While the Mouse and Keyboard are most PC gamers' preferred interface methods,
many enjoy gaming on the controller of their liking. With the Steam Deck,
you don’t have much choice when you’re on the move. So what happens when your deck develops
the dreaded “Stick Drif”? Hang tight and I will explain what’s happening and how to fix it.
Stick drift, what is it? Well, it’s what happens when you’re not moving the analog input stick at
all but the game is responding like you are. I had this recently with my Playstation 4 controller
and now with my Steam Deck. The same thing happened on both. You see inside the controller,
or Steam Deck in this instance, are X and Y axis measurement points on a rocker. These
transmit the stick position to the system and game that tell it what you want. But these
stock ones use potentiometer-style sensors which use friction and will wear over time. And that’s
basically where I’m at with my Steam Deck. I told y’all I use this thing a lot, remember?
So how do you fix it? Replacement gimbals, or sticks, of course. And that’s just what
I plan to do. You could take apart the gimbals sensors to clean and recenter them but that’s
hopium at best. You want to do what I’m doing and replace them with some Hall Effect Sensor
gimbals. These use magnets and sensors so there are no moving parts to wear out or
get out of whack. These are essentially the same thing professional drone racing
pilots use in their transmitters…but in your Steam Deck! So let’s get the old out and the
new in to see if it keeps me alive longer in Dead Cells before I hit the road again!
Sweet, it works like a charm. But should YOU do it? I mean, let’s be real here,
it’s only a $30 upgrade and it’s something you may, or may never have to do. BUT if you’re out
of town like I was when the stick drift rears its ugly head then you might have wished you did it
already. The stock sticks feel great, they do. But man do these feel so much smoother. For me,
I wish I had done this sooner, but you’ll have to make that decision for yourself.
The process of doing this was straightforward and simple thanks to the engineering decisions
behind the Steam Deck. The upgrade was worth it for me,
but I’d love to hear from the rest of you if you’ve had to deal with stick drift, and if so,
what did you do. Most people I know toss a controller but I’d love to hear if you’ve
fixed one like I did with my Playstation or replaced one like I did with the Steam Deck.
Sound off in the comment section below and while you’re down there make sure you’ve hit
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