Oh, your Stick is drifting? No problem, send it in.
What? You don't want to wait? Sure, in that case here's a manual to easily fix it yourself.
this post was submitted on 16 Apr 2025
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Logo uses joystick by liftarn
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Bluetooth controller drifting? Here, you can adjust the deadzone yourself and get realtime feedback to make it easier.
That or you can just buy a controller that doesn't cheap out on the joysticks for less than what any of the main console companies are charging.
So far, I get about 6-8 years out of whatever generation PlayStation controller I get. PS3 controller battery eventually crapped out. PS4 controller got pretty bad stick drift.
Tried an Xbox 360 controller once, it got stick drift after only a year.
My original 360 controllers are still working in pristine condition.
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Or, get some third party Hall Effect sticks, and have an enjoyable afternoon or evening of tinkering.
No soldering required!
No soldering on the switch either though and Hall effect joysticks are a thing for it as well
I havent bothered to try taking mine apart:
Does Nintendo still insist on using the triangle screws nobody sells? Like cuntsm
Yep, but the kit includes the screwdriver
~~While technically true, you will lose the capacitive touch functionality of the sticks (the steam deck knows when your thumbs are touching the sticks) unless you desolder the old thumb caps and resolder them on the new sticks.~~
Edit: You're right. It appears newer Hall Effect Sticks for the Steam Deck come with the capacitive caps pre soldered, while the OG Gulikit Sensors required desoldering the original caps and resoldering them on the replacement board. That being said, it was super easy to do, even for my butterfingers that last touched a soldering iron in highschool more than 15 years ago.
I have heard about that being a thing, and honestly I would have no problem getting a small soldering kit and learning how to solder....
https://www.handhelddiy.com/products/steam-deck-oled-tighter-hall-joystick
https://www.amazon.com/Joysticks-Steam-Deck-OLED-Thumbstick-replacement/dp/B0D2P24S9P
So these are for the OLED, which has a very slightly different internal board layout than the LED...
But both of these say they are pre-soldered, no soldering required, and they still have capacitive touch working.
... Am I missing something?
EDIT: These seem to be basically self contained, All in One, small board, stick/base and thumbcap units.
Maybe earlier 3rd party Hall Effect sticks were... not so comprehensive, and required the soldering?
Or maybe I am confused?
With those you don't need to solder, they come with the caps themselves.
When I did my swap (OG Deck), I couldn't find any Gulikits that came with the caps and I bought
https://www.gulikit.com/productinfo/854122.html
Which don't come with any caps and required soldering. Nice that there are now options that don't require it.
Ah ok, so you were even earlier to the Deck modding scene than me, and it has evolved toward being even easier since.
Whew!
I appreciate your pointing this out and explanation, I wouldn't want to have been unintentionally spreading misinfo.
... Nor would I have wanted to get my own Hall Effect 'no soldering' kit and then learned... actually there still is soldering in some other step or on some other component, that the 'no soldering' kits actually just mean 'less soldering'.
The Deck is great to mod.
I really wanted one of those transparent Atomic Purple shells for mine. Then thought, might as well swap the sticks since it's already opened up.
Well the transfer into the new shell requires complete disassembly, which was quite bit more involved then I anticipated. The screen is glued to the top half of the shell. Getting a bit impatient, I shattered my screen as I was trying to pry it off. You need to heat the adhesive and remove the screen before it cools. I had done a couple of phone screen repairs in the past, and let me tell you, they use a lot less adhesive and because they are so small, you'll easily be able to pop it off before the adhesive starts becoming super sticky again. Not so much with the Steam Deck.
Well, the Deck HD (1200p) screen was only like 10€ more than an OEM replacement, so I might as well. (I quite like it, much sharper and more vibrant than the original and FSR can still give you good results in games that can't hit the resolution, but the battery life did take a small hit).
Long story short, I love my Atomic Purple Steam Deck HD with Hall Effect Sticks, where one cosmetic mod led me to do two hardware upgrades. I don't regret it, but I doubt I would do it again. I just love how much you can do it.
Bonus "Fuck Nintendo" points: pirate their games and put them on the Steam Deck.
This is the way.
I genuinely believe people will look back at this moment and wonder what Nintendo could have done if they weren't too limited in their vision to understand the opportunity they are throwing away here.
Apple isn't popular with younger people the way it used to be, nobody likes Microsoft, everybody hates Android (I do too even though that is my phone os)... there is a major generational opening here for introducing kids to computers in a fun way and becoming "the computer" in the minds of kids.
Especially with the environmental crisis and climate change, people will look back at this and shake there heads and lament that if only Nintendo had copied Valve for that generation of Switches, Nintendo could have grown into an entire operating system and computer culture and there would be WAY less needlessly obsolete handheld computers laying around from when the next generation of Switches inveitably comes out....
What people still don't understand about computers and people is that whoever introduces kids to computers capable of doing complex work in a fun way will shape the future, because those kids will grow up into adults who create, use and design tools that do cool amazing things. Nintendo needs to wake the fuck up and realize they are selling a handheld computer that is very good at playing games, the world desperately needs another company with vision, good UI design, and the capability to bring hardware and software together into a competent computer experience (Microsoft cannot do this, and undermines all its hardware partners that actually try to do this with their own incompetence).
Nintendo could have grown into an entire operating system and computer culture and there would be WAY less needlessly obsolete handheld computers laying around from when the next generation of Switches inveitably comes out…
This isn't and has never been Nintendo's desired goal. Needless obsolete handheld computers laying around is a feature not a bug. Nintendo wants to sell more hardware. If you're able to use your hardware longer, it means lost sales. Nintendo also doesn't want to be a general purpose OS. There's all kinds of things you have to do as a company for a general purpose OS you don't have to do as an embedded system as they are today.
Your assertion that Apple, Microsoft, and Android are all unpopular with everyone seems like it might actually be a personal opinion rather than a fact.
I know people who enjoy all of those.
Lol those poor lost souls
It is nintendo. After a success they need a fail. At this point it seems like one of the underlying rules of our universe.
"If something wears out after the warranty expires, here's an independent online store with a full inventory of all replaceable parts, along with the instructions for how to fix them."
Only one small mistake I see here. Assuming Nintendo will say please. The same amount of time it takes them to say please, you'll blink and be in a courtroom facing piracy charges.
I just wish the Deck was a bit lighter.
My primary concern, too. It's fine for my man-hands but my wife and children still would rather use a switch (or literally have to, as I try to get my 3 year old to reach buttons). A deck lite would be lovely.
We just use a neck roll placed in the lap or on the stomach to rest it on while playing. It is a bit on the heavy side, but it is the first generation consumer handheld with that kind of power so I can excuse that.
A deck the size of a miyoo mini plus would be awesome. But very impractical. I want it.
I wish the steam controller wasn't discontinued, IIRC it was some patent bullshit. But you could use one of you have it or get any other controller and use it with the steam deck
I have one, and plenty of controllers, but I'd trade a bit of battery life and horsepower for weight. I don't play AAA games on mine, and I know I'm not alone, so they'd be smart to release a lite version.
And it's not just the weight. My wife has small hands and can't play it comfortably because it's so large. I bought her a WIN400 and threw SteamOS on it and that works alright. Something that size would be amazing from Valve (but without the really fucking stupid control placement).
Small form factor handhelds with power under the hood are definitely a thing, but they're like $1200. I bet Valve could drop the power by 40% and sell it at a reasonable price point.
Fair enough, I guess they probably wanted to target one set of hardware to begin with and this is what we got with a few minor variations. As popularity grows more choices will probably come further down the line.
My one complaint is that the shape is kind of awkward and I've cut off circulation in my fingers holding it
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They don't say please, they just threaten you with legal ramifications.
The mod abilityof the deck and the openness is a killer feature of the deck. It's an excellent device.
Funny because nintendo buyers are not even part of this conversation LMAO 🤣
Memory is not storage.
Not with that attitude! swapon!
Bro why you gotta remind me of the swap file nightmares with w98 ha
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There is also more diversity on the steam
At this point, 90% of Nintendo is just Mario remakes, and broken joycons
I have both. So far the only advantage the Switch Lite has is that is lighter and pocketable. The Steam Deck is not just about gaming which it does so well, it has also become my main and only PC outside of work. I have it hocked up to my TV more often than use it in handheld mode.
I am in so much pain that MP4 is finally coming out and it's on this shit.
That and the Air Ride sequel man. All I can hope is that people get emulators going fast.
There's work already being done ;)
Nintendo will come down on them like a ton of thwomps.
Also on the original Switch, though.
Also there's no such thing as indie switch games. Which limits the market and means that all the really interesting games aren't even on the platform.
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