How To Take Apart Xbox One Controller To Fix Drift

For those of you who spend a lot of time playing Xbox One games, you’ve definitely heard of the phenomenon known as controller drift, which causes your character to travel across the screen entirely on their own. To give you an idea of what I’m talking about, imagine yourself playing Call of Duty® and trying to avoid the enemy while simultaneously watching your avatar rush into danger on their own. This is aggravating, and it can make it practically hard to complete games.

At Asurion, our specialists have assisted millions of consumers in getting the most out of their technology and resolving device issues, such as identifying the best gaming monitors or repairing an Xbox that won’t switch on properly. Here’s their approach on repairing Xbox One controller drift, as well as information on what causes it.

What is Xbox One controller drift?

Your Xbox One controller is equipped with two analogue sticks, often known as joysticks, that allow you to perform a range of actions while playing. Most of the time, they function just as they are intended to. However, when analogue stick drift happens, the things you’re controlling will travel across the screen even if you’re not pressing any buttons on your controller.

How to Fix Worn Out Thumbstick Pads

If you find that the thumbsticks on your Xbox One controller are drifting, the first thing you should do is try the solutions that are the least complicated, and then work your way up from there. Even if filthy or worn out thumbstick pads aren’t the most prevalent cause of this issue, starting here is the greatest place to start since it’s the simplest and quickest item to test out.

You will need the following items to do this repair:

• Isopropyl alcohol
• q-tips made of cotton
• Pry tool T-8 or T-9 with safety features You can use whatever Torx Shim you like, or you can get new thumbstick pads.
• Once you have all of those things, the following is the procedure to follow in order to implement the fix:

• Apply isopropyl alcohol on a cotton swab.

• To clean the rounded surface, pry back the thumbstick, and then gently wipe it off with alcohol.

• Rotate the thumbstick progressively, gently cleaning the whole item.

• Verify that the thumbstick has been well cleaned, and then put it through its paces in terms of its functionality.

• Disassemble your Xbox One controller using a pry tool and a T-8 or T-9 safety Torx if the thumbstick continues to stick or drift after you’ve tried to fix it.

• Check the thumbsticks to ensure that they are in the appropriate positions, then wiggle them to see whether or not they are secure.

• Remove the thumbstick pads if they have a sloppy feel to them.

• Check to see whether the thumbstick pads have become loose by either reinstalling them using a shim made of a thin piece of paper or plastic, or by exchanging them for brand new ones.

• Reassemble the controller, then do a performance test.

How to Fix Worn Out Xbox One Controller Thumbstick Springs

If you have tried to repair your thumbstick pads and determined that they were neither filthy nor loose, then the next quickest option is to replace your thumbstick springs. This is the case if you are still experiencing drift after trying to fix your thumbstick pads. If just one of your thumbsticks is acting up, you will only need to replace the springs on that one thumbstick.

To perform this fix, you’ll need:

• Prying tool
• T-8 safety Torx
• Analog stick springs
• Tweezers

• You may disassemble your controller using a prying tool and a T-8 or T-9 safety Torx screwdriver.

• To remove the green plastic covers that are located on the right side and bottom of the thumbstick assembly, carefully peel them off.

• Take the springs out of the frame.

• Change the springs out with brand new ones, or springs taken from a different controller.

• Put the protective coverings made of green plastic back in place.

• Reassemble your controller, and make sure it’s working properly.

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