Buzz
Similar to many others, I decided to play Skyward Sword HD to revisit one of my most beloved Zelda titles (yes, it’s fantastic). Although the original game’s motion controls received criticism, I personally never encountered issues with them. I thoroughly enjoyed aiming the bow and arrow in real space and adjusting my sword swings to counter enemy defenses. However, with Skyward Sword HD, I found myself sympathizing with the critics; the gyroscopic motion controls were incredibly frustrating to use.
The issue became so severe that the game was nearly impossible to enjoy. Every single time I attempted to use tools like the slingshot, the targeting reticule would appear in random spots on the screen. Link would spin aimlessly in the game, and I’d find myself mimicking the motion in real life, spiraling into frustration.
It’s comparable to Joy-Con drift, but for motion controls; while Joy-Con drift disrupts stick inputs, gyro drift wreaks havoc on your physical movements.
Resetting the gyro offered a short-lived (and ultimately ineffective) fix
The game’s sole built-in solution is recalibrating the gyro by aiming your controller at the TV and pressing Y. This action sets the current Joy-Con position as the center. You can adjust this anytime, especially if the gyro loses synchronization. Just in case.
Initially, this method works! However, after a few movements with the Joy-Cons, the “centered” position would no longer be accurate. I’d aim the Joy-Con at the TV, press Y, make a few more moves, lose sync again, and repeat this frustrating cycle until it became unbearable.
How can you prevent the gyro from losing sync?
Dear Reader, I discovered a solution: using the Joy-Con wrist strap. Not the strap itself, but the entire plastic accessory that attaches to the Joy-Con rail. Nintendo refers to the entire piece as the “wrist strap,” despite it also including buttons.
But let’s get back on track. The wrist straps? I rarely use them! For starters, I’m not planning to throw my Joy-Cons at my TV like it’s Christmas 2006, and secondly, they feel a bit cumbersome. I much prefer the sleek feel of using detached Joy-Cons without the extra bulk the wrist straps introduce.
However, once I attached the wrist straps to my Joy-Cons, the gyro controls became significantly more precise. The difference was like night and day; with the straps on, the gyro stayed perfectly aligned. It’s still astonishing to me that such a simple accessory could solve my gyro-related frustrations.
The exact reason why the wrist straps improve the consistency and accuracy of gyro controls isn’t entirely clear. They might prevent your hand from obstructing the signal between the Joy-Cons and the Switch, as shown here, or perhaps they help maintain a more consistent hand position, keeping the gyro controls stable. Whatever the reason, I can now enjoy playing Skyward Sword HD without losing my mind.
Additional troubleshooting tips for motion control synchronization issues
It’s possible that this solution might not work for everyone. Perhaps you’ve already tried attaching the wrist straps to your Joy-Cons, yet the gyro drift persists. Maybe you’re already using wrist straps, making my detailed story of struggles irrelevant. Fortunately, there are other troubleshooting steps you can take to resolve gyro-related problems.
First, consider recalibrating your Joy-Cons’ motion controls. Navigate to Settings > Controllers and Sensors > Calibrate Motion Controls > Calibrate Controllers. Press and hold either the left Joy-Con’s (–) or the right Joy-Con’s (+) button to begin calibration. Place the controller, without the wrist strap, on a flat surface and wait for the Switch to complete the process. Select “OK” to proceed, and repeat the process for the other Joy-Con.
If the Joy-Cons continue to malfunction after calibration, evaluate your gaming environment. Ensure your Switch is docked nearby with an unobstructed line of sight to the Joy-Cons. Additionally, keep the Switch at least three to four feet away from other wireless devices, such as speakers, printers, phones, laptops, tablets, or even microwaves (avoid gaming near microwaves—it’s a good rule of thumb).
This article was updated on Aug. 24 at 5:20 p.m. to provide clearer explanations regarding how wrist straps may enhance gyro control performance.
