Class-action lawsuit against ‘drifting joysticks’ on Xbox controllers continues with amended complaint
The plaintiffs are seeking a jury trial, monetary compensation, and for Microsoft to inform customers of the issues.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
What you need to know
A new report fromVGChas come out today with some updated information regarding theclass-action lawsuit against Microsoft and alleged joystick drifting issues. In the report, VGC claims that the ongoing lawsuit was amended on October 2, 2020, with seven new plaintiffs, a request for a jury trial, and an updated list of affected peripherals that now includes theXbox Elite Controller Series 1andSeries 2.
The class-action lawsuit has been in effect for a while now, claiming that Microsoft’s critically acclaimed Xbox controllers have a widespread joystick drifting issue, something that Nintendo has also come under fire for with concerns to their Joy-Con controllers for the Switch. The plaintiffs allege that a known hardware flaw with a component known as the “potentiometer,” the part that translates physical movement to software movement, and a grease-like lubricant causes unwanted movement even when the user isn’t actively touching the controller, which can grow worse over time.
The lawsuit is not only seeking monetary compensation from Microsoft, but is also seeking a public injuction, which would require Microsoft to openly inform their existing customer base of the issues, as the lawsuit claims that “The injunctive relief sought by Plaintiffs will protect the public from Microsoft’s deceitful marketing practices which misrepresent and omit material facts.”
It’s still not clear if the lawsuit will succeed, or if the reported joystick drifting issues with Xbox controllers are as serious as the lawsuit alleges, but it is interesting that the case continues to evolve over time, especially as Microsoft seeks to launch their next-gen consoles like theXbox Series XandXbox Series S. The new consoles also come with abrand-new refreshed controllerwhich makes some important and distinct changes to the internals of the controller, possibly avoiding the alleged defect that affects previous controllers from Xbox.
Have you experienced joystick drifting on controllers before? Do you think this lawsuit has merit against Xbox controllers specifically? Let us know in the comments below!
Xbox Series X/S
Main
Get the Windows Central Newsletter
All the latest news, reviews, and guides for Windows and Xbox diehards.
Zachary Boddy (They / Them) is a Staff Writer for Windows Central, primarily focused on covering the latest news in tech and gaming, the best Xbox and PC games, and the most interesting Windows and Xbox hardware. They have been gaming and writing for most of their life starting with the original Xbox, and started out as a freelancer for Windows Central and its sister sites in 2019. Now a full-fledged Staff Writer, Zachary has expanded from only writing about all things Minecraft to covering practically everything on which Windows Central is an expert, especially when it comes to Microsoft. You can find Zachary on Twitter@BoddyZachary.
