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Joycon Aim Drift

Ansible

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So recently I picked up a (Splatoon 2) pro controller because my left joycons continues to randomly desync. I plan to send it in for repair, but in the meantime I've been comparing its handling to the pro controller.

And while practicing some slow aim drills (using motion controls set to double +5) I discovered that my aim with the joycons would steadily drift!

Yet this isn't due to the steadiness of my hands! Separated mode, puppy face mode, handheld mode, wrist strap mode, standing up, sitting down, in my lap, in the air--my joycon aim would always cautiously veer off, causing me to steadily readjust and even over rotate my hands to compensate! And whenever I finally recentered the camera my inkling is looking in a completely different direction with a new neutral position, causing me to recenter the camera a few more times to find my original neutral position.

Has anyone else encountered this same issue? Is my (right) joycon malfunctioning or is this some sort of flaw with its design/manufacturing?
 

Hero of Lime

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I've only used the pro controller for Splatoon aside from one session I played in handheld mode, so I can't say I've experienced any issue with the joycons. However, I've heard about motion control aim drifting before with the joy cons, so it could be either a common user error, or something wrong with the joy con design itself.
 

Savage

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I've had this issue before! I thought it was just me, but if many are having this problem, then it might be another design flaw with the joycons. I always have to recalibrate my right joycon to fix it.
 

the

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Yeah I've noticed this hapoening with joycons, even when attached in handheld mode. Putting the console in sleep mode or dis/reconnecting the controllers usually fixes it tho. I'm gonna get a pro controller soon and send them in because it's much worse when they're disconnected from the console, but when in handheld mode it's generally not a problem. I only notice it when in the plaza or test range, or when i'm (rarely) sniping through a scope.
 

Silxer

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Yes, I've also encountered this issue as I primarily use the Joycon Grip as my main method of playing Splatoon 2.

I'm not sure exactly when this aim drifting issue started, but the issue at the moment seems to be minor to the point that it doesn't impair gameplay for me as it usually resolves itself after I either reset the camera a few times, pulling up the home menu once, or occasionally recalibrate my right joycon to fix the issue.

Once it's fixed it no longer becomes an issue and I can play the game like normal.
 

Ansible

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So I'm guessing it could be an issue of design then?

Guess, I'll have to recalibrate as a frequent activity then if I continue using joycons. For me it's most noticeable when using chargers and nozzlenoses due to their high accuracy requirements, and a drifting aim screws with me on so many levels.

Are any of you, using a different set of joycons than the pair that came with your console?
 

MrL1193

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I've also encountered this problem from time to time, and I still use the Joy-cons that came with my Switch. Whenever I notice it, I set the controllers down so they're perfectly still, and the drifting stops after a moment. It's a nuisance, but not enough of one for me to consider shelling out 70 bucks for a Pro Controller just to prevent it.
 
Last edited:

RespawningJesus

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I use joycons in grip or handheld mode, amd don't experience any issues. It should also be noted that I am using my 2nd pair of joycons, and not the pair that came with my console.
 

Ansible

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I use joycons in grip or handheld mode, amd don't experience any issues. It should also be noted that I am using my 2nd pair of joycons, and not the pair that came with my console.
So it may just be a problem with the first production models then, much like the desyncing issue as well.

Hopefully my matter will be resolved once I send my joycons in for maintenance. Otherwise I'll probably pick up a new pair during a holiday sale or tap a friend for another discount. In the meanwhile, it's feelings nice to have my controller issues resolved across multiple games.
 

Silxer

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Could potentially be another day one issue. We should look into this tbh.
That's strange, because I ordered my switch around the end of May and didn't pick up my order until late June.

Despite not being a a day one Nintendo Switch, I experience that issue from time to time.
 

Ember-Wisp

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So recently I picked up a (Splatoon 2) pro controller because my left joycons continues to randomly desync. I plan to send it in for repair, but in the meantime I've been comparing its handling to the pro controller.

And while practicing some slow aim drills (using motion controls set to double +5) I discovered that my aim with the joycons would steadily drift!

Yet this isn't due to the steadiness of my hands! Separated mode, puppy face mode, handheld mode, wrist strap mode, standing up, sitting down, in my lap, in the air--my joycon aim would always cautiously veer off, causing me to steadily readjust and even over rotate my hands to compensate! And whenever I finally recentered the camera my inkling is looking in a completely different direction with a new neutral position, causing me to recenter the camera a few more times to find my original neutral position.

Has anyone else encountered this same issue? Is my (right) joycon malfunctioning or is this some sort of flaw with its design/manufacturing?
I know this is a bit of an older post. but I am having the same issue too. it always drifts to the left slightly, and I can't figure out why, sometimes it stops after a moment, sometimes I have to open up a menu, sometimes I have to reset the controllers, but sometimes nothing works! I've been playing Splatoon through September up till now and I've only recently started having an issue. I did not drop any of my joy cons or handle them roughly yet it still drifts to the left and it's messing up my ability to play the game!

If anyone has any answers for me please let me know ASAP. also I will keep looking around for a fix and if I find anything really helpful I'll post about it here.
 

Либра

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I know this is a bit of an older post. but I am having the same issue too. it always drifts to the left slightly, and I can't figure out why, sometimes it stops after a moment, sometimes I have to open up a menu, sometimes I have to reset the controllers, but sometimes nothing works! I've been playing Splatoon through September up till now and I've only recently started having an issue. I did not drop any of my joy cons or handle them roughly yet it still drifts to the left and it's messing up my ability to play the game!

If anyone has any answers for me please let me know ASAP. also I will keep looking around for a fix and if I find anything really helpful I'll post about it here.
I had a similar issue with mine, or rather, plenty of them. When I first bought the switch and got Splatoon 2, everything was fine and dandy. No lag, no notable drifting other than one resetable one like you described but after only a few weeks, things went haywire. The joycon would start "lagging behind" on every ZR tap I do. What does this look like? Well, imagine you're a charger and you want to to quickly tap a bit to cover a small patch of ground before you: watch your inkling charge up shots for a bit until releasing. Now you can probably imagine what could happen when you want to actually splat someone: Sometimes I would release ZR and my inkling go: "NaBrO, let's wait a second first.."

And this wasn't the only issue. After this issue began to resurface itself pretty much all the time and no amount of rebooting and re-synching the joycons would stop them from doing that, I thought "Yeah, as long as I don't play chargers and say, use a Splatling where I can just release earlier and track opponents down after the fact worst-case, things are going to be alright, right?" Wrong. Just after thinking that I beat the damn things with their own trick, they'd not only display this weird ZR-lag, but also drift to the right / left for like two seconds with no amount of button mashing or stick movement to cancel it!

Do you know how I got my issue solved in the end? Started using the Pro Controller instead. Because no amount of:
  • resetting
  • rebooting (game/switch)
  • recharging
  • praying
  • sacrificing ... things
helped my case. But the good news is, once I stated using the Pro Controller, all my troubles magically disappeared. So I'm guessing it's a Joycon related issue which shows in Splatoon first and foremost but don't ask me what exactly the cause is. e.e
 

Ember-Wisp

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I had a similar issue with mine, or rather, plenty of them. When I first bought the switch and got Splatoon 2, everything was fine and dandy. No lag, no notable drifting other than one resetable one like you described but after only a few weeks, things went haywire. The joycon would start "lagging behind" on every ZR tap I do. What does this look like? Well, imagine you're a charger and you want to to quickly tap a bit to cover a small patch of ground before you: watch your inkling charge up shots for a bit until releasing. Now you can probably imagine what could happen when you want to actually splat someone: Sometimes I would release ZR and my inkling go: "NaBrO, let's wait a second first.."

And this wasn't the only issue. After this issue began to resurface itself pretty much all the time and no amount of rebooting and re-synching the joycons would stop them from doing that, I thought "Yeah, as long as I don't play chargers and say, use a Splatling where I can just release earlier and track opponents down after the fact worst-case, things are going to be alright, right?" Wrong. Just after thinking that I beat the damn things with their own trick, they'd not only display this weird ZR-lag, but also drift to the right / left for like two seconds with no amount of button mashing or stick movement to cancel it!

Do you know how I got my issue solved in the end? Started using the Pro Controller instead. Because no amount of:
  • resetting
  • rebooting (game/switch)
  • recharging
  • praying
  • sacrificing ... things
helped my case. But the good news is, once I stated using the Pro Controller, all my troubles magically disappeared. So I'm guessing it's a Joycon related issue which shows in Splatoon first and foremost but don't ask me what exactly the cause is. e.e
Looks like I'll have to get a pro controller then... I think it's so odd that everyone has different issues including the same drift issue.
 

KrackHead

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Not sure if anyone has already mentioned this, but I had this issue after using the joycons and then switching to the pro controller. After resetting the camera with the pro controller it worked fine. Another time I had a similar issue and I had to recalibrate the controller in the settings.
 

Ember-Wisp

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Not sure if anyone has already mentioned this, but I had this issue after using the joycons and then switching to the pro controller. After resetting the camera with the pro controller it worked fine. Another time I had a similar issue and I had to recalibrate the controller in the settings.
Nintendo why!? ;w;
 

Ember-Wisp

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I think I've found a small solution for the aim drift. Not sure if this will work for everyone or every game but go ahead and give it a try.

I was playing a lot of Splatoon 2 today trying to get ready for this Splatfest and I had an idea. Whenever the screen fads to black to load a new area, Id set the joycons down flat on my coffee table with the + and - facing the switch straight on, and when the screen loaded back in I picked up my joycons and the drift was gone.

I did lots of tests and whenever I set the joycons down mid loading it would stop drifting 10 out of 10 tests, and whenever I kept the joycons in my hands mid loading, it started drifting about 4 out of 10 tests.

If you try this, please leave some feedback so we can all see if this works for everyone, or only works for a few people or only worked for me.
 

Ansible

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Recently there was a brief system 4.1.0 update tweaking the motion controls.

upload_2017-12-6_0-31-23.png


Yep, that's all the update is, just a quick touchup on the motion controls.

On first blush, the aim on my joycons appear to be on point and remain that way for the time being. Yet I'm gonna need to put it through the ringer to see how good the update is for my joycons.
 

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