Left or right analog stick drift on Xbox One and Series X/S seems to be the most frustrating thing to fix if you are out of warranty. While you can pry open your controller to fix the issue, there are ways to fix this without even opening up your controller. This comes in handy even if your controller is still under warranty but you don’t want to wait for a new one from the service center. So we will take a look at how to fix your Xbox controller drift without opening it up.

To fix Xbox One and Series X/S controller drift without opening them, you need to use cotton swabs to rub isopropyl alcohol on the circular surface of the left or right analog stick. Then keep it aside for 30 seconds, repeat the process 3-4 times and your Xbox controller drift will be fixed now. This method works for almost 85-90% of all users who are experiencing this issue. If you want to know how to do it in detail, please read the following:

This whole process is shown in this YouTube video by masai29. We tried this method and it worked for our controllers with drift issues. I hope this helps you too. Here is the original video:

That’s everything you need to know about how to fix controller drift on Xbox One and Series X/S. In the meantime, if you’re dealing with drifting or other issues on PlayStation or Switch console controllers, check out our guides on How to Fix PS4 & PS5 Controller Drift and How to Fix Nintendo Switch Joy Con Controller That’s Not Working. Also, check out other Xbox solutions related to games and other service errors.