Gamepad Calibration

Guides

How to replace an analog stick module

Replacing the module is the only fix that lasts for a worn stick: Joy-Con take 20 minutes with no soldering, DualSense and Xbox take about an hour with a soldering iron. This is the whole procedure, including the calibration everyone forgets.

Workbench with a soldering iron, desoldering pump, opened controller and a new stick module
Soldering iron, desoldering pump or wick, a T8 or Phillips driver and a new module are all it takes.

Confirm the module is the problem

Run the Controller drift test and the full tester. Replace the module only when the stick itself is at fault: resting drift above 15%, a range that cannot reach the ring after calibration, or a stick that clicks (L3/R3) unreliably. Buttons and triggers are separate parts.

Which tools and parts do you need?

  • Drivers: Torx T8 security (Xbox Series and One), Phillips #00 (PlayStation), Y00 tri-wing plus Phillips #00 (Joy-Con)
  • Plastic spudger and tweezers
  • For soldered modules: a temperature-controlled iron at 350 °C, desoldering pump or wick, flux, leaded or low-melt solder
  • Replacement module: original ALPS type, or Hall effect / TMR drop-in for the same controller. Check whether the kit needs its adapter board.

Joy-Con: ribbon cable swap

  1. Remove the four Y00 screws on the back and the rail screws, then open the shell from the rail side.
  2. Disconnect the battery and lift the battery tray out (two Phillips screws).
  3. Release the stick's ribbon cable latch with a spudger and slide the cable out. Remove the two screws holding the stick.
  4. Fit the new stick, seat the ribbon cable fully and close the latch.
  5. Reassemble and run Calibrate Control Sticks on the Switch.
Inside of a Joy-Con with the ribbon cable latch open and the stick module removed
The latch flips up, the cable slides out, two screws free the module. No soldering.

DualSense and Xbox: desoldering the module

  1. Open the controller and remove the main board. On DualSense unplug the battery, the touchpad, the light bar and the rumble leads; on Xbox unplug the rumble motors and lift the board straight up.
  2. Flip the board. The module has 14 pins in two rows plus four large tabs. Add fresh leaded solder to each joint so it flows, then clear each pin with the pump or wick. Work the four tabs last; they hold the most solder.
  3. Rock the module gently while heating any pin that still holds. Never pull hard: the pads lift.
  4. Clean the pads with wick and isopropyl, check none are lifted.
  5. Seat the new module flush, solder the four tabs first to hold it, then the 14 pins. Low-melt solder makes removal easier if you ever need to do it again.
Soldering iron and desoldering wick clearing the pins of a stick module on the back of a controller board
Flow fresh solder onto each joint first; old solder will not wick cleanly.

Calibrate after the swap

A new module, especially a magnetic one, has its own center and range. Reassemble and run the Controller calibration: fix stick drift online calibration tool: the stick should rest at zero and reach the outer ring. On DualSense and DualShock 4, run the center and range calibration over USB on this site's calibration page in Chrome or Edge, so the controller itself learns the new limits. On Xbox, set the Steam or game deadzone back to minimum and verify the stick reaches 100% in the tester. On Switch, run the console calibration.

Repair photos

Controller main board with the old analog stick module removed and its holes cleaned
Clean, open holes and undamaged pads before the new module goes in.
Controller main board with a new analog stick module seated in place before soldering
The new module sits flush on the board, every pin through its hole, ready to solder.
Underside of a controller board after soldering in the new stick module
Neat cone-shaped joints on every pin. Clean the flux off before closing the controller.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a repair shop charge to replace a stick?

Typically a quarter to a third of the controller's price, parts included. Less for Joy-Con.

Can I replace only one stick?

Yes. Replace the one that failed; test the other and replace it later if it drifts.

Why does the new stick not reach 100%?

Range calibration has not been run. Magnetic modules report a slightly smaller range until the controller or Steam learns their limits.

Verify the new moduleZero at rest, full ring at the edge. Check it in the calibration tool before you close the shell.
Open the calibration tool