Character walking off on its own? Camera slowly spinning? That’s stick drift. Instead of buying a new controller every time, bring it to us. We repair DualSense, Xbox, Joy-Con and Pro Controllers.
The worn stick is replaced with a new standard one, then calibrated and tested.
We fit Hall-effect sticks, which read their position with magnets instead of contacts that rub and wear out, so they shouldn’t drift again.
The Hall-effect option is a complete repair and upgrade in one: we remove the worn stick and fit a Hall-effect one in its place. It’s the one we’d pick for a controller you use every day.
Standard thumbsticks read their position from tiny tracks that wear a little every time you play. Once they’re worn, or dust gets in, the controller reports movement you didn’t make. Recalibrating or cleaning can help briefly, but a worn stick module usually needs replacing to properly fix it.
That’s why we offer a Hall-effect upgrade: the new stick uses magnets to sense position, so there’s nothing to wear out in the same way.
For most controllers, yes. A stick repair usually costs less than a new controller, keeps a good pad out of landfill, and comes with our 12-month warranty on the parts we fit. Bring the controller in, and the console if the fault is on a Switch Lite.
Standard sticks use a contact that rubs on a track. Over time the track wears and the readings go off-centre.
Crumbs and dust get under the stick cap and into the mechanism.
A dropped controller can damage the stick or its solder joints.
A standard replacement fits a brand-new stick of the same kind, which works like new but will wear in the same way eventually. A Hall-effect stick senses position with magnets, so there’s no rubbing contact to wear out and it shouldn’t drift again. For a controller you use every day, the Hall-effect upgrade is the one we’d pick: £25 a stick or £45 for the pair, against £20 a stick or £35 for both with standard sticks.
Update the controller, recalibrate it in the console settings if that’s an option, and gently clean around the stick. If it still drifts, the stick needs replacing.
Just the controller, plus the console if it’s a Switch Lite, as the sticks are built into it. If the controller also has a charging fault, bring the cable you use.
Every console is different, so we look before we price. When you bring it in we note the fault you’ve described, test it with your cable and controller, and open it up if we need to. Then we tell you what’s wrong, what the repair involves and the price, and nothing is done until you say yes. Where we publish a fixed price, that’s the price. Where it says “from”, the final price is confirmed after we’ve had a look, before any work starts. If a repair isn’t worth doing, we’ll tell you straight.
If we fit a standard part, like an HDMI port, a fan, a drive or a stick, and the same fault comes back within 12 months, bring it back and we’ll put it right. Board-level work, such as soldering repairs on the motherboard, carries 3 months, because those boards have often been through a knock or a spill already. The warranty covers our part and our workmanship. It doesn’t cover new drops, spills, or someone else opening the console after us.
| Stick drift repair, standard stick (one stick) | £20 |
| Stick drift repair, standard sticks (both sticks) | £35 |
| Stick drift repair with Hall-effect upgrade (one stick) | £25 |
| Stick drift repair with Hall-effect upgrade (pair) | £45 |
| Joy-Con drift repair (per Joy-Con stick) | £20 |
Prices include VAT and parts. “From” prices depend on the model and the fault: final price confirmed after we’ve had a look, before any work starts.
The warranty covers the part we fitted and our workmanship. It doesn’t cover new accidental or liquid damage.
Yes. In most cases the worn stick module is replaced, and the controller is calibrated and tested.
PS5 DualSense, Xbox wireless and Elite controllers, Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons and Pro Controllers.
Usually. A repair normally costs less than a new controller and comes with a 12-month warranty on the parts we fit.
Standard stick replacement is £20 for one stick or £35 for both. Stick drift repair with a Hall-effect upgrade is £25 for one stick or £45 for the pair. Final price confirmed after we've had a look.
Just the controller is fine, unless it's a Switch Lite, where the sticks are part of the console.
For a controller you use a lot, yes. It costs £5 a stick more and shouldn't drift again.
Bring them in and we'll check them. Pro controllers are built differently, so we quote them after a look.
Cleaning can help if dust is the cause, but if the stick is worn, it needs replacing.
Book online, call, or bring it into the shop at the PD Centre, Mold Road, Cefn-y-bedd LL12 9UL. Onsite parking. Tue to Fri 9am to 5pm, Sat 10am to 4pm.
