XBox One controller issue

[Sarra]

So, I've got an XBox One controller that I use with my PC. It's new, only 2 months old, and it has the textured back a la XBox Series controller.

The controller has two issues: Short battery life (I'm using it with a XBox wireless controller dongle), and the right stick.

 

So, I've actually killed a set of rechargeable batteries. They were cheap Chinese junk batteries, but all 8 died at the same time. I'm not so concerned about this.

 

The big problem is the right stick. While using the controller, the right stick will randomly go 100% 'look up'. It 'sticks' like this until I poke the stick, then it will stop, but after a second, it will get stuck again. The stick itself is centered, and I'm not even touching it when this happens...

 

Should I attempt to RMA this controller, or is it time to just say 'screw you Microsoft' and go with a PS4/PS5 controller instead?

[dalekphalm]

15 minutes ago, Sarra said:

So, I've got an XBox One controller that I use with my PC. It's new, only 2 months old, and it has the textured back a la XBox Series controller.

The controller has two issues: Short battery life (I'm using it with a XBox wireless controller dongle), and the right stick.

 

So, I've actually killed a set of rechargeable batteries. They were cheap Chinese junk batteries, but all 8 died at the same time. I'm not so concerned about this.

I assume you're using AA rechargeables and not the Play and Go rechargeable battery pack?

 

How much battery life will depend on two factors: The capacity of the batteries you're using as a whole, and whether they can sustain the required voltage for long enough (NiMH AA's for example tend to have fairly low voltages even at full charge compared to disposable Alkaline AA's).

 

You probably just need better rechargeable batteries. I personally buy the Eneloop (formerly Sanyo, currently Panasonic, I believe) rechargeables. They're typically just as good battery capacity wise as any comparable good quality rechargeable, but they also have low static discharge rates. All rechargeable batteries will discharge themselves just sitting there, not even turned on - typical NiMH ones will get quite low (or even die) within 1-2 months of sitting on the shelf. Eneloops will last up to around 80% for a year.

 

Granted, if you're using your batteries a lot, and recharging them frequently, this will matter less. But I still strongly suggest you get some better batteries.

 

How long is your controller lasting right now with the cheap Chinese junk batteries?

15 minutes ago, Sarra said:

The big problem is the right stick. While using the controller, the right stick will randomly go 100% 'look up'. It 'sticks' like this until I poke the stick, then it will stop, but after a second, it will get stuck again. The stick itself is centered, and I'm not even touching it when this happens...

I don't suppose you happen to have an actual Xbox One to test the controller on? Or a different PC? This seems like a straight forward RMA to me.

15 minutes ago, Sarra said:

Should I attempt to RMA this controller, or is it time to just say 'screw you Microsoft' and go with a PS4/PS5 controller instead?

Personally I find the XBO controller to be far superior in ergonomics and button placement compared to the PS4/5 controller, so I'd definitely recommend you RMA the XBO controller rather than switching to the PS4/5 controllers.

 

Also - unsure about the PS5. but the PS4 controller has a notoriously short battery life (and it's a built-in rechargeable battery pack, meaning you can't remove or replace it, and you can't use AA's in a pinch).

[FmPhenom]

I had the same issue. I got a new USB dongle and the drift went away. Battery life still sucks tho. 

[Kawaii Koneko]

Not sure about the stick but pick up some Eneloops. That's all I buy anymore and I get excellent battery life from my XBox controller. It's literally night and day from the Rayovac and Energizer recharables I used to use.

[dalekphalm]

38 minutes ago, Kawaii Koneko said:

Not sure about the stick but pick up some Eneloops. That's all I buy anymore and I get excellent battery life from my XBox controller. It's literally night and day from the Rayovac and Energizer recharables I used to use.

I love my Eneloops. I have a mix of the standard ones (I got the pastel multi-coloured pack) and the black Pro version with higher mAh rating. I should pick some more up soon actually.

[Sarra]

So, I actually do have Eneloops. They last 4-8 hours, then require a recharge...

 

I think I'm going to just pick up a PS5 controller instead.

[Dillpickle23422]

On 3/1/2021 at 1:09 AM, Sarra said:

So, I've got an XBox One controller that I use with my PC. It's new, only 2 months old, and it has the textured back a la XBox Series controller.

The controller has two issues: Short battery life (I'm using it with a XBox wireless controller dongle), and the right stick.

 

So, I've actually killed a set of rechargeable batteries. They were cheap Chinese junk batteries, but all 8 died at the same time. I'm not so concerned about this.

 

The big problem is the right stick. While using the controller, the right stick will randomly go 100% 'look up'. It 'sticks' like this until I poke the stick, then it will stop, but after a second, it will get stuck again. The stick itself is centered, and I'm not even touching it when this happens...

 

Should I attempt to RMA this controller, or is it time to just say 'screw you Microsoft' and go with a PS4/PS5 controller instead?

rma that puppy, not worth the $ you spent on it to scrap it. Also, lots of ps5 controllers are having stick drift problems, so it's bad up and down the line.

[Dillpickle23422]

10 hours ago, Sarra said:

So, I actually do have Eneloops. They last 4-8 hours, then require a recharge...

 

I think I'm going to just pick up a PS5 controller instead.

I am using eneloops and get 10-12 hrs off it, but they are new so idk

[dalekphalm]

12 hours ago, Sarra said:

So, I actually do have Eneloops. They last 4-8 hours, then require a recharge...

 

I think I'm going to just pick up a PS5 controller instead.

Totally your choice, but I personally see the PS5 controller as a downgrade (and your battery life will just get worse).

 

4-8 hours of solid play with Eneloops sounds about right. RMA your XBO controller either way (even if you decide to replace it, since then you'll have a spare, or you could sell it).

[Sarra]

3 hours ago, Dillpickle23422 said:

I am using eneloops and get 10-12 hrs off it, but they are new so idk

Mine are also brand new. I'm actually thinking they were slightly depleted when I got them. I also have some Duracell NiMH batteries, but they're still in the packaging. My research showed they were almost just as good as the Eneloops.

 

As for the drifting problem, I unplugged my dongle and moved it to a different port, and it seems to have solved the issue. Still got my finger on the RMA button, though.

[Dillpickle23422]

29 minutes ago, Sarra said:

Mine are also brand new. I'm actually thinking they were slightly depleted when I got them. I also have some Duracell NiMH batteries, but they're still in the packaging. My research showed they were almost just as good as the Eneloops.

 

As for the drifting problem, I unplugged my dongle and moved it to a different port, and it seems to have solved the issue. Still got my finger on the RMA button, though.

ah, ok. 

[Kawaii Koneko]

On 3/2/2021 at 11:13 AM, Sarra said:

Mine are also brand new. I'm actually thinking they were slightly depleted when I got them. I also have some Duracell NiMH batteries, but they're still in the packaging. My research showed they were almost just as good as the Eneloops.

 

As for the drifting problem, I unplugged my dongle and moved it to a different port, and it seems to have solved the issue. Still got my finger on the RMA button, though.

Glad you got the drift issues solved but it is still odd about your battery life. I can get a lot more time out of my Eneloops so maybe they were defective? Idk. I'd try your other batteries just to see if it makes a difference.

[Sarra]

7 hours ago, Kawaii Koneko said:

Glad you got the drift issues solved but it is still odd about your battery life. I can get a lot more time out of my Eneloops so maybe they were defective? Idk. I'd try your other batteries just to see if it makes a difference.

I'm pretty sure the old Nuon batteries were just super cheap Chinese NiMH batteries, but I also bought a brand new "not dumb" charger, that has temp sensing, volt sensing, and smart shutoff.

 

I'll run the Eneloops for a few charge cycles and see if I need a different controller, or what...

[Chiyawa]

I have an Xbox Series X controller, and the battery life is so so for NiMH batteries. A 2300mAH batteries full charge can still get me around 10 hours total play time (but sometimes I do leave my controller idle for about 20 minutes or so when I'm going for toilet break). Maybe you can buy some NiMH batteries with higher capacity like 2500mAH and above, should extend your play time a little.

[Sarra]

1 minute ago, Chiyawa said:

I have an Xbox Series X controller, and the battery life is so so for NiMH batteries. A 2300mAH batteries full charge can still get me around 10 hours total play time (but sometimes I do leave my controller idle for about 20 minutes or so when I'm going for toilet break). Maybe you can buy some NiMH batteries with higher capacity like 2500mAH and above, should extend your play time a little.

Eneloop batteries have 2450mAH.

 

Regular old Duracell AA batteries would last me around 24 hours of play time before they died...

[dalekphalm]

12 hours ago, Sarra said:

Eneloop batteries have 2450mAH.

 

12 hours ago, Sarra said:

Regular old Duracell AA batteries would last me around 24 hours of play time before they died...

That's normal. Alkaline AA batteries (such as Duracell disposables) have a higher voltage, and have less voltage drop when a draw is connected to the battery. The rechargeable ones will naturally die sooner than good disposables, simply because they reach the point where they can't provide enough stable voltage to the controller sooner.

 

You'd need to jump to Lithium Ion rechargeables or similar to get better rechargeables.

[Sarra]

Well, I'm getting the same 'ghost input' or whatever. It's not drift, drift is like... Slow look-down? This is just flat out 100% stick down input.

 

It's happening using the XBox controller dongle, bluetooth dongle, and USB cable connection, so I went ahead and requested an RMA. This controller is 6 months old. Shouldn't have died yet... My old XBox 360 wired controller lasted a LONG time in comparison, it only got replaced due to the left stick getting physically smashed in storage.

 

The RMA process is kind of ridiculous. I understand they need pertinent information, but for real, what a joke. It could be easy, streamlined, and take 5 minutes, but instead, they make it take a while. =\

 

I almost bought a PS5 controller today at Best Buy, but... Meh. I'll wait for black controllers to become available first, I guess. Anything but white.

[Sarra]

Well. Microsoft denied my warranty request.

 

I guess a "3 month warranty" is the only way they could make money on these things. I seriously regret the $60 I wasted on this, the XBox 360 controller I had lasted me 5 years, and only cost me $20.

 

Guess I'm never buying a Microsoft accessory again. Time to spend even more on a decent driving wheel instead...

[dalekphalm]

9 hours ago, Sarra said:

Well. Microsoft denied my warranty request.

 

I guess a "3 month warranty" is the only way they could make money on these things. I seriously regret the $60 I wasted on this, the XBox 360 controller I had lasted me 5 years, and only cost me $20.

 

Guess I'm never buying a Microsoft accessory again. Time to spend even more on a decent driving wheel instead...

What was the exact reason for denying the warranty? You said in your OP that it was only 2 months old - I assume you bought it new from an authorized reseller.

[Colty]

On 3/1/2021 at 12:32 AM, dalekphalm said:

 

I don't suppose you happen to have an actual Xbox One to test the controller on? Or a different PC? This seems like a straight forward RMA to me.

Personally I find the XBO controller to be far superior in ergonomics and button placement compared to the PS4/5 controller, so I'd definitely recommend you RMA the XBO controller rather than switching to the PS4/5 controllers.

 

Also - unsure about the PS5. but the PS4 controller has a notoriously short battery life (and it's a built-in rechargeable battery pack, meaning you can't remove or replace it, and you can't use AA's in a pinch).

You can upgrade the PS4 controller batteries. And while I'll agree that the PS4 controller ergo's aren't the best, I've had lifetime Xbox users say that my PS5 controllers are the best they've ever used. The asymmetrical design is something a lot of people can't go without, so I can definitely understand if that's your situation. 
 

 

[Sarra]

3 hours ago, dalekphalm said:

What was the exact reason for denying the warranty? You said in your OP that it was only 2 months old - I assume you bought it new from an authorized reseller.

My purchase date was 6 months ago. >_> I just had a brain fart on when I purchased it, mostly because I spent a lot of time not using it.

 

6 minutes ago, Colty said:

You can upgrade the PS4 controller batteries. And while I'll agree that the PS4 controller ergo's aren't the best, I've had lifetime Xbox users say that my PS5 controllers are the best they've ever used. The asymmetrical design is something a lot of people can't go without, so I can definitely understand if that's your situation.

Yeah. I'm going to get a PS5 controller to replace the XBox controller. I know they have issues with drift, as well, but they also have a 1 year warranty. Or, maybe I'll just get a really nice driving/racing wheel and pedals, and forget the controllers entirely.

[Colty]

4 minutes ago, Sarra said:

Yeah. I'm going to get a PS5 controller to replace the XBox controller. I know they have issues with drift, as well, but they also have a 1 year warranty. Or, maybe I'll just get a really nice driving/racing wheel and pedals, and forget the controllers entirely.

They've all got drift issues these days unless you want to use a PS3 controller.  As for the racing wheel, my buddy has one he uses on his PC and PS4 Pro. It's certainly cool, definitely the optimal way to play Dirt Rally, but it would be best to have both if that's something you can manage. 

[Sarra]

1 minute ago, Colty said:

They've all got drift issues these days unless you want to use a PS3 controller.  As for the racing wheel, my buddy has one he uses on his PC and PS4 Pro. It's certainly cool, definitely the optimal way to play Dirt Rally, but it would be best to have both if that's something you can manage. 

Yeah. I've been playing a ton of Mud Runner, I've got DiRT Rally and DiRT Rally 2.0, Euro Truck Simulator, and a number of other games that would benefit from a wheel setup.

 

I also... Well, Cyberpunk 2077 is a game where I use a gamepad (Razer Nostromo) for FPS, then in driving usually switch to my XBox controller, but with the stick being a POS, it makes playing either way with the controller on really difficult.

 

I hope that an all black PS5 controller option is available soon (maybe DBrand skins?), and I'll redouble my efforts at finding a good wheel.

[dalekphalm]

26 minutes ago, Sarra said:

My purchase date was 6 months ago. >_> I just had a brain fart on when I purchased it, mostly because I spent a lot of time not using it.

Haha oops - hey it happens.

26 minutes ago, Sarra said:

Yeah. I'm going to get a PS5 controller to replace the XBox controller. I know they have issues with drift, as well, but they also have a 1 year warranty. Or, maybe I'll just get a really nice driving/racing wheel and pedals, and forget the controllers entirely.

You should triple check that warranty. In Canada at least, the PS5 controller also only gets a 90 day warranty, according to Best Buy.

 

Source:

https://www.bestbuy.ca/en-ca/product/playstation-5-dualsense-wireless-controller-white/14962193

 

 

.... goddamnit PlayStation Canada

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/sony-playstation-5-dualsense-wireless-controller/6430163.p?skuId=6430163

 

 

So according to my (admittedly limited) research, Sony offers a 1 year warranty for the PS5 controller in the US, and 90 days in Canada. Microsoft offers a 90 day warranty for the XBox One controller in both the US and Canada.

[Sarra]

3 minutes ago, dalekphalm said:

So according to my (admittedly limited) research, Sony offers a 1 year warranty for the PS5 controller in the US, and 90 days in Canada. Microsoft offers a 90 day warranty for the XBox One controller in both the US and Canada.

Oof, shafted. I found the easiest way, at least for me, to determine what the warranty was on a product, was to just check the sale page on Newegg. o.x Goggling it just takes you to a huge crap-stain of legalese on Sony or Microsoft's websites, and honestly, even CTRL F wasn't finding anything remotely readable. >_>