Switch 2 may suffer Joy-Con drift as Nintendo rules out Hall Effect sticks

Nintendo has confirmed the Switch 2 does not have Hall Effect joysticks, which means Joy-Con drift is still a danger.

The biggest technical problem for the Nintendo Switch at launch was Joy-Con drift, where the joysticks would move on their own without any input.

The issue spiralled into lawsuits and prompted Nintendo to offer free repairs, and while early rumours suggested the Switch 2 wouldn’t have the same problem, it seems the most reliable technology for avoiding the issue is not, in fact, being used.

Many hoped the Switch 2 would rectify the issue by having Hall Effect joysticks, which detect inputs through magnets instead of physical contact between components. However, Nintendo has confirmed this isn’t the case.

Nintendo of America’s Nate Bihldorff confirmed the Switch 2 Joy-Cons do not have Hall Effect sticks, in an interview with Nintendo Life.

‘Well, the Joy-Con 2’s controllers have been designed from the ground up,’ Bihldorff said. ‘They’re not Hall Effect sticks, but they feel really good.’

Since the Switch 2 Direct, Nintendo has been very vague about how exactly the joysticks have been improved, aside from them being larger in size.

In a press briefing last week, Nintendo were asked whether the Switch 2 has Hall Effect sticks, but they dodged the question.

‘As you may have witnessed and felt, the new Joy-Con 2 controllers for the Nintendo Switch 2 have been really designed from the ground up from scratch and they’ve been designed to have bigger movements and also a smoother movement,’ said Tetsuya Sasaki, general manager of Nintendo’s hardware development division.

When asked separately by VGC if they had taken measures to avoid Joy-Con drift, a Nintendo spokesperson gave a similarly vague response: ‘The control sticks for Joy-Con 2 controllers have been redesigned and have improved in areas such as durability.’

Now we know the Switch 2 Joy-Cons do not have Hall Effect sticks, it raises the possibility of Joy-Con drift being an issue with the next system.

There’s nothing unique about the original Switch suffering from Joy-Con drift, as the PlayStation and Xbox controllers are also prone to the issue. In fact, no first party controller uses Hall Effect technology – no doubt because it’s expensive.

The Joy-Cons are more prone to the issue though, because they have so much tech squeezed into such a small area. Presumably, the Joy-Con 2 controllers being bigger is one of the ways Nintendo aims to avoid the problem, but if there are other specific safeguards they’re not currently willing to explain them.

It’s another bum note in what’s becoming an awkward time for Nintendo, with the price of games causing controversy and US tariffs playing havoc with pre-orders.

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