@Epak_ said:
I ordered a 3rd party thumbstick to my drifting joy-con and fixed it myself lolololo. Many probably won't bother though... I wonder if I could do that to my DS5s if the decide to break.
You could in theory, but here's the issue with that. The potentiometers read an analog value from -1 to 1, with 0 being the ideal center, but this is never the case, at rest they usually read a value of like -.05 or +.1 or something, and the firmware on the controller zeroes this out from the factory. If you replace the drifting thumbstick with an aftermarket one, let's say the stock one had a resting value of -.1 and the new one has a resting value of +.05, then the new stick will have a net of +.15 and the new stick will drift in that direction with no way to correct it.
So if you read the values of the default potentiometer and could match the values, it'd work. This is why when I replace worn thumbsticks in controllers that do not have drift (like my Gamecube controller) I swap the old, working potentiometers onto the new stick boxes so I'll get a tight stick without drift.
So yeah, swapping thumbstick modules on Playstation, Xbox, or Switch Pro controllers really is as much of a pain in the ass as it sounds, and the people making those controllers have taken steps to keep it that way.
HAL sensors really do not cost any more than these stick boxes do, and would never have a drift issue. Furthermore if HAL sensors were used, like in the Dreamcast controller, then after the physical, mechanical stick itself wears out from use, you could swap it for a dirt cheap replacement with just a screwdriver. Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft do not want you to be able to repair your controllers so they'll last forever. They use the analog modules that they do, and lock the firmware to them so you'll have to buy replacements. There's maybe $5-$10 of actual parts, material, and labor put into making one, so it's a net profit for those companies when you buy replacements every year or two.
My main goal for experimenting with HAL sensors and 3D printing is to get to my point where I can design and build an analog controller that will literally last forever.
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