I had never heard of stick drift until my game controller came down with it. When it started, I thought it was a glitch; I wasn’t touching my sticks, but my character was slowly moving. It wasn’t until it kept happening that I realized something was wrong. At first, I put up with it while trying to find ways to fix the problem, but soon it became too annoying and something had to be done.
For those who don’t know, stick drift is when you get movement from your game character despite not touching either of the sticks on the controller. In Dead by Daylight, my character would move slowly when I wanted him/her to stand still. It’s bothersome and can hinder gameplay.
Most of the easy fixes I found on the internet involve trying to get any dust or debris that could be interfering with the mechanism in the sticks cleared out. This means pushing down on the sticks and blowing air into the opening, wiping around them with a dust free cloth, etc… None of that worked for me, so the next step was taking the controller apart. I’m not that patient or gifted, so it wasn’t an option. Instead, I turned to the internet again and discovered HALL Effect controllers.
HALL Effect Controllers
Controllers with HALL effects will not develop stick drift because they don’t use physical connections. Instead, they use magnets to measure the voltage between the magnet and a conductor to determine movement. And let me tell you, they make a difference.
Although there are many companies that make controllers with HALL Effect sticks and buttons, the two that kept coming up consistently with good reviews are 8 BitDo and GameSir. Both companies also make branded and non-branded PC controllers that come in a wide range of prices, so it was easy to find one that fit my needs.
My Choice
I wanted a controller that is compatible with both Steam and Xbox. I could probably get away with a non-Xbox controller but didn’t want to take any chances.
After much thought, I picked up the GameSir G7 SE and have been amazed by it from day one. It feels good in the hands, is responsive, and highly customizable. I immediately mapped the bottom left paddle to the left stick press (for running in Destiny 2). I also picked up a translucent green faceplate, then swapped out the dark green Anti-Friction rings for white rings.
Prior to setting up the controller, I went to the Windows Store and picked up the GameSir app compatible with the G7 SE controller. The app can be used for mapping the buttons, will allow you to tweak specific settings, and get the latest firmware. It also allows you to have four different profiles that can be accessed directly on the controller. This is great if you change button mapping according to the game you’re playing.
Hopefully you found this post helpful. As always, feel free to reach out to me on social media with questions, comments, or just to say hello.
This article was not sponsored by anybody. The opinions expressed are my own.