Slides off the console? Find out which side has worn
A Joy-Con that comes off without the release button being pressed has one of two faults, and they look identical: the latch inside the Joy-Con, or the rail on the console. One swap tells you which, and they cost very different amounts.
- Loose on BOTH sides of the console — the latch in the Joy-Con has worn, which is this repair
- Loose on ONE side with every Joy-Con — the rail on the console has worn, which is a rail repair
- We test both sides before quoting, so you are not sold the wrong one
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2 business days
Typical turnaround
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Free assessment
Sticks measured, not guessed at
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3-month warranty
Parts and labour
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C$45–C$110
Per controller
Joy-Con faults, priced per controller
Fitted prices including the part and the labour. Each of these is a different worn part, so the one you need is the one that has failed — not a bundle.
| Fault | Fitted price |
|---|---|
| Stick replacement Drift, a stick that sticks, or one that will not centre Most popular | C$45 |
| Shell and latch kit The one that slides off the console | C$55 |
| Battery replacement Will not hold charge, or drops out on the console | C$60 |
| Full strip-down Stick, shell, battery and buttons together | C$110 |
Prices are per controller, so a pair is two of whatever row applies. If only one of your Joy-Con has actually failed we will tell you, because there is no reason to charge you for work on a controller that is fine.
What the repair involves
A Joy-Con is the one part of a Switch that comes apart easily, which is why repairing one is cheap next to repairing the console.
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Step 1:Test the controller
The stick is read for centring, the buttons for continuity and the battery for capacity. Your description tells us where to look; the measurements decide what we do.
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Step 2:Open and replace
The failed part is replaced and the shell closed with its original screws. Nothing is soldered to the shell, so a Joy-Con repair is a part swap rather than board work.
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Step 3:Calibrate the stick
A new stick does not arrive centred. Each one is calibrated so its resting position reads as zero on both axes — an uncalibrated stick drifts exactly like a worn one.
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Step 4:Test it attached
Everything is tested with the Joy-Con clipped to a console, not on the bench, because a controller that works loose has not been fixed.
Why Joy-Con sticks wear out at all
A factory stick reads its position by dragging a wiper along a carbon track. Every movement wears that track a little, and the centre is where it wears first — which is why drift shows up as movement while your thumbs are nowhere near it. There is nothing to clean or recalibrate away: the track itself has worn. If you would rather that never happened again, TMR sticks sense position with a magnetic field and have nothing to wear — the TMR joystick page covers fitting them.
- Drift is a wear fault, so a replacement stick is the only real fix
- TMR sticks read magnetically, so there is no contact to wear down
- Factory-style sticks are cheaper and feel identical — they just wear again eventually
Joy-Con questions
Is it worth repairing a Joy-Con, or should I replace it?
Almost always worth repairing. A new pair costs far more than any single row above, and a repaired Joy-Con keeps its colour and stays paired with your console. The exception is liquid damage that has reached the board, and we will tell you if that is what we find rather than bill you for a repair that will not hold.
My Joy-Con slides off the console. Is it the controller or the console?
Could be either. Try that Joy-Con on the other side: if it clips in there, the latch inside the Joy-Con is worn. If it falls off both sides, the console rail is worn and that is a rail repair. Both are fixed, and only one of them is this page.
Both of my Joy-Con drift. Do you charge double?
The price is per controller, so yes — but a pair in one visit costs less than two visits, and if only one has genuinely failed we will tell you rather than work on both.
Can drift be fixed without replacing the stick?
No. Drift is a worn track inside the stick module, so the module is what gets replaced. Software calibration cannot restore a surface that has worn away, whatever a tutorial suggests.
Will a repaired Joy-Con still pair with my console?
Yes. Repairing a Joy-Con does not change its identity, so it stays paired and keeps its colour and position in the console menu. You should not need to pair it again.
Do you repair Joy-Con that have been opened before?
Often, yes. We check for lifted pads, stripped screws and absent shielding first — a previous repair with the wrong tools can make the next one harder. If it is not repairable, you pay nothing.
Bring the console if you can
The quickest way to sort a loose Joy-Con is to bring both the controller and the console, so the rail and the latch can be tested together. The assessment is free and takes a few minutes.
No Fix, No Fee. Walk in at our Oakville workshop during opening hours, or send it to us.