Controller tester / Guides
Hall effect joysticks: do they stop drift?
Hall effect and TMR sticks read their position with magnets instead of a contact that rubs along a track, so the wear that causes most stick drift doesn't happen. Fitting them is easy on Joy-Con and hard on almost everything else.
How they differ from normal sticks
| Stick type | How it reads position | Drift from wear | Found in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Potentiometer (normal) | A contact slides along a resistive track | Common: the track wears and dirt gets in | DualSense, DualShock 4, Xbox, Switch Pro, Joy-Con |
| Hall effect | A sensor measures a magnet's field; nothing rubs | Very unlikely | Many third-party controllers, replacement sticks |
| TMR | A newer magnetic sensor, finer and lower power | Very unlikely | Newer third-party controllers, replacement sticks |
A potentiometer stick wears every time you move it. As the track wears or collects grime, the reading at rest wanders, and that is drift. Magnetic sticks don't have that wear, which is why they are sold as drift-proof. They can still sit a little off centre if the spring weakens or the calibration is off, but that is fixed by recalibrating, not by replacing the stick.
Fitting them, controller by controller
| Controller | Magnetic replacements | What it takes |
|---|---|---|
| PS5 DualSense | GuliKit TMR sticks; Hyperkin Hall effect kit; cheaper generic Hall sticks | Desoldering and soldering, then calibration. iFixit rates the stick swap difficult, 1–4 hours. |
| PS5 DualSense Edge | The same solder-in TMR sticks; Sony's own swappable modules use normal sticks | Soldering inside the module, plus an extra wire. A plug-in magnetic module was announced and then cancelled. |
| PS4 DualShock 4 | Generic and branded Hall effect sticks | Desoldering and soldering, then calibration |
| Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One | Hall effect replacement sticks | Desoldering and soldering. No magnetic sticks are made for the Elite controller. |
| Switch Pro Controller (original) | Solder-in magnetic sticks | Desoldering and soldering |
| Switch Joy-Con (original) | GuliKit Hall effect sticks | No soldering: open the Joy-Con and swap the stick, following a teardown guide |
Should you do it yourself?
If you have soldered small parts before and own a good iron, or ideally a hot air station, a DualSense or Xbox swap is a few hours of careful work. If you haven't, the boards are easy to damage, and a phone or controller repair shop will usually do the job for less than a new controller. Joy-Con are the exception: the swap needs only small tri-point and Phillips screwdrivers.
Before you open anything, try the free fixes in our PS5 and Xbox drift guides, and measure the drift with the stick drift test so you know whether it is bad enough to bother.
After fitting: calibrate and test
New magnetic sticks have to be calibrated so the controller learns where centre and the edges are. Replacement makers point DualSense owners to browser-based calibration tools. Afterwards, run the drift test: a good result is under 3% at rest and a low circularity error.
Or buy a controller that has them
Plenty of controllers now ship with Hall effect or TMR sticks, from budget pads to pro controllers. See controllers with Hall effect sticks for picks by console, including what you give up on PS5.
Questions
Do Hall effect joysticks drift?
Not from wear, which is what causes drift in normal sticks. They can still rest slightly off centre if the spring or calibration is off, which recalibrating or a small dead zone fixes.
Is TMR better than Hall effect?
TMR sensors are a newer magnetic design with finer resolution, less jitter and lower power draw. Reviewers say a well-made Hall effect controller still beats a poorly made TMR one, so judge the whole controller.
Can I put Hall effect sticks in a DualSense without soldering?
No. The DualSense's sticks are soldered to the board, so every magnetic replacement we found needs desoldering and soldering. A planned plug-in module for the DualSense Edge was cancelled.
Do I need to calibrate after fitting them?
Yes. New magnetic sticks need calibrating so the controller knows where centre and the edges are. Replacement makers point to browser calibration tools for the DualSense; check our drift test afterwards.
Will replacing the sticks void my warranty?
Opening the controller usually does. If it is still under warranty, a free repair or replacement is the better first step.
Sources
Last checked 2026-10-17. Products and prices change; check the maker's page before you buy.