Nintendo of America recently confirmed that the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 will not incorporate Hall effect sensors in the analog sticks of its Joy-Cons or Pro Controllers. Nate Bihldorff, who serves as Senior Vice President of Product Development & Publishing at Nintendo of America, discussed this update during an interview with Nintendo Life. Despite this, he emphasized that the new console’s analog sticks have still been crafted with a strong focus on durability.
“The Joy-Con 2’s controllers are built from scratch. While they’re not using Hall Effect sticks, they still feel fantastic,” Bihldorff shared. “Every time we release new hardware, we’re aiming to deliver the best experience possible for our users, taking into account immediate effects like how the Joy-Cons interact with games, as well as their longevity.”
The original Nintendo Switch struggled with stick drift over the years, a problem that caused the analog sticks to veer in random directions without user input. This led to several class-action lawsuits, prompting statements of apology and the establishment of free replacement programs for affected parts by Nintendo and its leadership.
Hall effect sticks represent a newer method of tracking joystick movement compared to traditional potentiometers. While typical analog sticks rely on moving a wiper over contact pads to detect position via voltage changes, Hall effect sticks use magnets to sense movement. The primary issue with potentiometer sticks is the eventual wear of contact pads, which can cause drift. Despite the growing popularity of Hall effect joysticks in third-party controllers and magnetic PC keyboards, Nintendo’s decision to not adopt this reliable technology raises eyebrows.
Durability was a top priority for Nintendo as it developed the new controllers, a point echoed during a recent developer roundtable featuring Nintendo’s product leads for the Switch 2. Kouichi Kawamoto, the Switch 2 producer, mentioned that although the new Pro Controller might initially resemble its predecessor, it was thoroughly redesigned.
Tetsuya Sasaki, who leads hardware development, shed light on Nintendo’s ambitious project to create the “ultimate controller.” Even though Sasaki didn’t confirm whether that objective had been met with the Switch 2, the introduction of “smooth-gliding switches” is a source of pride for the engineering team at Nintendo.
Only time will reveal if Nintendo has truly addressed early stick drift issues with the Switch 2. With past instances of stick drift manifesting as early as six months into the Joy-Cons’ use, it remains to be seen if similar reports will arise before 2026 without employing Hall effect technology. For more insights about the new hardware, including DLSS and ray tracing features, check out our extensive Switch 2 coverage.
