Joy-Con drift has been a major concern for Nintendo Switch users, but a recent teardown of the company’s ‘Alarmo’ sound clock by iFixit has shed light on potential solutions.
The teardown revealed the use of “more reliable” Hall effect sensors in Alarmo, particularly in the rotary dial button at the top of the device. According to The Verge, this technology, already popular in third-party controllers, not only enhances accuracy in menu navigation but also ensures long-term reliability.
“That tech, which is already in use in many third-party controllers, should not only improve accuracy while using the dial to navigate the alarm clock’s menus, but it will also help ensure that in five years’ time Alarmo’s dial can still work as reliably as it does today.”
This revelation has sparked speculation about the potential use of Hall effect sensors in the next-generation controller for the Switch, hinting at a possible resolution to the Joy-Con drift issue.
While details about the new Joy-Con controllers are scarce, Nintendo has disclosed that they will connect to the main system magnetically and feature mouse-like capabilities, including an optical sensor.
This development comes shortly after Nintendo released a free Super Mario Bros. theme update for Nintendo Alarmo on Mario Day earlier this week.