm telling you the truth..
awww .... i get mine in the mail tomarrow
Me toooo
Jon, you’re the real deal. Always look forward to your daily news and weekly Spawncast.
THANK GOD i saw this video, i almost bought a switch lite...if they havent fixed drift they dont intend to
The fact that this is even a big enough issue to make a video on is an absurd. Don’t get me wrong I appreciate that Spawn Wave did this to show us, but how Nintendo used the exact same thumb sticks as the joy cons knowing they are prone to issues and can’t be separated from the system is completely irresponsible. A pox on ur house Nintendo
Just replaced the joycon following your video. Easy and a perfect fix, thank you x
Getting drift especially on non detachable joycons must feel like hell
Huh? Getting drift on a replaceable controller is better than getting it on an irreplaceable one. If you have a Switch you can use another joycon while Nintendo services it (or repair the joycon yourself, which is far easier than taking a Switch Lite apart). If you have a Lite, you have to go without your entire console while Nintendo services it, or risk seriously screwing up by taking it apart.
@@hewakens I'm sorry but I think you may have misread my comment. I said that getting drift on detachable joycons are bad but getting them on non detachable is even worse which is the exact same comparison you made so I am confused on your expressed confusion. No worries though.
@@3duardotv417 Definitely misread. Have an upvote from me. 😂 👍
As a switch lite user with severe drift, I can confirm
it does, my dude. it does.
Joycon drift, Nintendo: I slep
Nintendo switch hacked, Nintendo : 👀
Lmao you probably don’t own a switch, you’ve been putting up hate comments
@@yorbenhebbelinck1169 wish that was true but I unfortunately bought into the hype and got this piece of crap
I'm not buy switch lite until nintendo fix the joycon drift.
you can't all controllers with analog sticks are made the same exact way been that way for years, there's always gonna be drift
Rafi Muhammad fix ur spelling
@@PotatoPL- You are right about all analog sticks can drift, but the switch joycon sticks are flawed from the factory level where they use a material (obsidian probably)that wears off fast. This mostly causes the drift.
Thunder One not everyone is an English native speaker, UA-cam is international and everyone tries hard to communicate with each other. You could correct him instead of just calling him out?
You’re dumb
1:45 whenever I hear "tweezers" it makes me think about the 'TheVerge' video "How to build a 2000$ custom gaming pc" where the guy called zip ties "tweezers" 🤣
Stop remind me of that nightmare...
I loved his "anti-static" bracelet that was a rubber band and not connected to anything.. LOL!!!
Yes that epic build. lol
How long until Nintendo just messes with the dead zone and sensitivity software settings?
ADR that’s what I’m wondering I’m starting to wonder if they will make all devs increase the standard dead zone settings
Probably not, this drifting issue seems to be forcing customers to replace their joycon or switch lite entirely, thus making nintendo more money and selling more of the defective hardware
@@LittlePlant888 luckily the pro controller doesn't have this issue mine doesn't too but most people doesn't know that you have to get a pro controller big you don't want to buy defective hardware every 6 months
Exactly: Very easy to fix: Increase software read deadzone, use adaptive deadzone or give the user the ability to access a calibration service screen.
ADR I had drifting problems on Xbox and increased my dead zone in game and it definitely works
Good tutorial. Much more didactic than your usual tear downs (which is good!)
I recently bought that exact tool kit. It's working well for me.
Ok here’s my rant on joycon drift-
My joycon drift:
Literally doesn’t let me move sometimes. I could have the stick all the way to the left and my character is moving right or standing still, it makes it so hard to play games and I hate it! Nintendo, why is this our job? To fix it? We paid so much money and yet we still have this problem. It’s ridiculous, I wish they would do something about it
(Also, thanks for the video, I’ll try to fix it soon)
I dropped my switch last week and completely busted the left stick. Thanks to this video, I, a complete amateur, fixed it. Thank you so much!
I thought the drift was caused by dust getting under the rubber cap at the base of the stick. I’ve seen videos of people cleaning under them and fixing the drifting that way. Wouldn’t that be easier than replacing it entirely?
Pokemon NPK it’s not dust. It’s a broken before you even purchase it. It’s low quality parts that cause drifting
Bill Foldes Then why does the drifting stop when you clean it? It just seems like a design flaw if you ask me. If the rubber caps at the base of the sticks were a bit longer to reach under the seam of the hole in the joycon where the sticks come through maybe dust wouldn’t be able to get under them. Seems like a pretty simple fix if you think about it.
@@pokelestrals2024 it's probably not dust but graphite debris from rubing metal parts of the stick and graphite on the stick board. That's why copressed air and contact cleaner work, they essentially move the debris away from registering it as input. But it's a temporary solution because once you rub away the graphite from the board completley you'll end up with a permanently defective stick.
Arjuuken! If that’s the case then replacing the stick is still just a temporary solution. It may just last a bit longer than cleaning would. Nintendo should have fixed this issue a while ago with the joycons. This issue with the switch lite is going to be really annoying, after all the complaints about the joycons they shouldn’t have released it without fixing this issue. I’ve had my Switch for about a year or so now and I just started getting drifting problems with both joycons.
@@pokelestrals2024 yep, there's no permanent solution for this problem because sticks are horrible and quite possibly the same in Lite as in original Switch. I hope the lawsuit makes them change the desing enough for this not to happen again. Maybe I'll get myself a Lite then...
I got my switch lite about a month ago and it started drifting very noticeably last week 😂 granted, it's seen heavy use due to the pandemic... since repair centres are also closed, I'll probably have to fix it myself. thanks for the video, it's super helpful.
meanwhile, nintendo's gamecube controllers rerelease still felt cheap (IMO) and has no drift
I have 3 originals and none drift.
Huge thanks for this, SW. I just recently started replacing my regular switch joy con thumbsticks and now I noticed my Switch Lite is drifting. Well I ordered new thumbsticks today and I'll get to replacing them.
Thank you for this. Two days after purchasing my Lite, and there is an annoying dead zone on the left stick. (And this Lite is to replace my bricked Switch until everything re-opens to get it repaired). Awaiting my replacement stick in the mail.
I might have to try this. My left stick is hardly working at all. Especially the up direction. Thanks for the tutorial and tips
i have fixed many joycons for the normal switch, so I offered to fix my friend's switch lite that had a left joycon drift after watching this video...ended up breaking the power button/volume cable in the process...but the joycon's fixed! (i paid for a new ribbon cable and i let them borrow my switch until i can fix theirs, i felt bad :( hopefully everything will go well! )
Edit: fix went well, switch is back to normal, but unfortunately both replacement joysticks were duds (drifted right out of the box). Note to self and others fixing lites: test the joystick on a normal switch joycon before putting it into a switch lite, it's much easier to do and saves the tears when it ends up being a dud in the lite 😆
Your videos are some of the greatest on UA-cam. I love SpawnWave. Thank you for showing so many tutorials on things like this. Love!❤
Okay, was I just lucky with my Switch Lite? I have been playing on mine a ton since I got it on release day (I have 65+ hours in FETH alone) and I had no issues with the sticks. I have had no problems with my Switch at all in fact and I am still very happy that I got it.
If you watch the video you will hear John say that the joystick got f.upt under the tear-down, the title is clickbait.
@@its-amestarlord sorry, I must have not listened well enough then. 😅
Some people just don't get drift for a while. Took me a year to start getting drift issues although they are on the original switch not the lite, I thought everyone was overreacting until I got drift myself lol, now I can barely even play it unless I wanna spend another $60 for new joycons or a controller
Elapsed time since purchase means nothing. It's about how many hours of wear is on them. Adding together the hours from my play history, mine drifted after a bit more than 200 hours. Every joycon will drift due to their defective design. A steel arm drags along a graphite pad when the stick moves. This eats away at the pad. Anyone who doesn't have drift yet just hasn't used theirs enough yet.
the fact that you did this for me im thankful
Just fixed my switch lite with this tutorial, thank you!!!!
this is awesome!! my switch lite's left stick has been drifting terribly lately, this was exactly what i needed!! i cant believe i was able to fix it, thanks for the vid
Good job but at 13:44 I don't know why everyone stops at that point when they check their sticks. That screen is very misleading to how your stick dot really look like. You need to manually go into the second manual test to see if the dot can touch the last circle & not have a pull back bounce when going in a circle.
If you do see a bounce back near the last circle your sticks are no good. Trust me as this has been a major factor in finding out you will get drifts sooner.
Thank you so so much! This video helped me with my Switch Lite. I'm very grateful.
9:38 Or you could also keep a magnetic parts tray on your fridge door all the time and make use of it when you need to deal with tiny screws.
I just found this video and wanted to say thank you! I have absolutely nil experience with this stuff, but after watching your walkthrough 9 or 10 times, I was able to successfully change out a joystick on my Switch Lite 🙏
the drifting feature never left, thank you nintendo
Wow Nintendo...just wow. Can’t get a f*cking joystick right. And with a 2nd attempt at that.
Geez, you’re such an asshole
Donkey Kong Fan no he is right, its bullshit nintendo hasn’t fixed this, the switch has been out for more than 3 years already, ridiculous
My right side drift after a few weeks of use. Even with light press on the sticks. It didn't matter. The sticks drift. Big disappointment.
$7 on Amazon prime and a few days for shipping, and the Switch Lite is working like new again. Thank you for the breakdown. if i can give one tip to others when reassembling, on the top, close the case on right to left, popping the headphone jack over last. This is because there is a lip in the center, near the vents, that needs to go under first before the top will close, and i found it more difficult to try to push that lip under when closing the case left to right.
I wonder how long the fix will last before the issue arises again.
i guess it depends on how much you use and abuse your new joystick, but at least DIY replacements are relatively easy
My left joy stick on my lite started to drift during AC. It made it hard to play it anymore as that is an important piece to play. After watching your video and mentioning calibrate the stick, I calibrated my left stick completely and it fixed the issue! I didn't have to tear the system apart or anything. I just recalibrated the stick completely and drifting is gone!
Wtf I got the new pokemon Nintendo switch lite version and they still have the drifting on them
Instalike for speedrunning LA with no joystick. You're the best gaming journalist at brutal sarcasm and you really save it for the best moments. Kudos.
Dang, nice touch with the outro music, too...
Drift is normally caused by dirt/dust getting into the mechanism, or by the conductive pads being worn (and debris from them contaminating the interior). This isn't something that happens in a few days, it's more of a long term problem. I wonder if the Switch Lite drifting is caused by something else, or if some of the sticks are just defective, because this is way too soon for it to be happening due to wear. Speaking for myself, my Switch that was bought in Oct 2017 does not have any drifting problems, and I haven't replaced the joycons.
Mine has drifting problems but that's because it was a gift and I have no iodea when it was bought. It sucks because it's constantly stuck and I even tried to clean out the debris with a Q tip and rubbing alcohol and it works but it still gets stuck. I also can't afford to get it really fixed because it's out of warranty and I should just get a new Nintendo Switch and forget about the Switch Lite.
@@Supersoccerchic There are 2 different causes of drift. 1) dust, dirt, or other debris getting into the stick housing. If this is all it is, then you can spray PCB cleaner in there and it will resolve the issue. Most cases of drift fall into this category. 2) actual damage to the pads - if this is the case the sticks must be replaced. They are less than $10.
I’m waiting for the inevitable day that my Switch Lite starts to drift
Or remove the heatsink and use some new decent thermal paste. It's only a couple dollars and probably gets better temps then the generic crap Nintendo and other companies use haha.
agreed! Get some Arctic Silver on that.
Damn not even the light is safe from this mess, but glad you showed how to fix it.
TLDW: He buys another analog stick.
I bought two year warranty with my switch light for the fact that maybe before the two years they will come out with a revised not messed up Joy con drift switch light. Anyways thank you spawn wave you always have great knowledge on video game news
In this case why not just fix problem in the first place and release a system without any major issues....smh.
Because 💰 thst why
@@probrickfilms555 yes, but the Switch Lite has non-disconnectable joycons. With the switch, it was a turn off, but here, it's a straight up anti-system seller. They need to fix these, especially for the Switch Like. On a personal scale for me, I was deciding between Switch, gaming PC, or Switch Lite and a less powerful gaming PC. This drift problem, it's making me drift (catch my drift with that pun?) towards gaming PC.
I just bought the Lite today not knowing about this issue. I just returned to a Nintendo systems after so long. I started experiencing this problem TODAY where my character either doesn’t move when moving the left joystick to the left or walks the opposite way. Can’t believe what I’ve been reading about this issue lol. Wow.
Bruh buy the Japanese version, it's much stronger and have updated joystick
Well, I can say that I successfully replaced the joystick by following this video. Like new! Thank you for everything!!
This is why nintendo has a repair service, this is also why they shouldn't have made the switch lite with the same joycon controller joysticks
Yep
Had mine less than two months and got it and didn’t want to wait since Nintendo is backlogged due to Covid according to their site. Replaced and working.
Nintendrew also made a video about fixing the joysticks. I think you should watch that video before replacing your old joysticks.
*Nintendo: and the new arrival this christmas the nintendo switch pro, Drifting to homes on December 1st...*
*Me: H u h . . .*
I'm not buying a switch lite until they fix there joycon sicks
*their
Or just buy a regular switch ? Or wait for the eventual switch pro ?
You *may* be waiting a very long time. Buy a standard Switch instead.
M Jons I already have 2 standard switch consoles. So I can wait
As a defensive guy you will get it
I like how the Turquoise color of the Switch Lite (as of making this comment) is the most beloved version of the system, so far and for some reason, its the same one that Spawn Wave loves doing surgery on.
The Lite was the perfect opportunity to fix the drift but they didn’t lmao
We don't know if they have yet..
@@TheEregos Exactly, Jon is showing us how to replace it on the Lite in case it drifts or it's damaged.
@@twig-e6431 There are people already reporting the drift and Switch lite has already been added to an ongoing lawsuit
I’m one of the lucky ones. My first Switch never had drifting issues, and I had two pairs of joy con. I got it at launch. When the Lite came out I decided to get that, in the first day it had drifting issues, so I went back to Gamestop since it was in warranty and just got a different one without any drifting issues to this day.
Torchlight31 Oh yeah there’s absolutely no reason this should still be an issue. It’s been over three years since the system launched, and it can’t be so hard it takes this long to fix. They just aren’t willing to do it
This isn’t a fix, but a replacement that fixes the issue.
So...it's a fix
Only temporarily though untill the ne stick gives problems. This is just a HUGE design flaw on Nintendo's part....for years already.....
Completely agree on trying to rebuild the joystick. They just don't go back together right. Plus you can buy a new one for $3.50 now on ebay. Thanks for the tutorial
It's an overstated problem echoing in the internet chamber. I have launch joycons with 1000s of hours, no drift, it doesn't affect everyone and it certainly doesn't affect that many units above a generally acceptable failure rate. The youtube circle jerk is ridiculous.
You’ve played thousands of hours on the lite? And you do know they just because you’ve never experience drift doesn’t mean others haven’t?
I have yet to experience it on my switch but wanted the lite because I heard it’s much more easier to play handheld. Now this makes me change my mind about getting the lite
Poop I baby all my consoles so that’s probably why I never experienced it.
I have some experience with electronics playing Spiderman PS4. So I'm not too worried.
Very informative. The main thing that I took away from this is to just get the regular Switch.
The Switch joycons have drift, too, so you won't escape the problem. They use the same part. However, you're right in that it's better to have it in a detachable joycon. The best solution all around is to not buy either Switch until Nintendo comes up with a permanent fix, but seeing as how they've known about this since a few months after the Switch's launch, I wouldn't hold my breath.
Nintendrew has a video that shows you how to fix joy con drift with rubbing alcohol and a q-tip. I tried it and it worked.
Not a permanent fix though.
I recommend replacing the thermal paste too when you open your switch lite.
Your girl spreads her legs open
Spawn wave: this is a good spot for some tweezers
"Yeah... Let's see you speedrun Link's Awakening with that!"
Lmao bro had me laughing so hard
You can also use containers. You’ll want one container for one pile of screws. If you have five piles, you’ll want five containers.
Wow, they did not put the sticks in an easily accessible spots. Nintendo's warranty repair shops are not gonna have a good time once drift really kicks in in a couple years. I followed your video replace a Joycon stick a few months ago (physically broken, not drift) and that was barely any trouble at all. This is enough to put me off getting a Switch Lite just for the repairability of the standard Switch.
John literally destroys his own joystick after the tear down...write’s ”Fixing your drifting Switch” in the title.
John, i like you channel buddy but this is a pure cklickbait title and you know it.
Did you even watch the video?
@@xt6997 I did, did you? 00:20 The joystick got damaged under the tear-down but he decided to put "drift" in the title for views. A "How to replace your Switch lite joystick" title would be more accurate.
S. N. This is teaching you how to change your sticks if you ever experience drift. How is that clickbait? It just so happens that his switch lite doesn’t have drift, but if it did, the process would still be the same.
@@weequahic10 The drift comes after month's or years of constant use, you don't get drift after a a week or so.(i own a left joycon that drifts).The drift in the title is purely for views.
I was able to follow the video and successfully replaced and back up and running in 30 minutes!