I took my drifting controller apart, that was a major hassle as the security screws were very very tight and my security bit wouldn't grip most of them. I eventually found a hack to to use a 5/64ths flathead which worked.

You can see the insides and what I followed here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jP_YLRqghY&list=LL&index=5&t=29s

All the cleanings had very short effect, less than a minute before drifting.. He mentioned to pry up the metal on the disk at 7:00 if you thing you mushed it down. I hadn't mushed it, but I did notice it was slightly bent and unbent it to the best of my ability.

I managed to break off one of the green clips as he showed in the video at 6:27, but it went back together ok. When I put it back together I noticed the wire shown at 5:00 had taken the round connector off the board with it (there's actually 2 wires in mine, just one of them did this.) I thought I was going to have to toss it at this point but after fiddling with it for several minutes got to it stick on the nub left behind tenuously.

It worked!

For three hours. Then the drift started in again. I'm assuming the spring got bent again.

First in that video, that's an extreme close-up, that disk is less than 1/4 inch (basically slightly larger than the q-tip shown cleaning it) and the metal spring is significantly less than a millimeter wide, and much thinner than an aluminum can, the one in mine looks thinner than the one in the video too. Flimsy doesn't begin to describe it. It looks built to fail! I can't imagine any other reason to use such a thin thread of metal spring. Anything getting the least bit out of alignment or wear would destroy the tight clearance needed for it to function. We've had optical mice forever, and they can be dirt cheap, why else would they be using this vs, that tech? It really grinds my gears!

I could open it again and try to unbend it, but I assume something else is imperceptibly off just enough to bend it into a shape that causes it to drift. I could buy a soldering iron, a new joystick module, and attempt to remove the one in it and replace it, but the clearances on everything are so small I have no doubt my inexperienced shaky old hand would not be able to solder it on with the millimeter precision required. I've decided I'm setting it apart and will see if I can use it for spare parts (assuming the disks are the same in my older one) if it ever starts drifting.

I had bought a PS5 controller which arrived when I first decided this controller was having issues, as I'd been playing ER and other PS games and possibly of use for the PS emulator. Also maybe a different sytem/manufacturer may have less failure prone parts. From what I'd read they worked with PC fairly easily now. No issues hooking it up, it auto-detected. However starting ER I noticed the buttons were still showing xbox in game, after some searching I found that's how windows and games use it, with an xbox translator. Slightly annoying, but I was playing by feel and the buttons worked in the same order. I do find it a bit more comfortable and feel better overall.

The D-pad positioning is a problem though. With the xbox controller I use my right thumb on the d-pad and can keep moving with the left stick, but that's not possible with the d-pad and left stick positions swapped. I may be able to adjust to it, but it's slower so far in tense situations.

I had earlier tried the Nintendo pro controller I got for use with the switch, which I barely ever use, but it keeps the button layout of the Nintendo controller which is different, so I kept hitting the wrong buttons. It's also too small and uncomfortable for me.

I got my new usb ports and a usb bluetooth dongle, so I'll try that with my older xbox wireless controller that I gummed up the micro usb port after I get all that set up.

There's also one of my kids cheapo rock candy xbox controller with a slightly
loose up micro-usb that I was using, but after some use the smaller size made my index finger cramp up. I may try gluing or opening up and taping down the micro-usb and see if that fixes the micro-usb so that they can use it again though. That one doesn't have wireless. There may be others of those around I can fiddle with, and a number of other of my kids Nintendo controllers with drift issues I can look at to fix for them too.

There's also my 4 year of use really old wireless only xbox controller with the bumper issue, that looks to be fairly easy to fix with some tape from what I found online, so that'll probably be my next one to try. I really wish I could get another of that particular batch as 4 years of use is really solid compared to today's internally flimsy but expensive garbage. Making sure it's that one and not one of the later ones would be very difficult though, and possibly very expensive.

I see people are recommending the xbox elite 2 controller now, but those are around $140, and no guarantee those are internally any less flimsy. I could look for videos on repair of it I suppose and see if it looks any better.

The Thrustmaster eSwap Controller is also recommended in a few places, it looks interesting and has easily swappable sticks should they go bad, but they're $130+ for the controller and looks like about $40 for a replacement stick, and they don't have wireless capability. Reviews are considerably lower than even the regular xbox controller though.

- Justisaur

On Tuesday, June 20, 2023 at 8:33:10 AM UTC-7, Justisaur wrote:

Whoops sorry, forgot to format for Usenet, here you go.

I also looked up a video on how to repair the xbox elite 2 drift, and
the PS5 controller drift, all have the same flimsy potentiometer
(the spring on the disk) as the xbox controller I have, so it's all
garbage meant to fail.

Next time I buy a controller I'm buying an extended warrantee,
assuming that'll even cover drift, as I'm going to assume it's going to
fail.

They need to move away from flimsy potentiometers, but that
would cut out all the money from overpriced garbage!

>I took my drifting controller apart, that was a major hassle as the
>security screws were very very tight and my security bit wouldn't grip
>most of them. I eventually found a hack to to use a 5/64ths flathead
>which worked.
>
>You can see the insides and what I followed here:
>
>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jP_YLRqghY&list=LL&index=5&t=29s
>
>All the cleanings had very short effect, less than a minute before
>drifting. He mentioned to pry up the metal on the disk at 7:00 if you
>thing you mushed it down. I hadn't mushed it, but I did notice it was
>slightly bent and unbent it to the best of my ability.
>
>I managed to break off one of the green clips as he showed in the video
>at 6:27, but it went back together ok. When I put it back together I
>noticed the wire shown at 5:00 had taken the round connector off the
>board with it (there's actually 2 wires in mine, just one of them did
>this.) I thought I was going to have to toss it at this point but after
>fiddling with it for several minutes got to it stick on the nub left
>behind tenuously.
>
>It worked!
>
>For three hours. Then the drift started in again. I'm assuming the
>spring got bent again.
>
>First in that video, that's an extreme close-up, that disk is less than
>1/4 inch (basically slightly larger than the q-tip shown cleaning it)
>and the metal spring is significantly less than a millimeter wide, and
>much thinner than an aluminum can, the one in mine looks thinner than
>the one in the video too. Flimsy doesn't begin to describe it. It looks
>built to fail! I can't imagine any other reason to use such a thin
>thread of metal spring. Anything getting the least bit out of alignment
>or wear would destroy the tight clearance needed for it to function.
>We've had optical mice forever, and they can be dirt cheap, why else
>would they be using this vs, that tech? It really grinds my gears!
>
>I could open it again and try to unbend it, but I assume something else
>is imperceptibly off just enough to bend it into a shape that causes it
>to drift. I could buy a soldering iron, a new joystick module, and
>attempt to remove the one in it and replace it, but the clearances on
>everything are so small I have no doubt my inexperienced shaky old hand
>would not be able to solder it on with the millimeter precision
>required. I've decided I'm setting it apart and will see if I can use
>it for spare parts (assuming the disks are the same in my older one) if
>it ever starts drifting.
>
>I had bought a PS5 controller which arrived when I first decided this
>controller was having issues, as I'd been playing ER and other PS games
>and possibly of use for the PS emulator. Also maybe a different
>sytem/manufacturer may have less failure prone parts. From what I'd
>read they worked with PC fairly easily now. No issues hooking it up, it
>auto-detected. However starting ER I noticed the buttons were still
>showing xbox in game, after some searching I found that's how windows
>and games use it, with an xbox translator. Slightly annoying, but I was
>playing by feel and the buttons worked in the same order. I do find it
>a bit more comfortable and feel better overall.
>
>The D-pad positioning is a problem though. With the xbox controller I
>use my right thumb on the d-pad and can keep moving with the left
>stick, but that's not possible with the d-pad and left stick positions
>swapped. I may be able to adjust to it, but it's slower so far in tense
>situations.
>
>I had earlier tried the Nintendo pro controller I got for use with the
>switch, which I barely ever use, but it keeps the button layout of the
>Nintendo controller which is different, so I kept hitting the wrong
>buttons. It's also too small and uncomfortable for me.
>
>I got my new usb ports and a usb bluetooth dongle, so I'll try that
>with my older xbox wireless controller that I gummed up the micro usb
>port after I get all that set up.
>
>There's also one of my kids cheapo rock candy xbox controller with a
>slightly
>loose up micro-usb that I was using, but after some use the smaller
>size made my index finger cramp up. I may try gluing or opening up and
>taping down the micro-usb and see if that fixes the micro-usb so that
>they can use it again though. That one doesn't have wireless. There may
>be others of those around I can fiddle with, and a number of other of
>my kids Nintendo controllers with drift issues I can look at to fix for
>them too.
>
>There's also my 4 year of use really old wireless only xbox controller
>with the bumper issue, that looks to be fairly easy to fix with some
>tape from what I found online, so that'll probably be my next one to
>try. I really wish I could get another of that particular batch as 4
>years of use is really solid compared to today's internally flimsy but
>expensive garbage. Making sure it's that one and not one of the later
>ones would be very difficult though, and possibly very expensive.
>
>I see people are recommending the xbox elite 2 controller now, but
>those are around $140, and no guarantee those are internally any less
>flimsy. I could look for videos on repair of it I suppose and see if it
>looks any better.
>
>The Thrustmaster eSwap Controller is also recommended in a few places,
>it looks interesting and has easily swappable sticks should they go
>bad, but they're $130+ for the controller and looks like about $40 for
>a replacement stick, and they don't have wireless capability. Reviews
>are considerably lower than even the regular xbox controller though. >

- Justisaur

On Tuesday, June 20, 2023 at 8:50:33 AM UTC-7, Justisaur wrote:
> On Tuesday, June 20, 2023 at 8:33:10 AM UTC-7, Justisaur wrote:
>
> Whoops sorry, forgot to format for Usenet, here you go.
>
> I also looked up a video on how to repair the xbox elite 2 drift, and
> the PS5 controller drift, all have the same flimsy potentiometer
> (the spring on the disk) as the xbox controller I have, so it's all
> garbage meant to fail.
>
> Next time I buy a controller I'm buying an extended warrantee,
> assuming that'll even cover drift, as I'm going to assume it's going to
> fail.
>
> They need to move away from flimsy potentiometers, but that
> would cut out all the money from overpriced garbage!

So more searching, and found there are controllers that don't use
potentiometers. Apperantly the ancient N64 had controllers
with optical sensors like I just suggested, but they frequently
had issues because they are very sensitive to dust.

There's new controllers that use the "Hall Effect"
instead. The main brand is Gulikit, however they make
switch controllers. There is one that has some way to
map it and set it up in Steam and some replacement buttons
for xbox pattern it's far less expensive than I imagined at
only $70 for that version.

There's a number of other controllers, but they're all switch
controllers, except one.

The Game Sir is an xbox style controller however that one is
wired only. At least it seems to have a USB-C connector. I'm
worried it might be too small for me like my kid's ones though.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BYSLCHRQ/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=AR3TXMPBATNVQ&psc=1

Here's to hoping the big names get off of potentiometers
before long.

> - Justisaur

Almost all modern stuff are built to fail. :(

Justisaur <justisaur@gmail.com> wrote:
> I took my drifting controller apart, that was a major hassle as the security screws were very very tight and my security bit wouldn't grip most of them. I eventually found a hack to to use a 5/64ths flathead which worked.

> You can see the insides and what I followed here:

> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jP_YLRqghY&list=LL&index=5&t=29s

> All the cleanings had very short effect, less than a minute before drifting. He mentioned to pry up the metal on the disk at 7:00 if you thing you mushed it down. I hadn't mushed it, but I did notice it was slightly bent and unbent it to the best of my ability.

> I managed to break off one of the green clips as he showed in the video at 6:27, but it went back together ok. When I put it back together I noticed the wire shown at 5:00 had taken the round connector off the board with it (there's actually 2 wires in mine, just one of them did this.) I thought I was going to have to toss it at this point but after fiddling with it for several minutes got to it stick on the nub left behind tenuously.

> It worked!

> For three hours. Then the drift started in again. I'm assuming the spring got bent again.

> First in that video, that's an extreme close-up, that disk is less than 1/4 inch (basically slightly larger than the q-tip shown cleaning it) and the metal spring is significantly less than a millimeter wide, and much thinner than an aluminum can, the one in mine looks thinner than the one in the video too. Flimsy doesn't begin to describe it. It looks built to fail! I can't imagine any other reason to use such a thin thread of metal spring. Anything getting the least bit out of alignment or wear would destroy the tight clearance needed for it to function. We've had optical mice forever, and they can be dirt cheap, why else would they be using this vs, that tech? It really grinds my gears!

> I could open it again and try to unbend it, but I assume something else is imperceptibly off just enough to bend it into a shape that causes it to drift. I could buy a soldering iron, a new joystick module, and attempt to remove the one in it and replace it, but the clearances on everything are so small I have no doubt my inexperienced shaky old hand would not be able to solder it on with the millimeter precision required. I've decided I'm setting it apart and will see if I can use it for spare parts (assuming the disks are the same in my older one) if it ever starts drifting.

> I had bought a PS5 controller which arrived when I first decided this controller was having issues, as I'd been playing ER and other PS games and possibly of use for the PS emulator. Also maybe a different sytem/manufacturer may have less failure prone parts. From what I'd read they worked with PC fairly easily now. No issues hooking it up, it auto-detected. However starting ER I noticed the buttons were still showing xbox in game, after some searching I found that's how windows and games use it, with an xbox translator. Slightly annoying, but I was playing by feel and the buttons worked in the same order. I do find it a bit more comfortable and feel better overall.

> The D-pad positioning is a problem though. With the xbox controller I use my right thumb on the d-pad and can keep moving with the left stick, but that's not possible with the d-pad and left stick positions swapped. I may be able to adjust to it, but it's slower so far in tense situations.

> I had earlier tried the Nintendo pro controller I got for use with the switch, which I barely ever use, but it keeps the button layout of the Nintendo controller which is different, so I kept hitting the wrong buttons. It's also too small and uncomfortable for me.

> I got my new usb ports and a usb bluetooth dongle, so I'll try that with my older xbox wireless controller that I gummed up the micro usb port after I get all that set up.

> There's also one of my kids cheapo rock candy xbox controller with a slightly
> loose up micro-usb that I was using, but after some use the smaller size made my index finger cramp up. I may try gluing or opening up and taping down the micro-usb and see if that fixes the micro-usb so that they can use it again though. That one doesn't have wireless. There may be others of those around I can fiddle with, and a number of other of my kids Nintendo controllers with drift issues I can look at to fix for them too.

> There's also my 4 year of use really old wireless only xbox controller with the bumper issue, that looks to be fairly easy to fix with some tape from what I found online, so that'll probably be my next one to try. I really wish I could get another of that particular batch as 4 years of use is really solid compared to today's internally flimsy but expensive garbage. Making sure it's that one and not one of the later ones would be very difficult though, and possibly very expensive.

> I see people are recommending the xbox elite 2 controller now, but those are around $140, and no guarantee those are internally any less flimsy. I could look for videos on repair of it I suppose and see if it looks any better.

> The Thrustmaster eSwap Controller is also recommended in a few places, it looks interesting and has easily swappable sticks should they go bad, but they're $130+ for the controller and looks like about $40 for a replacement stick, and they don't have wireless capability. Reviews are considerably lower than even the regular xbox controller though.

> - Justisaur

--
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On 6/20/2023 11:01 AM, Justisaur wrote:

<snip long ranting tale of woe> :)

The phrase "I warned you." is coming to mind, no idea why.

--
I've done good in this world. Now I'm tired and just want to be a cranky
dirty old man.

On Tuesday, June 20, 2023 at 5:47:47 PM UTC-7, Dimensional Traveler wrote:
> On 6/20/2023 11:01 AM, Justisaur wrote:
>
> <snip long ranting tale of woe> :)
>
> The phrase "I warned you." is coming to mind, no idea why.

I managed to get the old wireless xbox controller working again, but after
testing it and the wired one a bit the dpad is a bad design and on both
of them hitting two of the buttons at once was hard to avoid without
being very careful, for some reason the wired one was worse, I took it
appart and found a bit of detritus around one of the sensors and got
it working slightly better, but still not as good as the wireless version.
I'll keep them around and may use them for the kids or when I don't
need the d-pad.

I also think it's probably the switch itself on the wireless one's bumper
which I wasn't able to replace, and it may have just worked because
it wasn't in use for some time before that.

For the newer one I did fine some cheap replacement disks I could get
but if it's because of the assembly mechanically getting out of alignment
that the spring is getting bent then it'll just happen again.

I reinforced the kid's old rock candy controller micro-usb port with some
superglue and a bit of paper/wire bread tie (I repaired a broken knob on
a space heater recently by doing this and it worked well there.) I had
examined the micro-usb port before that once I had it opened and it
did flex a bit, but looked like it was the supports underneath it being
weak rather than the port itself. I wasn't able to get under it to add more
support though as it was around a mm, so I'm not sure what I was able
to do had any effect.

So all in all yeah, I don't think anything I did will be worth anything.

I thought about opening up the joycons for the switch with the drift, but
I assume it's the same garbage in those.

My older xbox one controller with the glued up micro-usb is working on the
bluetooth usb dongle I bought, but it's disconnected once while playing,
which now that I remember is why I didn't want to use wireless anymore
years ago.

I also decided to send my new PS5 controller back as not only do I not
like where the dpad is, I found out you need a PS4 controller only for the
PC plus streaming, so it won't work for that either (it will but only with
translation and is missing the touchpad so won't work with games that
need that.)

I'm thinking of trying out one of those Hall Effect controllers, but some
of the comments on them make me wonder about the overall quality
of the rest of the controller.

- Justisaur