A high-profile class-action lawsuit regarding drift in the Xbox Elite controller has been moved into arbitration, meaning that it will hopefully be settled outside the courtroom. This case was filed last April when Microsoft was accused of neglecting a defect in their designer controllers that causes the aforementioned drift.
This drift happens when wear and tear seemingly lock a controller’s joystick in a moving position, causing a game’s character or camera to slide uncontrollably even when the stick isn’t being pressed at all. This makes simple tasks like navigating the start menu a nightmare to players. The law firm of Chimicles Schwartz Kriner & Donaldson-Smith (CSK&D), who first filed the complaint against Microsoft a year ago, has bought defective Xbox Elite Controllers from players that have experienced this problem to build their case against the tech giant. Meanwhile, Microsoft has requested that this case be settled outside of the courtroom – and now it seems it is getting its wish.
As reported by VGC late yesterday afternoon, the class-action lawsuit filed by CSK&D against Microsoft regarding the Xbox Elite controller has been moved into arbitration, meaning that it will be discussed out of court by an impartial adjudicator. CSK&D partner Benjamin Johns has since stated that this likely means the “end of the road” for their case, but the firm has reiterated that it still intends to press forward in its efforts to receive damages for players affected by the Xbox Elite controller’s drifting problem.
Microsoft is far from the first console manufacture to be faced with legal action for defective controllers over the past few years or so, as Nintendo has been hit with similar lawsuits regarding drift in the Switch's Joy-Con controller since 2019, a situation Nintendo's own executives were forced to address and apologize for. Likewise, a case against Sony was filed by CSK&D in February after the firm set up a website where players could report instances of drift in the PS5's DualSense controller.
CSK&D’s associates seem to imply that their case against Microsoft will be soon coming to a close, but it’s only the beginning in addressing the causes of this recurring drift issue, which has become increasingly common in both last and current generation controllers. Regardless of how the adjudicator decides in the case regarding the Xbox Elite controller, hopefully, console manufactures can get a handle on the situation, and the players affected can be duly compensated for the issue.
Source: VGC