Joy-Con drift occurs when the controller incorrectly registers an input. For example, in-game, your character might move in a particular direction even if you haven’t touched the joystick.

Causes of Joy-Con Drift

Joy-Con drift affects the left joystick more often than the right, possibly because it’s typically the one you use to move a character in a game, so it gets more use. Other than simple wear, other drift causes can include miscalibration, a connection issue, or dirt in the sensor.

How to Fix Joy-Con Drift on Nintendo Switch and Switch Lite

The steps you take to fix Joy-Con drift depend on whether you’re using the regular Nintendo Switch or the Switch Lite. Follow these suggestions to get your controller working again. If this solution works, but you still want to use your Switch in its dock, try playing closer to the console to make sure the connection stays strong. Check the console for updates by going to System Settings from the Home screen, scrolling down to System, and selecting System Update.