So I like to use Xbox controllers (doesn’t matter if it’s first- or third-party) because I like the layout, it’s just comfortable to me. However I’ve noticed that on all my controllers in the past few years, the left thumb stick will start to “give out” over the course of a couple months. For instance I’ll be pushing it forward all the way, but it won’t register for some reason and my character will only move a little bit. Sometimes wiggling it a bit will fix it, sometimes it doesn’t. And it’s not like I’m squeezing the hell out of the controller or mashing the stick constantly; in fact it’s made me try to be more delicate with my controllers, even though I’m just playing the games normally.
Is it just how controllers are, or am I just getting the shit end of the stick?
It happens because from normal use the potentiometer inside the joystick wears out. Usually you can buy joystick assemblies for a 1/10 of the price of a controller, so if you can solder its very affordable to repair them.
If you dont want to solder, you can extend their life by applying a bit of contact spray to the potmeters inside after disassembling the controller. But that can corrode other components, so be careful with it. Still beats just throwing them out.
Hall-Effect is supreme,
But we’ve been using potentiometers for controller joysticks for 25 years now… and yet it’s only been a huge issue lately.
What do you mean lately? I personally repaired a drifting xbox360 controller, and that console was released almost 20 years ago. I assume the controller was just a few years younger than that. I think eventually all potentiometers develop this issue.
Many don’t require any soldering since they use ribbon cables.
I’ve seen those in disassembly videos of the steam deck and the switch maybe. But all the standalone controllers I personally have taken apart were soldered in place. eg. xbox360, dualshock4, some generic third-party ones.