Any good third party Switch Controllers?

[P2.0]

Heya peeps! P2.0 here with another topic-thingy! \o/ It's been a while since I've posted, but I feel like this could be a post that everyone can help, well, everyone.

So you all know about the infamous Joycon Drift, right? Because of that, most of us have barely touched our Switch systems because we don't have decent controller to play our games with. And there's even talk of the official Switch Pro Controller having drift issues as well. And that's no good. ;-;

So what do you do? Well for me, I look for another controller, one that Nintendo didn't make. Y'know, third party ones! But even then, there are some who might do the same thing as the offical ones, too. So which one is the ideal for us? Do you have any ideas?

To start things off, I've heard good things about 8BitDo.

And recently heard of a Pro version of it.

I was thinking of getting one, but I have to save a bit, first. :'D

How about you guys?

 

[28142]

I have a PowerA controller, I think they're one of the larger licensed nintendo controllers? Idk.

I got a pro controller of theirs. Was damn cheap and has been super reliable for months now. Used it way more in that time then I did with my drifting joycon and I got no issues with drifting.

The only issue I've had with it is the stick is a lil too sensitive. If I let go of a stick in a direction and "snap" it back to the center, it'll overshoot a small bit and input the opposite direction a teeny tiny bit. But just gets fixed by tapping the stick. Doesn't give me any major issues at all, never has impacted gameplay. Might even just be able to fix it by calibrating it honestly, I'm just too lazy lol.

 

[SmugWolff]

I've heard good things about 8BitDo aswell but I don't think I will be getting any of their controllers any time soon. They sell a little usb bluetooth adapter for ~20$ that lets you connect other controllers like a ds4 or ds3 and I like those controllers more so I might just get one of those.

 

[P2.0]

I have a PowerA controller, I think they're one of the larger licensed nintendo controllers? Idk.

I got a pro controller of theirs. Was damn cheap and has been super reliable for months now. Used it way more in that time then I did with my drifting joycon and I got no issues with drifting.

The only issue I've had with it is the stick is a lil too sensitive. If I let go of a stick in a direction and "snap" it back to the center, it'll overshoot a small bit and input the opposite direction a teeny tiny bit. But just gets fixed by tapping the stick. Doesn't give me any major issues at all, never has impacted gameplay. Might even just be able to fix it by calibrating it honestly, I'm just too lazy lol.

Oh, I've tried only the wired version of PowerA. The sticks drifted after a few months of use, sadly. ;-; Maybe I need to go for the pro version? It sounds promising, and I don't wanna go through drifts again. D:

I've heard good things about 8BitDo aswell but I don't think I will be getting any of their controllers any time soon. They sell a little usb bluetooth adapter for ~20$ that lets you connect other controllers like a ds4 or ds3 and I like those controllers more so I might just get one of those.

Hey, whatever helps, right? If those controllers work with the Switch as well, even I might look into them!

 

[Dj2]

I've probably been living under a rock. What's joycon drift?

 

[P2.0]

I've probably been living under a rock. What's joycon drift?

Joycon Drift is when, after a few months of use, your Joycon controllers will start making your character, or icon move when you're not touching them.
This is caused because Nintendo used a different, cheaper material for the control sticks ( I think called graphite? @Sky Is that right? ) instead of copper. It breaks after a while, and shaves off little particles that stick on the sensore inside the controller, causing the problem.

Everyone has experienced it, and it's a real problem. ;-;

 

[28142]

Joycon Drift is when, after a few months of use, your Joycon controllers will start making your character, or icon move when you're not touching them.
This is caused because Nintendo used a different, cheaper material for the control sticks ( I think called graphite? @Sky Is that right? ) instead of copper. It breaks after a while, and shaves off little particles that stick on the sensore inside the controller, causing the problem.

Everyone has experienced it, and it's a real problem. ;-;

Yeah, bit more technical explanation would be that the metal parts of the stick that move when you move it, they sit on top this little board and that is how it gets the input that you gave it. The issue that Nintendo has done is that to allow the metal to move easily across the board and to create a bit of a gap, there needs to be a kind of lubricant and protection. They have done this by putting graphite between where the metal meets the board.

Graphite is weaker then metal, after a while of use, the metal will wear into the graphite and make deep scratches in it. This means the metal will end up with direct contact with the board, along with getting stuck in the grooves and all kinds of issues. It also sheds bits of it into the controller, which is why for some people, cleaning out the controller fixes it for a while. You're cleaning out the bits made from the graphite being worn down, but it's only just masking the issue for a bit longer.

Say you had a gummy candy piece in front of you, if you dragged one of your nails over it multiple times with a bit of force, you'd start cutting through it right? It's pretty much the same idea as that.

The reason graphite was used was most likely because it's incredibly cheap.