[4 Easy Ways] – How to Fix Drift on Xbox One Controller?

What Does Xbox Controller Drift Mean?

The Xbox controller drift means the analog sticks on your controller keep moving undesirably, when you have no physical contact with them.

Making it simpler to understand, you might have noticed during your gameplay that even though you do not hold the controller, the character keeps looking upward!

Although, sometimes you want the character to run in a specific direction, if the controller drift exists, you will see that the character keeps moving in the same direction even when you have left the joystick. Pretty much annoying, right?

Causes Of Xbox One Controller Drift

There are several reasons why your Xbox One controller’s analog stick comes up with drifting problems. Tracing out the cause helps in fixing the issue quickly. 

Here are the causes of Xbox one controller drift:

1. Internal Failure Of Analog Stick

At times, the problem lies within the analog stick of your Xbox One controller. No matter how much effort you put into cleaning up your controller, the drifting issue does not disappear because the internal circuit is the culprit.

The analog stick contains a sensor part that has connections with the internal circuit board of the controller.

If the problem lies within the sensor part or the circuit board, you will refer to it as an internal failure of the analog stick/thumbstick.

2. Dirty Analog Sticks

As mentioned earlier, regular gamers often neglect the cleanliness of their Xbox One controllers. Over time, the dust accumulates in heavy amounts and causes the controller’s analog sticks to malfunction, which results in drifting issues.

Moreover, as time passes, the thumbsticks become worn out owing to dust accumulation for a long time. The worn-out analog sticks ensure further drifting problems which require immediate solutions.

3. Malfunctioning Springs

There are two essential parts of the analog stick: the sensor part, which contains springs. These springs are responsible for repositioning the analog stick once you have removed the thumb from it. However, regular use of the controller may result in worn-out springs, so controller drifting occurs.

Also Read: Why is my Xbox lagging

How to Fix Xbox Controller Drift?

As we have already discussed the factors responsible for Xbox One controller drift issue, let’s have a light on the fixes that can help you resolve the problem.

Here are the methods to fix Xbox controller drift:

1. Try Cleaning Up The Analog Sticks

Cleaning the analog stick of your Xbox One controller is the easiest solution, to begin with. Maybe, your controller’s analog stick pad has not worn out. Therefore, a simple cleaning will surely help in such a case.

Please follow the steps given below to clean up the analog stick pads properly;

1. Take a cotton bud, and dip one of its sides in isopropyl alcohol.
2. Using the soaked cotton bud, carefully clean the analog stick pad with a rounded surface.
3. Please make sure that you clean the pad entirely by rotating the stick to and fro and side to side.
4. If you believe that you have cleaned the pad correctly, you can test the controller. However, if the controller still drifts, you can open the controller, which is a complex procedure.

2. Open Up The Xbox One Controller

If cleaning the analog stick pads does not make the controller drift away, you can use T8 and T9 safety Torx to open up the controller by disassembling its parts. The deconstruction of the Xbox One controller aims at checking if the analog sticks are present incorrect position.

Moreover, you will also see if the sticks are loose or not.

If the analog stick pads appear loose to you, try to replace them with new ones.

3. Try To Fix Or Replace The Analog Sticks Springs

Another critical cause that your Xbox One controller drifts are the springs of analog sticks. As mentioned earlier, these springs undergo weary processes over time. Please follow the steps given below to check the status of springs;

1. Begin with disassembling your Xbox One controller.
2. There are green plastic covers at the bottom that you have to pry off very vigilantly because damaging a single thing here will replace the entire analog stick.
3. Using the tweezers, try removing the springs carefully.
4. Insert the new springs and then reassemble the controller correctly.

4. Replace The Analog Sticks Entirely

Many times, the above two mentioned fixes might not work for some people. Perhaps both the analog sticks may need replacement.

If you want to attempt replacing the analog sticks on your Xbox One controller, it is one of the most complex tasks, and if you are not an expert with soldering and de-soldering, we advise you to reach out to a professional.

Though the process is risky for an unprofessional, you can follow the steps given below very carefully to replace the analog sticks;

1. Begin with disassembling your Xbox One controller using T8 and T9 Torx. However, here you will also need T7 to pull apart the circuit board.
2. The analog stick has a soldered connection with the circuit board. Therefore, you need to have de-soldering equipment to pull apart the analog stick from the board.
3. Next, take the new analog stick assembly, place it on the circuit board, and solder it correctly.
4. Lastly, you have to put every part of the controller back into its place and check if the controller drift issue persists.

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In Conclusion

Without any doubt, your Xbox One controller drifting is pretty much a frustrating issue. However, the only good thing about the problem is that it occurs pretty commonly, so many fixes are available.

In this article, we have tried our best to provide you with the causes of Xbox One controller drift and quick fixes to deal with the issue right away! Hopefully, it will prove helpful!