Nintendo VP Confirms No Hall Effect Sticks for Switch 2 Joy-Cons

Nintendo of America has recently revealed some intriguing details about the next iteration of the Nintendo Switch, and it looks like they’ve made some bold choices regarding the controllers. In a discussion with Nintendo Life, Nate Bihldorff, the company’s Senior Vice President of Product Development & Publishing, clarified that the new Nintendo Switch 2 won’t include Hall effect sensors in the analog sticks of its Joy-Cons and Pro Controllers. But rest assured, according to Bihldorff, these controllers have been crafted with longevity in focus.

“The Joy-Con 2 controllers have been reimagined from scratch,” Bihldorff explained. Even though they don’t incorporate Hall Effect technology, Bihldorff is confident they offer a fantastic tactile experience. “Whenever we launch new hardware, our goal is always to deliver the best possible experience. Whether it’s the immediate feel of the Joy-Cons or the way they interact with games, including their durability,” he elaborated.

The original Nintendo Switch faced ongoing problems with stick drift, a frustrating issue where the analog sticks would register movement even when untouched. This problem led to several class-action lawsuits against Nintendo. As a response, both Nintendo and its American division’s leaders expressed apologies, offering free repairs for affected controllers.

Now, you might wonder why not use Hall effect sensors, which present a modern solution by employing magnets to detect joystick movement, sidestepping the wear and tear traditional potentiometers suffer from. Such sticks have grown popular in third-party controllers, not to mention magnetic PC keyboards, making Nintendo’s decision to forego this approach a head-scratcher for some.

Bihldorff assures fans that the focus has been on durability while creating a successor to the original Switch controllers. This commitment to robust design was emphasized in a developer roundtable featuring Nintendo’s leaders on the Switch 2 project. Kouichi Kawamoto, the Switch 2’s producer, commented that the Pro Controller may look initially similar to its predecessor, but it underwent a comprehensive redesign.

On this note, Tetsuya Sasaki, who leads hardware development, shared that Nintendo is devoted to developing what they dream of as the “ultimate controller.” While Sasaki stopped short of stating they’ve reached that pinnacle with the Switch 2, the engineering team takes pride in their new “smooth-gliding switches.”

Whether Nintendo’s efforts will finally resolve the early stick drift issue with the Switch 2 remains to be seen. Historically, Joy-Cons have begun developing stick drift within just six months. If history repeats itself, we might hear about similar problems by 2026 unless Nintendo’s new design proves successful without Hall effect technology. For more information about the Switch 2’s exciting features, like DLSS and ray tracing, check out our other coverage on this new hardware.