New Nintendo patent suggests Switch 2 may solve joycon drift - Dexerto
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A patent from Nintendo suggests that they're working on a magnetic joystick system, aka hall effect joysticks, which would solve stick drift.

A patent filed by Nintendo suggests that they’re working on Hall Effect style joysticks for the Switch 2 that would eliminate stick drift almost entirely.

  • Paradox@lemdro.idEnglish
    1232·
    1 year ago

    Joycon drift, and all other thumbstick drift, is already a solved problem.

    1. Use bushings that actually have some abrasive resistance and aren’t softer than a fingernail.
    2. Use a non-contact based sensor to determine the XY position of the stick. Hall effect, optical, strain gauge, whatever, we’ve had the tech for 50 years.

    The reason why they haven’t done this is one very simple reason: $$$

    • cordlesslamp@lemmy.todayEnglish
      156·
      1 year ago

      Isn’t the N64 controllers using optical sensor and those are one of the worst controller ever existed?

      • CanofBeanz@lemmy.worldEnglish
        50·
        1 year ago

        N64 does use optical sensors, the n64 stick is actually super precise and doesn’t suffer from drift. The n64 is a goofy controller but it is simply a great and accurate input device, and a lot of the games were really designed with that stick and notches in mind.

        But it is made of all plastic and features plastic on plastic moving parts, without lubrication, so it suffers from wear of the plastic. Worn n64 sticks will actually be filled with plastic dust from the stick and gears literally sanding themselves down. The only problem with the controller is the premature wear of the stick.

        • JokeDeity@lemm.eeEnglish
          51·
          1 year ago

          It’s crazy to me that no company ever made a decent 3rd party N64 controller. The 3rd party ones were all as ridiculous as the defaults. Great console that I loved, but would have gotten a lot more out of with better controllers.

            • JokeDeity@lemm.eeEnglish
              21·
              1 year ago

              The Hori Pad Mini? I had never seen that before, leagues above anything I remember being available at the time. The other looks amazing, definitely a modern controller that I would have killed for back then.

      • Altima NEOEnglish
        20·
        1 year ago

        The sensors on the N64 are basically the same kind you’d find in a mouse wheel. They work fine.

        The crap part is the physical construction. There’s a lot of parts that wear down with use and cause the joystick to become loose due to the plastics wearing away.

      • Paradox@lemdro.idEnglish
        15·
        1 year ago

        N64’s issues came from the bushings wearing out, the sensors were still very good

          • Paradox@lemdro.idEnglish
            2·
            1 year ago

            Yup. If they’d just made the bowl out of something OTHER than ABS, they would have been good. Delrin, PTFE, even a thin layer of brass or broze, and those controllers wouldn’t have had anywhere near the amount of issues they’re known for having.

            There are third-party manufacturers who sell replacement bowls and sticks, made from everything from POM to steel.