How to Fix Controller Drift Issue on Meta Quest 2 and Quest 3

When it comes to controllers, whether wired, or wireless, all of these controllers are affected by one single common issue – Controller Drift. When a controller drift issue occurs, you will notice your controller behaves weirdly. You will also see that when you have a controller drift issue, your in-game character or game camera starts moving toward a particular side and it makes playing games weird.

While controller manufacturers try their best to make the best controllers out there, controller drifts persist. About Meta Quest 2 and Meta Quest 3, the hand controllers are plagued with controller drift issues.

Luckily for those who own the Meta Quest 2 or 3, there are a good number of solutions that you can follow to solve the controller drift issue. So read on to know more about how you can solve the controller drift issue for the Meta Quest 2 and Meta Quest 3.

Before we dig into the various methods that you can follow to fix the controller drift issue, you need to understand why and how the controller drift issue occurs in the first place.

Let’s take a look at the various causes.

  • Normal wear and tear of the controller
  • Dirt and dust lodged in the controller’s joysticks
  • Particular games can cause controller drift issues

Now that you know the various reasons for the controller drift issue on the Meta Quest 2 and Meta Quest 3 controllers, let’s take a look at the various troubleshooting steps that you need to follow to solve the controller drift issue.

Fix Controller Drift Issues on Meta Quest 2 and Quest 3

There are several troubleshooting methods that you can follow to try to fix the controller drift issues that are present on your Meta Quest 2 and Meta Quest 3. Let’s take a look at them.

Clean Up Your Controllers

First and foremost, it is best to clean up your controllers. Little amounts of dirt and dust can cause the joysticks on the controller to be locked in a particular direction and eventually remain that way for a long time. So, always use a soft and dry cloth to clean up the area surrounding the joysticks or buttons section of your controllers.

How to Fix Controller Drift Issues on Meta Quest 2 and Quest 3

Calibrate Your Controllers

One of the good things about these controllers nowadays is that you get the option to calibrate the controllers at any time you prefer. The calibration tools are baked right into the Meta Quests software. Here are the steps that you can follow to calibrate your Meta Quest controllers.

  1. Power up your Meta Quest headset.
  2. Navigate and select the Settings motion from the menu on your headset.
  3. Now, select the Controller Settings option.
  4. You will see the Joystick Deadzone and Range menu. Choose the joystick that is plagued with the controller drift issue.
  5. Now adjust and set up the dead zones of the controllers that you can see on your screen.

Reset Your Meta Quest Controllers

If recalibrating your Meta Quest controllers did not help solve the controller drift tissue, you might want to perform a controller reset. Check out the steps and process below.

How to Fix Controller Drift Issues on Meta Quest 2 and Quest 3

Reset Meta Quest 2 and 3 Controllers

  1. Power off the controllers for your Meta Quest 2 and 3.
  2. Now, remove the batteries from the controllers.
  3. Leave them without the batteries for about 30 or so odd seconds.
  4. After the 30 seconds have passed by, insert the batteries back into the controller and turn them back on.

The controllers have now been reset. The reset process for the controllers is quite simple and is usually an easy fix to solve a lot of issues apart from the controller drift issue.

Disassemble and Clean Up The JoyStick

The last and final option that you can follow to solve the controller drift issue on your Meta Quest controllers is disassembling and cleaning it up by yourself. If you do not know how to do this, you should take the help of someone who knows how to do such things as it will help to not create more problems with the controllers.

  1. Power off the controllers and remove the batteries from them.
  2. With the help of an opening tool, gently remove the faceplate from the controller. The faceplate is the black part of the controller.
  3. With the faceplate out of the way, remove the little cap that covers the solid part of the joystick.
  4. Now, get yourself a can of compressed air. Gentle release the air over the joystick’s area.
  5. Once you have removed all the dust and any particles that might be stuck in the joystick, get a little bit of isopropyl alcohol.
  6. Appley a little bit around the joystick. Make sure to move the joystick manually so that the solution gets applied throughout.
  7. Once the solution dries up, reassemble the faceplate, the joystick caps, and the batteries.
  8. Connect and power up the controller to see if the issue has been fixed.

Closing Thoughts

This concludes the guide on how you can solve the controller drift of your Meta Quest 2 and Meta Quest 3 respectively. If you do not plan to open up the controllers, you should contact Meta and then send the device in for servicing. In many cases, they might either replace the controller or fix it and return it to you.

If the controllers are still under warranty, then you can expect them to get fixed or replaced for free. Questions or queries? Feel free to leave them in the comments section below.

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Joshua D'souza

Enjoy games, 90's hip-hop, and tech. Loves exploring the infinite world of laptops and food. Every ready to provide assistance in anything that rocks his boat. Will gladly enjoy capturing memories through various lenses. Worked previously at PiunikaWeb as an author and researcher.

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