• Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!

xbox 360 controller: drifting joystick

Insaniac

Member
I recently bought a new xbox arcade and I've been using the new controller since my old one's joysticks were worn out, but I've noticed a problem with it. Sometimes the joystick will be in the neutral position, but the game still thinks its moving left or right, for example in an FPS my aim will slowly drift left or right and it bothers the hell out of me, not only cause its annoying but its a new controller. My brother's xbox controller does this too. My question has anyone had this problem and have they found a way to deal with it besides buying a new controller?
 
This crap seems to happen to all of the controllers. It's especially noticeable in FPS games, and games that require small shifts with the left stick. A new controller solves it only for a while. After a bit of use, the same thing starts to happen.
 
My RE5 edition controller does this, out of the 4 controllers I've had it's only happened with this one and it was a right-out-the-box problem.
 
Probably not your problem, but make sure you aren't touching the stick when you turn on the system or connect your controller.
 
This has happened to me since the original dualshocks. Controllers wear out.
 
I have this problem with both my 360 controllers. Games with virtually no deadzone are annoying. The finest example? Lost Odyssey. The menu would go berserk if I wasn't absolutely centered.
 
This was one of the many issues I've had with brand new Xbox gear, including a D-pad that would activate rapid-fire right whenever I pressed it.

Take it back. Make sure to get a warranty and just take it back.
 
Never happened to me with the 360, has with the PS2.

Usually it was because the stick would get stuck in a position that was slightly to the left or right of its neutral position. Not enough to be noticeable to the average gamer but enough that the console picks it up and it screws with gameplay. :/
 
I have the problem with the right stick on my 3 year old wireless pad. I have to use my wired pad to play Madden unless I wanna fuck up on all of my kicks.
 
I had the same thing happen to me, a while back I picked up a new wired official 360 controller and it drifted. I'd be playing dead rising, for example, and even if I left the sticks at idle Frank would still slowly move in a direction. Same with the aiming bullshit, I'd have to fight it to line up a shot because it would drift in another direction. This all happened right after getting the new controller, so I assume it was a defective. So I've had the same problem, but unfortunately I don't have a solution. I lost my receipt so I eventually just traded it in towards some other shit. If there is any way to return it or exchange it, that might be your only choice, but I'm sure you'd rather not deal with Microsoft's customer "support".
 
Try holding it really hard in the opposite of the direction it's drifting, that kinda sorta fixed my PS2 controller(the stick isn't 100% neutral but I don't have to deal with drifting when I go back to play older games).:lol
 
This happened to me with two 64 and one GC controller.Never knew the reason , but it sucks.

The first time that it happened was while playing Golden Eye. You could fix it by leaving the stick in neutral position and pressing L+R+Start.
 
I never had a problem like that for my 360 controllers, but it's happened to my PS2 controllers. It sucks because one of them turns on when the joystick is moved, and it's wireless. I have to remove the batteries every time so they don't die. :(
 
Wasn't it possible to force-reset analog stick center points on the older Nintendo consoles (N64, GC)? There was a button combination you could press or something.
 
I had this problem with a brand new PS3 controller which I had replaced. But all of my 360 controllers have had this issue turn up at some point. I guess around a year or so after purchase. I'm on my fourth 360 controller now and my second PS3.
 
My 60GB Pro unit was doing that with the included controller right out of the box. I just learned to live with and get around it. But it pissed me off at first, being so used to the rock solid DS2 and DS3.

It's really not that bad after a couple months into it though. I had forgotten that I even have that issue until I read this thread.

Damn you
 
I've had this happen on two GCN C-sticks. Both happened right after playing Timesplitters. It's really annoying in Smash Bros.

XiaNaphryz said:
Wasn't it possible to force-reset analog stick center points on the older Nintendo consoles (N64, GC)? There was a button combination you could press or something.
Tried this on the above, didn't work.
 
It happend to me once.
I called MS technical support and they sent me a new pad. For free. And I kept the old one. Awesome technical support, if you ask.
 
Has happened with every 360 controller I have bought, out of the box. Easy to reproduce on most peoples' controllers as well, seems more common to drift left than right. I think developers need to just learn to implement better deadzones, because there are games that aren't nearly as affected by it even on the controllers I know it happens on. Borderlands is really, really bad about it and has almost no deadzone at all.
 
Top Bottom