How to deal with Aim controller drift
You're blasting through jumping arachnids, jumping to the left and then dodging to the right when you suddenly realize why your shots haven't been taking out the little critters. Your gun seems to be drifting across the screen. If this has ever happened to you, then you know about the pain and frustration of dealing with controller drift while you are in the middle of gameplay.
It's particularly frustrating with the Aim controller for PlayStation VR, but there are some things you can do to deal with it.
What is controller drift?
Controller drift is the problem where what the PlayStation VR sees as the location of your controllers, and where they actually are. This is why you may see your controller start to float across your game even though you are standing quite still. This is a pretty common problem across VR systems, and PlayStation's Aim controller is no exception to that. While it can be hard to tell when your controller has started to drift there is an easy way to check.
Stand still with your controller held out in front of you. If it moves, you're having a drift problem. If it doesn't, then you don't While this can be an especially aggravating problem, there are some things you can do to deal when it when it crops up.
What do I do if it happens?
If you start to notice that your controller is drifting, there are a few different things that you can do to deal with the issue. Thankfully, a few of these options won't even require you to turn off your headset to troubleshoot this issue.
The first thing you should do if you start to notice this is to double check your playspace. Remember that PlayStation VR works best in a room where it can easily see the lights on your headset and controller. This means ensuring that your room doesn't have any bright lights or reflective surfaces to confuse it while you are playing. By taking a few minutes to set up your space before gaming, you can help to avoid problems down the line.
The second thing to check is what the battery level of your Aim controller looks like. If you've been playing for quite a while, or you failed to charge your controller before starting to play, then your issue may just be a low battery. You can check on this pretty easily, and if your battery is low then it may be time to just go ahead and plug it in to charge for a little while before you attempt to play.
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If your Aim controller drift issues don't seem to crop up until you've been playing for a while then there is a fix. If you shake, or firmly tap the controller it should correct. This is particularly easy in Farpoint since an aspect of gameplay will have you move the controller up against your shoulder to swap weapons. While none of these fixes is an all out fix, they will deal with the problem when it does crop up, and ensure you can get back to gaming.
Have you run into this problem?
PlayStation's Aim controller delivers an awesomely immersive experience, but running into issues with drift can be problematic. Have you run into any of these problems? Is there another fix that we didn't mention here? Be sure to reach out and let us know by leaving a comment!
Essa Kidwell is an expert in all things VR and mobile devices who can always be found with an Oculus Go, a Pixel 2, and an iPhone 7+. They've been taking things apart just to put them back together for quite some time. If you've got a troubleshooting issue with any of your tech, they're the one you want to go to! Find them on Twitter @OriginalSluggo or Instagram @CosmeticChronus.