How to fix Steam Deck stick drift: Make gaming handheld joysticks respond accurately again

There are a few things you can do to fix Steam Deck joystick drift.

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One of the biggest problems plaguingSteam Deckis its tendency to develop drifting joysticks, since the ones it comes with don’t feature Hall Effect sensors. Steam Deck stick drift, or simply Steam Deck drift, makes it so the joysticks sense input without anyone actually touching the thumbsticks. If you’re experiencing this, you know how frustrating it can be to control your character or the camera when your joystick seems to be wandering on its own.

Thankfully, there are a few simple things you can do to fix Steam Deck drift. I’ll go over everything from the recalibrating thumbsticks to replacing them so you can hopefully get right back to playing thebest Steam Deck games.

Why does stick drift happen?

There are a few reasons why your Steam Deck could be experiencing joystick drift.

No worries. I’ll go over the fixes for each of these problems so you can get playing again.

Check for system updates

If your Steam Deck drift is being caused by a system issue, then a simple system update could fix the problem. Here’s how to manually perform a Steam Deck update:

Once your Steam Deck comes back up, open a game and test to see if this fixed your problem. If it didn’t, you should recalibrate the joysticks. We’ll go over the two methods for doing that next.

Recalibrate the joysticks

The Steam Deck makes it very easy to get to the deadzone reconfiguring page, where you can manually adjust deadzones for either joystick. Additionally, a more complex route allows you to force the Steam Deck to recalibrate its joysticks. I’ll go over both of these methods below.

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How to manually adjust joystick deadzones on Steam Deck

When you’re satisfied with the changes, back out and open a game to see if it fixed the issue.

How to do a full Steam Deck joystick recalibration

If adjusting joystick deadzones didn’t fix the problem, then it’s time to do a joystick recalibration. Here’s how to do that.

Now you’re back to the usual Steam Deck layout with freshly recalibrated joysticks. Play a game to see if this fixed your issue. If it didn’t then it’s time to look into some physical fixes.

Carefully clean the joysticks

Dust, dirt, crumbs, and other grime can easily muck up a gaming handheld’s joysticks. As such, it’s possible that cleaning the joysticks could make them work better. Here are a few things to try if your joysticks are dirty.

Antistatic Brush Mainboard Cleaning Tool Kit

This antistatic soft brush set can be used to gently remove debris and dust from computer parts and electrical components. The flat handle brush in particular is ideal for cleaning things like circuit boards.

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Communicate with Valve if your Steam Deck is still under warranty

Valve’s standard warranty time for its Steam Deck gaming handhelds is 12-months. If you purchased your Steam Deck within the last 12 months, reach out toValve Steam Deck support, and they might be able to fix your system or replace it.

Consider replacing with Hall Effect joysticks

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If you’ve tried everything else and the Steam Deck joysticks still aren’t behaving properly, then you should consider replacing them. There are a few options to choose from out there, but the one I recommend most is the GuliKit Hall Effect Joysticks. Since these are specifically Hall Effect replacements, this means that they should never develop any drift issues, so you won’t have to worry about going through this process all over again.

As always, I only recommend opening your Steam Deck if you feel confident opening electronic devices and swapping parts. For one thing, opening the Steam Deck will void the warranty if there’s one still in place. Secondly, you could cause long-lasting damage to the system if you do something wrong. Of course, you might be able to take your handheld into a device repair shop and pay them to do the work for you. It’s cheaper than buying a completely new Steam Deck. They might just want you to supply the joysticks yourself.

Once the joysticks have been properly replaced, you’ll gain the benefit of having much better joysticks than initially came with your Steam Deck.

GuliKit Joysticks for Steam Deck (2-Pack)

This pack of two Steam Deck joystick replacements feature Hall Effect sensors, which means they should never experience drift.

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How to prevent Steam Deck drift from happening

Tomtoc Steam Deck Carrying Case

This slim carrying case for Steam Deck features a hard protective case with raised areas for the joysticks. The handle makes it easy to tote around, and the zippers only open when you want them to. It comes in white, gray, or black.

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Fix Steam Deck drift and keep playing

Experiencing Steam Deck drift is one of the most frustrating things. Depending on how bad it is, it can simply be a slight annoyance or can completely debilitate your playing sessions. Thankfully, there are plenty of things you can do to try and fix the problem.

Before resorting to contacting Valve or replacing the joysticks, try to see if a system update or a joystick recalibration fixes the problem. It’s also possible that physical debris could be getting in the way and preventing the thumbsticks from behaving properly, so carefully take the time to clean the gaming handheld. If the simple fixes don’t do it, then consider sending the device in for repairs or replacing the joysticks yourself. Hopefully, you’ll be playing your favorite games again in no time.

Self-professed gaming geek, Rebecca Spear, is one of Windows Central’s editors and reviewers with a focus on gaming handhelds, PC gaming, and laptops. When she isn’t checking out the latest games on Xbox Game Pass, PC, ROG Ally, or Steam Deck; she can be found digital drawing with a Wacom tablet. She’s written thousands of articles with everything from editorials, reviews, previews, features, previews, and hardware reviews over the last few years. If you need information about anything gaming-related, her articles can help you out. She also loves testing game accessories and any new tech on the market. You can follow her@rrspearon X (formerly Twitter).