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Right Stick On My ROG Xbox Ally X Is Drifting, Is It Hardware Or Windows?

Asked by Kevin T.0 views

Got the ROG Xbox Ally X at launch and now my right stick drifts. Camera slowly pans up and to the right in pretty much every game. Opened your gamepad tester in Edge and the right stick sits at 0.06 X, 0.08 Y with hands off. Left is fine. It started right after an Armoury Crate update so part of me thinks it's software. Is there a way to tell? I really don't want to send it in and lose it for weeks.

Brand
ASUS
Model
ROG Xbox Ally X RC73XA
Connection
Built-in
System
Windows 11
Browser
Edge 144
Detected Controller
Xbox 360 Controller (XInput STANDARD GAMEPAD)
Buttons And Axes
17 buttons, 6 axes
Stick Drift And CalibrationASUS ROG Ally
Test used in this questionStick Drift TestDetect unwanted stick movement while you keep your hands off
Open Free Test
Short Answer

Both are possible, so calibrate first. The ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X use potentiometer sticks, not Hall effect, so wear is real, but a stale calibration after an update is common too. Run the Armoury Crate SE calibration and check whether the reading holds the next day.

Verified By Gamepad TesterVerified By Gamepad Tester
Lucas Rocha
Lucas RochaVerified Gamepad Tester team memberGamepad Tester Team
Linux And Input Subsystem Engineer · 12+ years experience · Answered Jan 29, 2026

You can separate the two fairly quickly, and the test you already ran is the right starting point.

First, the hardware background. Neither the ROG Xbox Ally nor the Ally X ships with Hall effect or TMR sticks; both use conventional potentiometer sticks. So wear-related drift is genuinely possible, and the right stick on a handheld takes a lot of steady pressure in third-person games.

Second, the software side. The built-in controller's stick calibration is handled through Armoury Crate SE, and updates can leave calibration or controller profiles in an odd state. A drift that started the same day as an update deserves a calibration before anything else.

The test tells you which one you have. If a fresh calibration brings the right stick back within about plus or minus 0.02 and it stays there for days, it was calibration. If it returns to near zero and then creeps back towards 0.06 and 0.08 within hours or a day or two, the sensor is wearing and calibration is just resetting the target each time.

If it is hardware, you have options beyond sending it away. GuliKit makes TMR replacement modules for the ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X, developed with ASUS and fitted without soldering. That is a reasonable home repair once you are out of warranty. While you are still covered, use the warranty; opening the device yourself can complicate a claim.

Step By Step Fix
  1. Run the stick drift test for a minute with the Ally flat on a table and write down the resting X and Y for both sticks.
  2. Update Armoury Crate SE and install any pending controller or firmware updates through it or MyASUS, then restart.
  3. In Armoury Crate SE settings, open the joystick calibration option and calibrate the right stick, keeping your thumbs off the sticks when the prompts ask.
  4. Re-test immediately. Within plus or minus 0.02 means the calibration took.
  5. Re-test the next day without recalibrating. A steady reading points to a software cause; creeping back points to wear.
  6. If it is wear and you are in warranty, start a claim. If not, a plug-in TMR module made for your exact model is the lasting fix, followed by another calibration in Armoury Crate SE.

Tested on: Applies to ROG Xbox Ally X (RC73XA) and ROG Xbox Ally (RC73YA) on Windows 11 with Edge. Stick type per published coverage of the handhelds; replacement module details per GuliKit's launch coverage.

Sources
  1. GuliKit's mod makes the ROG Xbox Ally's joysticks drift-free
  2. GuliKit launches official TMR anti-drift joysticks for Xbox Ally and Ally X

Checked by Chloe Henderson on . How we verify answers

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Community Replies 4

  • Accepted Solution
    Brianna LopezCommunity Member

    Calibration in Armoury Crate fixed mine for about two weeks, then it came back. The test again next day step would have saved me some time figuring that out.

  • Kevin TranCommunity Member

    Calibrated, went to 0.01 / 0.00. Checked the next morning and it's at 0.01 / 0.02. So far looks like it was the update. Will check again in a week.

  • Siddharth PillaiCommunity Member

    Fitted GuliKit sticks on my older Ally X (RC72LA), but those are a different part from the Xbox Ally ones. Check your model number before ordering.

  • Kevin TranCommunity Member

    One week update: still 0.01 / 0.02. Calling it fixed.

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Lucas Rocha
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Lucas RochaVerified Gamepad Tester team member

Linux And Input Subsystem Engineer at Gamepad Tester

Lucas works on the Linux input subsystem. He follows how evdev registers a controller, how Steam Input sits on top of it and where the two disagree with the browser's view of the same device, which is the usual reason a pad behaves differently on a Steam Deck or a Linux desktop than on Windows. His testing targets parity: the same controller should produce the same reading on every operating system, and where it does not, the difference should be documented. On Gamepad Tester he handles the Linux and Steam Deck questions.

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Calder WrightCalder WrightFront-End Web Architect And Gamepad API LeadElena RostovaElena RostovaHardware Diagnostics EngineerGarrett LindsayGarrett LindsayHardware Reviewer And Input Performance SpecialistVenom’s Tech (Abhishek)Venom’s Tech (Abhishek)Peripheral Reviewer And Tech JournalistChloe HendersonChloe HendersonHall Effect And Thumbstick AnalystThiago AlvesThiago AlvesHardware Repair EducatorDevon MillerDevon MillerLow Latency And Input Timing EngineerLiam DaviesLiam DaviesBluetooth And Wireless Test Engineer

Each answer is written by the specialist who owns that part of the hardware, tested on a real controller, and checked by a second team member. How we verify answers

Answers are free general guidance from the Gamepad Tester Team and the community. Opening a controller or replacing a thumbstick module can void your warranty, so check the maker's support or warranty first. Battery and soldering work carries a real risk of damage or injury.

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