Xbox One Controller - Trying different ways to FIX Stick Drift 

I absolutely love when you refer to things like "the green bit" as actual parts!! My grandfather used to call most things 'deals'. "Lemme see that there deal..." I enjoy having your videos on in the background while I 3d print stuff and file and sand. Good show old bean!

Cleaning the sensor actually WORKED, OMGGGGGG!! For about 3 days.

I love that you actually went back to fix the issues instead of just calling it "good enough" at 97% for either of the axes. We need more people with your work ethic

Thanks! Fixed my controller by 98%. But much MUCH better then before!

Crazy amount of time spent in the name of science =D Nice work though, because its far easier to just swap out the specific pot rather than the whole stick. On my 360 stick I had no choice as the stick was sticking (pun not intended lol).

Last weekend I took apart a PS2 controller because the sticks didn't move very smoothly. I cleaned similar looking part you showed in this video, the analog stick mechanism, washed the plastic covers and when I started putting it together, noticed that one plastic tab was broken behind the right 1 shoulder button. Managed to glue it back using Revell plastic modelkit glue. Have used this glue more for repairing plastic parts than building modelcars :D

FYI, you can use parts from old Xbox 360 controllers to fix the analog sticks. That piece you take out and clean on the side of the analog box can be replaced with the ones from any 360 controller you have kicking around. I just did it with a brand new model Xbox one controller that got stick drift afrer only 2 months.

subbed.......I never would have tried to pull the pot apart, and thanks to you i got it back up and running perfect (100%)

i haven't gotten any problem with my controller yet, im going to watch it anyway because i like to watch people fixing stuff

Vince have you ever thought about starting a patron? We love to sponsor you! Keep it up

Very interesting indeed. I'd say the green bit with the track on is the bit that wears down. If these are in a factory what test would they use to check them, ohms? if so what ohms is good or bad or is it just the difference between centre back and front. It would have been nice to see the ohms difference between the bought and the replacement. The fragile bit in the mix is the coating. The thinning of this coating or inferior coating in the first place are the problem. There is a chance that the arm is coated as well. Wear on the micro switch can be delayed with a shim but the end result is the same, swap it out. Each daily contact has the chance of leaving deposits on one of the surfaces and shortening its life. Having just replaced six sticks that all still creep bar one, it would be nice to have a simple check before soldering them in. Luckily they all feel like new sticks or I'd be cheesed off. So i've ordered some single Pots and I'll see what quality checks I can do between them all. I'd like to think there is a way of repairing them, maybe by bending an arm so it marks a new track on unused material, or depositing new material with a pen of sorts. I have repaired old volume Pots by bending an arm but the size is much bigger and easier to work with. But bending an arm is much better than all that's involved in buying a new one and fitting it. After looking at them under magnification this is impressive micro electronics that we expect to last forever and bending an arm successfully would be a challenge, and a job for a steady arm which i don't have.

Honestly, I have gone through way too many controllers, it feels like I buy a new one every month& they're too expensive. I'm going to give it a go, learn how to solder & try to fix them since I still have most of my controllers. Should be a fun experience :) thank you

Thanks that worked, I wouldn't have attempted to open the thumb axis like that but it worked. Had to watch a few times to see how it was oriented. I mangled the little round metal contact circle rubbing to hard but i straightened it and it worked.

Thank you for putting out these xbox one controller vids, i very much appreciate it. My left stick was sticking to the right, so on any menu it would instantly move to the furthest right option and not let me select whatever i needed to. I couldnt even get into a game, let alone play it. Ive only had My xbox for 6 months. I bought it new from best buy but 6 months in and ive already had an issue. Not boding well... if you hadnt posted these videos i wouldnt have know how to get into the controller, so again thank you. So i just cleaned the controller all up with alcohol and it seems to be working, at least for now... my qtips i used to clean it were not dirty to the eye. I could not see any dirt or discoloration at all. So i dont know exactly what the issue was but its working.

Thank you. Watching your video and following it, I succeeded in the repair.

thanks Vince you've opened up my eyes and help me with my controller issue you're my number one go to . once again. thanks

Yup...just going to buy a new controller. Cheers for the great video! By the time I faffed around with buying the parts, buying a soldering iron and accoutrements, etc. I'd be in for nearly a new controller. :D

Just used this vid to guide me through replacing the tiny ring on the left stick of my sea of thieves controller, it's working great thx for the video.!!! Favourite controller back in action😀

Thank you for all your hard work in this video. I tried the canned air, rubbing alcohol, opening the green piece and cleaning the disc and nothing worked. I will try replacing the 3 pin green piece on the Y axis since that’s where my problem is.

Funny story, I was dealing with a dead spot on my left analog stick so I watched this video and saw how you took apart the controller and replaced the censor. I didn’t just happen to have extra Xbox one parts laying around but I did have an old Xbox 360 controller to my disposal, and thank god microsoft still uses last generation technology in their next gen controllers because I was able to take the censors out of the 360 controller and put them in the Xbox one controller. Now it works good as new 😂

I actually replaced the left thumb stick because sprint wasn’t working in call of duty and I soldered the new part on and it worked fine for like 4 months then the same problem occurred again and I’m still using the same controller.

Thank You! I did have to deep and clean out that disk with alcohol, but! It worked!!

Well Diagnosed and Executed Cool. Its a Process awsome . You only need to change all of it if its the Click in the middle

LOVE YOUR CHANNEL BROTHER!😉 The PSP 1000 has this same kind of issue, I bought a new analog and took apart the old one and from what I can tell its plastic guides. Each guide has two copper pins that literally rub against the board these become full of plastic gunck from constantly moving and I noticed that the white guide was the worst one by far. Also the springs they use are very fragile, the 2000&3000 feel way better I'm guessing they have better springs inside. I love the PSP 1000 but I'm considering modding a new 3000 thumb stick to it in the future just for fun to see if it's even possible.😁

thank you, took it apart until the stage at 9:25 then drenched it in nail polish remover and it worked!

Man like vince solved my problems!! Appreciated 🙏🏾🕊

I fixed 1 of 2 before watching this video, went almost at you had to but mine wasn't that bad. The other controller is worse, it barely registers up. I think I'll probably dismantle to the "green" part of the video. Thanks in advance, now I know what to do. By the way, I took off both vibrators 🤣

I found this video extremely interesting and helpful since it is a problem that affects pretty much everyone that owns an xbox controller sooner or later, I personally use xbox 360 controllers since they are more of a nicer fit on my big hands but I've been plagued with this problem on a lot of my controllers and the only solution I found previously to this video was the alcohol cleaning, it sometimes help putting the controller to normal function for a while but its never a definitive fix, can you do the same instructional video for Xbox 360 controllers (I don't know if the inner workings are the same as that of Xbox one controllers, and many people still use those like me)? Also, it would be nice if you had a dummy proof video on how to solder and unsolder using a small soldering iron for total noobs at solder like me :)

Wow...thank you so much for the extremely thorough video! God bless you!

Have to admit that part worked, literally have to drown the sensors in alchohol and it worked!! 11:11

This fixed my stick drift, thank you! :) liked the video

Great video, enjoyed that. Makes more sense doing it your way

I very needs to fix the R and L the same problem you are fixing thanks

Totally helped, keep up the videos man!!

Great video worked perfectly on my controller. Thanks!

what kind of laptop/netbook are you using to test the controller?

This is a fantastic video, I've only just managed to afford a one x after lock down and 1 month later I'm having the same issues 🙄. I am wondering if some deoxit potentiometer spay in there would help to resolve the problem?? Any thoughts are greatly appreciated 👍🙂

This is sooooo in depth, thank you so much!

I had major drift on my left analog stick & it only went 86% all the way to the right for my Xbox 1. I cleaned out all of the copper pieces that snap into the green plastic retainer on the joysticks & it fixed it back to 100%

Great job mate love your videos

Why does stick drift keep happening? MS released a video when the console launched about spending 100 million on controller development. Does this happen to a lot of people?

Thanks you mate , got fix it in my hand just replace washer .

Very helpful thx Vince.

you can just turn outside the analog stick “box” counter clockwise for let it go down instead of praying of the gray part and clockwise for up if that made any sense little more easy to do but this is more the accurate way.

*watches on a ps4*

Thanks a lot, you just save me 40 bucks

Really Dope. You should be a certified Alpha :)

This is a great video.

Thanks. This has been very handy

I JUST POURED A SHIT TON OF LIGHTER FLUID INTO MY LEFT ANALOG STICK AND IT WORKED. Btw don’t do that unless you are positive. The fluid has the same properties as alcohol rub and I didn’t have any of that so use it as a last resort. I’m not an expert just saying how I fixed my drift

When you are looking for answers then you saw this video then makes you think just replace the whole damn controller

Love the music at 5:20 Lol

When i grow up, i want to be a tinkerer like you. Must feel great, to fix things people gave up on. Not because its worth money, but because it feels great to do it, like solving a mystery, you feel a sense of achievement too. And, its fun opening up stuff. Never stop sir.

Can I just send you my controller 😂

Finally, someone who takes the time to find the real source of the problem and debunks all the other so called "fixes" along the way. Thank you!!

The step at 11:11 was literally the only way that worked for me. However for my case cleaning it didn't fix the issue, so I just pulled out the same component from a dead controller and put it in my controller I was having problems with. It works like a charm now. Thanks a lot!

Hi Vince, I admire your perseverance and perhaps this video was all about deducing exactly what the cause of the problem was rather than just effecting a fix. As an old electronics engineer I know that the carbon track inside a rehostat will eventually wear and provied intermittent contact. So I would have just changed the old joystick pot for a new one. At only £4.00 that would be my prefered option. Cleaning a carbon track that is already breaking down can never be a long term fix. I am not criticizing you. I think this video is excellent and touches all bases. Well done and thanks for posting.

I wonder why there seems to be no software calibration for the analog stick. That would be the easiest solution to the max position problem because the resistance of the potentiometers always has a certain error.

I followed along with you, without testing with the app and I GREATLY appreciate you stepping through this as it helped me fix my controller. I thankfully didn't have to solder, I don't have spare parts laying about, so I was hoping I wouldn't have to. I also understand my controller more now which I also appreciate. Thank you for going to such effort for this video!

Just throw it against the wall In a fit of rage, that always helps

The green part that you opened is a potentiometer the part you took out is the wiper(middle pin on a potentiometer). It wipes against the carbon track in the green part. it will be in the potentiometer configuration rather than a variable resistor configuration as it will compare the resistance between the two resistors(wiper to one outer pin being one resistor and wiper to the other outer pin being the other resistor). Say it is a 10K potentiometer in the center both resistors are at 5K . When you press up the top resistor increases in value(up to 10K) and the bottom resistor decreases(down to 0K). When you press down the top resistor decreases in value and the bottom resistor increases.

This works, just make sure not to bend the tracks on the small round part that comes out from the green square part, and if you do, just use a small screwdriver to bring it out so it can make contact with the carbon track.

This is the only video on Xbox 1 controller stick drift that matters.

I just stood on my joystick and it fixed it lol.

Just fixed mine with the step at 11:11! Thanks a lot!!!

The most over-engineering (comprehensive) guide I've ever seen for fixing an xbox controller. Thanks a bunch!

Thank you for this video. I've had the same issue and wanted a more detailed video than, "just clean with alcohol" and you DEFINITELY provided. Thank you again. Going to order some spare parts today.

Really love how detailed your video is about this topic and tbh I was getting nervous when you started taking the controller apart. I recently got scammed when I bought a xbox one elite controller that had stick drift in the left analog stick so I might end up selling it to get my money back but watching you fix the issue was god damn miraculous.

Man, my mate Vince always gets the hard way on everything, just wow!

6:15 "i'm using THIS" to spray it in there - noone can see what "this" is but luckily only a few second later you explained "this" helped with a Switch Joycon and got another can of "this", recorded it also only from the backside so noone can see what "this" is. But i will try my best to buy a can of "this" and hopefully after a few sprays with "that" will fix my analog stick for months ;)

or you can go at walmart buy a new one and wait about 2 weeks return the old one and get a second new so in the end you get 2 new controller for the price of one

Thank you so much for this man! Fixed my controller within minutes. Absolute legend.

Thanks for this guide, very well detailed and helpful! Managed to fix the drift on my favorite controller thanks to you. Cheers!

I just finished fixing the drift on my controller. My left stick would not return to center after moving it vertically but it wasn't caused so much by dirt and grime in analog. It took a few nasty drops. I took it apart following your instructions. But what worked for me, and may work for others, is when you got to the part of removing the green sensor housing to take out that circular piece. Instead of removing the housing to remove the piece, I slightly separated it from the side to give the analog a little less tension, allowing the analog and sensor to fully return to center after moving it. I did a test with the accessories function on my Xbox, but I don't have the percentage test like you do. I will just test it in real time gaming and see if it moves normally. Anyway, thanks for the tutorial!

i remember doing the same repairs on the xbox 360 controllers, i enjoy watching your videos nice and simple breakdown of what you are trying to achieve.

I had the same problem too. the metal thingy was in a really bad shape so I ended up ripping one off my old broken bootleg PS2 controller, surprisingly it fits nicely inside the green part lol. i guess analog stick design doesn't really change.

Nice job vince. I've got a couple of slightly faulty dual shock 4 controllers (both with analogue issues) and this video as given me some great tips on how to tackle them. Keep up the good work man!

For next video, I'd recommend using DEOXIT D5. Tape head cleaners and electrical cleaners only gets dust and grease. The circular metal plate that you cleaned with the cotton swab has oxidation, so one application of Deoxit spray should clean it right up without taking it apart. Btw cleaning metal contact with only alcohol leaves residue which speeds up future oxidation.

I just purchased a brand new xbox controller.- I jump into fifa and the left joystick and dpad are both skipping. How tf is this possible for a brand new product out the box

Could you do me a favor and post links to where I can find the products needed to re soader and remove old soader. I would love to attempt this but I always get half way through and give up once I get to the soader portion.

Vince i’ve been doing a lot of xbox one controller repairs since watching your videos and i’ve leaned how to jump from those potentiometer’s legs to capacitors if you were unlucky while unsoldering the legs and burned the pads surrounding them. If you ever go about them and need some help i drew a diagram and i am sure it could help a lot of viewers as there isn’t any videos about how to fix controllers with burnt pads!

What worked for me was prying that green thingy and spraying that little disc with contact cleaner, no need to take it out! My daughter's pink remote is working again, yay! Thank you buddy!

method at 14:00 WORKED for me on a controller thats had stick drift since around the time this video was released. Good work! Update: Xbox one controller still working perfectly and just fixed my series x|s controller with this method as well

8:08 that sound though xD it sound like its being played from a video that they played in the microphone lol

Update 2 - a couple of months or so later and the drift is back, I repeated the cleaning process and this time I seem to have made it worse... Update 1 - a month or so later: the controller is still working without any drift! 12:16 that has fixed mine, so far. I didn't need to un-solder, just prised the green plastic part back, took out the disk, cleaned both the disk and inside the green part. Reassembled and my right stick (up) drift appears to have gone. I'll update this is the fix is temporary but it worked fine last night. Thanks for the detailed video.

Well worked out Vince. I've been subbed for a long time to your channel and your skills have really come along... Almost OEM :) Now come along and fix that walkman with the digital display.

O wait, I actually have this on 2 of my controllers, thnks

It worked for me just opening the green cap, taking out the round piece, cleaning both with isopropil alcohol and putting it back together. But I had to do this 2 times, the first time it still drifted, so in the second time I cleaned more inside the green piece. I used pointy tweezers holding some cotton, so I could reach inside better. Also I managed to make the whole process from the front, without taking out the board. Thank you for the excellent video.

Hi Vince why don’t you have ago at fixing a faulty laptop 💻

nicely! except for a video from a professional directly from Microsoft. The best filmed and especially explained procedure and function of individual analog parts. Thank you very much. Fan from the Czech Republic

IPA means India Pale Ale where I'm from.

Thanks for another great video, I did a solder replacement complete on the 2 sticks. Still a little invovled and there are some very tiny resistors/caps that are magnifying glass small near the solder points - so small solder tip is the way to go and be careful as they are easy to collect on wiping excess solder away with the solder iron. I managed to resolder the caps that were undone - this is 10 times harder just soldering the sticks. All working now - the resistors may not of been critical as my solder job on them was pretty rough.

My controller doesn't drift...it moves to many "clicks." Like when you set your mouse wheel to skip one or two lines. Same with the directional button. On the home screen it takes many tries to get to the option I want because it skips two or three lines. Like I go to "Games" and the first game is highlighted and I want the second one...I push the directional pad or the stick and I end up on the fourth game. Eventually I get there, but it's a pain in the arse. Any ideas without the dissection of my controller?

I'm so glad you made this video. On your last video fixing the joycon I was going to comment you can do the same with the Xbox controller. I'm also glad you figured out the best method to repair it. All those sensors are prone to failure. Usually it's the green part that the contact starts to wear away and create dead spots that makes the stick drift. the 1537 and newer 1708 models are easier to fix than the 1697/1698 which is the first controller with the headset jack and the elite (1698). They use a different type of solder that is super hard to remove without a hot air gun or extreme heat. Also if you don't correctly press the 2 separate boards together properly you will get false stick drift.

I really enjoyed this video mate really in depth and took your time I can now look at fixing mine now lol same controller xbox need to sort their tech out.

When you click on the thumbstick on my controller it feels weird and it gets drift when you click it

Well, if nothing else, I can now foresee a day in about 15 years when those little green disks will sell for a mint as a repair part. LOL

I'm glad I came across your channel. This is going to help me a lot since I constantly get stick drift on my controller. Thank you :)

Love this channel

16:49 was a very interesting view on slotting into place 😂