🎮 Level Up Your Game with GuliKit!
The GuliKit Switch Hall Joystick Replacement is a cutting-edge solution for Nintendo Switch users, designed to eliminate joystick drift while enhancing precision and responsiveness. This complete repair kit includes all necessary tools and components, ensuring a hassle-free replacement experience. Made from high-quality materials, it promises durability and longevity, making it the ideal choice for avid gamers.
Brand | GuliKit |
Item model number | 1 par |
Hardware Platform | Nintendo Switch |
Item Weight | 3.52 ounces |
Package Dimensions | 5.83 x 3.03 x 1.65 inches |
Color | 1 pair |
Power Source | Battery Powered |
Manufacturer | GuliKit |
ASIN | B0BX3R2LL9 |
Country of Origin | China |
Date First Available | February 28, 2023 |
S**E
Really solid all-in-one replacement kit for the price
I was a little skeptical given some of the negative reviews I've seen for this kit, but after using it to fix a pair of JoyCons that were rendered completely unusable by severe drift, I can definitely recommend it. It hasn't been a pain-free experience, but for the price and the promise of never having to deal with stick drift again, it's worth the hassle.First, the downsides.The complaints about the included tools are at least somewhat accurate. The included screws *do* strip easily, and the included screwdrivers *can* strip your original screws if used improperly. If you have an iFixit kit or another toolkit, maybe use those drivers instead. If not, just be very careful. Counterintuitively, I found that you're way less likely to strip the screws the more pressure you use. Make sure you're lined up as straight as possible, press as firmly as you're comfortable with, and you should be fine. It's only when the screwdriver isn't all the way in the screw hole that you start to get stripping. On that note, if you see any metal shavings from a screw starting to strip, *immediately* wipe them off the screwdriver or they'll make the issue much worse. As an added note, the included tweezers are not very useful. They're too thick and slippery to actually remove anything you might need tweezers for, like ribbon cables or wires, so you're better off using a regular pair of tweezers (or, again, a needle-nose pair from iFixit if you have one) or just using your fingers and a lot of care. Also a lot of the included tools aren't actually necessary - you don't need a suction cup wider than the JoyCon itself, you don't need two different pry tools, and you don't need a tiny paintbrush(?)The kit does not include any directions, which is kind of frustrating, as this is a pretty delicate operation. You can find repair guides elsewhere, but even just a QR code on a slip of paper would've been better than nothing at all. I'll level with you: this repair *sucks.* I've replaced phone batteries, done laptop repairs, and this was by far the most delicate and frustrating procedure I've done. Not the fault of the kit, but it makes the lack of instructions more frustrating.Finally, the calibration can be a bit finicky. I ran the calibration after installing these, and it worked fine for a while, but after a little while I (ironically) started to get a little drift out of the left joystick! The dead zones seem to be really small, so sometimes the resting position actually registered as having the joystick tipped ever so slightly forward. It actually messed me up a few times in Tears of the Kingdom as Link walked right off a ledge or into an enemy after I let go of the stick. I ran the calibration again and it fixed the issue, and the right stick never had that problem, so maybe I just messed up the initial calibration. Will update my review if it comes back.Next, the positives.The tools may not be top notch, and there are some useless extras thrown in, but this really does include everything you might potentially need to fix your JoyCons, including backup screws in case you lose your originals.The joysticks feel really snappy, which is awesome. As I said, the main issue I had was caused in part by the dead zones being a little small - they're almost *too* accurate! And the hall effect technology means (in theory) you'll never have to replace your joysticks again, unlike other parts kits, so that alone is a big win. Will update my review in the *distant* future if I start to get drift on these.Lastly, the price is great for what you get. iFixit, who I've mentioned a few times here, makes great repair kits, but their kit costs $20 for just one joystick - if you need two, you're looking at $35 (you can buy just the stick without any tools for $15), not including shipping. That's more than this kit costs, and their joysticks aren't even hall effect based, so you're going to have to replace them again down the road! They even have some negative reviews claiming that the replacement sticks wear out faster than Nintendo's! It's a great deal in that regard.Overall, this kit is a great value, especially given the claim that these stick modules will never develop drift. If that ends up being the case, they're worth their weight in gold.Finally, a tip for anyone who buys these. I've seen some reviews for JoyCon swap kits where people claimed that the replacement stick module was thicker than the original, causing the right JoyCon to bulge and/or be unable to close fully. I ran into the same issue at first, but it turns out it has nothing to do with the stick thickness. The right JoyCon has an antenna inside of it that sits behind the LED panel; when you take it apart, it's held to the back of the JoyCon by a line of adhesive, so you might assume that's where you want to put it when you go to reassemble the thing. If you do this, however, the antenna wire comes out of its plastic channel when you go to reassemble the thing and gets stuck between the battery and back, creating that extra few mm's of height that make the JoyCon bulge out. If you look at the front, there's a little rectangular bracket you can slide the antenna into. If you put it there, the antenna wire will stay firmly in place when you put the back on, and you won't get that bulging issue!
L**E
My Switch Isn't a Doorstop Anymore
Seriously, I love these things so much. For years now I've avoided playing my Switch because the drift was so bad. I knew sending it in for repairs was only a temporary fix and didn't want to bother, but it really bugged me that something so expensive wasn't being used.Did a little research and found these. I'm not someone who's super good at technical stuff, but I was confident I could probably follow a guide and replace the sticks. I saw people saying they stripped the screws by using the included tools, so I ordered a separate kit (the $10 TEKPREM one for Switch) to use, and that worked great.Followed a YouTube guide by The Phawx, and while it took me a little longer than advertised, I did get it done successfully. The Switch is actually being used in our house again and works like new! The best thing is that because of the way these work, drift will never be a problem again.One small note is that if you have shaky hands for some reason, you might find it difficult to do the replacement because of all the small parts inside the joycons that you have to work with. Another thing is that if you aren't used to messing with the components inside electronics, it can feel a little overwhelming when you first open it up. Just be patient and follow the guide and you'll be okay.
D**H
Both failed in less than a year, see edits
I have a switch lite and one broken joystick. I never had a drift issue so I can't speak to that, my stick was physically broken off. I installed both so that they would at least match each other even if the ABXY and Dpad buttons are still light grey. I also didn't use the tools that came with it (except for the spudger) because I already had an electronics tool set with the special screwdrivers, so I can't speak to their quality either.The good news is:1. the sticks work. After calibration they seem accurate, but they're brand new so its too soon to say.The bad news is:1. while this kit comes with a handful of tools, if you're replacing the right stick you need to replace the thermal paste under the shield you during the installation. This should have come with paste, instead I had to go buy some separately.2. The rubber is kind of slippery. My thumbs don't grip it as well as the original (and those weren't all that grippy to being with), so I tried the caps...3. The caps are useless, they fall off after about 15 minutes of use. I've been playing Diablo II so the left stick is pretty much ALWAYS being pushed in some direction, and then when I encounter a large group of enemies suddenly the left cap falls off in the middle of the skirmish and I have to fumble around to turn it off and fix it. After maybe 5 times and switching caps from one side to the other, I just took them off. They really do improve tactility when they're on, but sadly they just don't stay there.And they are tricky to install but that's because of how the switch is built, not the sticks' fault. Be careful not to lose or mix up any parts. Stay organized. Use magnetic trays if you have them.EDIT: I bought and installed them in April. Today in July the right stick completely slid out of place inside the switch. I knew something was wrong so I opened the switch and found that both of the tabs with screw holes that keep it in place had broken off and the stick was just loose inside the switch. Changed rating from 3 to 1 star.Edit 2: A few months later in November here, the other stick broke in the same way PLUS the base around the actual stick is just falling apart. These are such junk!!
S**D
Maybe skip the bundle, just get the controllers.
Got this bundle as it was coming with the needed screw drivers. The screw driver heads were not of a good quality (hence I reduced one star)- they stripped but the screw heads were intact, lol. Ended up ordering another tool kit just for this.The joy sticks fit and are working fine, I will update this review if they have issues.
Trustpilot
1 month ago
2 weeks ago