Guide
Stick drift: causes and fixes
Your character walks by itself, the camera slides or the menu jumps. That is stick drift, one of the most common faults on PS5 and Xbox controllers. Here is why it happens and what actually helps.
Updated November 2026
What is stick drift?
Stick drift means the controller registers movement even when you are not touching the joystick. In games it shows as your character or aim slowly moving in one direction.
How to recognise it
The signs are usually clear:
- Your character or camera moves without you touching the stick
- Menus jump or the selection moves by itself
- Your aim pulls to one side
- The problem gets worse over time
Why does it happen?
Ordinary joysticks use potentiometers with carbon tracks. When you move the stick, metal contacts slide over the track, and the controller reads the position from the change in resistance.
Because the contacts rub against the track every time you play, the material wears or gets dirty. Then the controller reads wrong, even when the stick is centred. That is why stick drift often comes back, even on new controllers.
Does cleaning help?
Dust and dirt can make drift worse, and careful cleaning with compressed air around the stick can give a temporary improvement. But the wear on the carbon track does not go away. If the drift comes back, the joystick itself is worn.
The lasting fix: TMR
TMR (Tunnel Magnetoresistance) measures the position magnetically, with no physical contact at all. When nothing rubs together, there is very little that can wear out. TMR is also more precise and stable than ordinary joysticks.
Every Krass Gaming controller has two TMR joysticks. We also fit TMR to the controller you already have.
Your options
You have two good options:
- Repair the controller you have: we fit TMR joysticks within 2 to 5 working days after it arrives
- Get a Krass custom build with TMR from the start, designed by you
Get rid of stick drift for good
Send your controller to us, or order a custom build with TMR joysticks from the start.