In recent years, video game controllers have suffered from an issue players commonly refer to as “joystick drift.” Almost every current major console on the market has acontroller known to deal with driftafter numerous hours of playtime, and this has resulted in major frustration among many fans. However, this problem is close to being solved thanks toGulikit, a company that has reportedly developed a joystick that hardly ever drifts.
Gulikit describes itself on its website as a “design-based” brand of gaming accessories. While its technology can be found on all sorts of controllers, the company itself focuses on theNintendo Switchby making products such as fast-charge cables, power banks, and more for Nintendo’s popular console. The latest controller its released has been known as the “KingKong 2 Pro Controller” which features some new joystick technology inside.
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In an interview with WePC, business director for Jack He goes into detail about Gulikit’s new electromagnetic hall-sensing joysticks. This new technology uses magnets to verify that the sensors in the joysticks don’t touch and therefore don’t scratch each other when in use. This makes sure that the stick doesn’t deteriorate as fast as current controller sticks do to where Gulikit is confident enough to advertise its latest controllers with a promise that they have “no drift ever.”
Jack He also states in the WePC interview that the electromagnetic joystick came around as the designers at Gulikit aimed to create a solution for the well-known “Joy-Con Drift” problem with the Nintendo Switch’s controllers. Halfway through the process towards making a version for the small devices, Gulikit had finished creating a larger version that would fit in many other controllers, such as its own Pro Controllers.
While Gulikit mainly focuses on Switch-related products, this is great news for all kinds of gamers as Xbox and PlayStation controllers are known to drift as well, even if it isn’t as common as the drift seen with Nintendo’s Joy-Cons. Jack He has also said that Gulikit aims to share its discovery with other gaming companies, meaning these new joysticks may soon be rather commonplace in things such asNintendo’s potential next console.
However, these controllers are not flawless. The company has had its new controllers tested, and while the margin of error is considerably small compared to the competition, Gulikit is aware that while its controllers may last longer, they may eventually drift given enough time. The hall-sensing joysticks also require a chip that’s hard to find due to thetech industry’s current hardware shortage, but it seems new controllers that are easier on both casual and hardcore gamers are soon to be on their way fromGulikitin the future.
