Posting this as I did on my insta, and it turns out a few people had the issue:

I never noticed I had joy-con drift until I got animal crossing, and it was so annoying I generally played with my wire pro controller.

Anyway, in japan nintendo wont repair your joycon for free, and I believe in the states nintendo currently isn't doing it due to covid. So I bought a repair kit, and want to recommend it. I'm not affiliated with the seller, I'm just so impressed with how 'easy' it was and how good the results are.. It took me about 15 careful minutes and 2 videos that i could switch between for camera angles.

Im japan amazon, but and this kit is unavailable, but it looks like a few sellers do it. I'd recommend going for the kit with tools included as theres 2 diff screws.

https://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/product/B07QY6XZ5X?ref=ppx_pt2_dt_b_prod_image

and these are the vids:

https://www.google.com/search?q=replace+joycon+analog+stick&oq=replace+joycon+analogue+&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j0l6.8800j1j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#kpvalbx=_mguMXra5Ho6MoAS12rjgDw42

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtQlbHm6Nmg

My joycon is also drifting. I've switched to docked for now and playing with a GC controller, but don't have a TV here so playing on my monitor. It's a set up that certainly hurts my back.

I wish this covid stuff would end. I set up an entire gaming space with a TV I paid for myself at my partners house, but I've been stuck at my place with no room or money for such a thing since he lives an hour away.

My joycon is ALSO drifting left. Its become hard to play with it so much now. I have just been using my wireless Switch controller. I plan to get a new set of joycons asap. I prefer using the joycons when playing in handheld mode, but its just getting to bad. Character just always moving left and when in menus its making choices mess up. Annoying AF.

I actually have a vanilla switch, and I had one of the really bad joycons, I sent that in last november just beaucse I knew I wanted to play AC in handheld, I planned in advance lol.

It started drifting again! So even a repair didn't completely fix it. I got some electrical contact spray though and it seemed to fix it completely for now. So strange this lil' thing.

Unfortunately, a repair can't completely fix it - it's due to a design-flaw with the analogue sticks, whereby they scrape against what I understand is the plating on the inside of a small metal frame at the bottom of the stick, causing it to flake off. The flakes cause the sticks to misreport their position to the console - this is why contact-cleaner works as a temporary fix in some cases.

I'm not having issues with my Switch Lite (yet) and I've been trying to play New Horizons since launch, but I can't get into it. I think I'm going to sell my Switch and the few games I have, and focus on the many DS and 3DS games I actually enjoy. Nintendo has really disappointed me.

I'm just really playing the Switch for the first time (I've played some classic games and Mario Kart here and there), and yeah, I am noticing it has a drift. I had no idea. Some of the other buttons don't work as well, either. My partner bought it when it first came out to play Breath of the Wild, and so ours is old compared to the newer ones. I'm kinda kicking myself for not buying the AC console when I had a chance, but I thought I could do it later. Now everything is sold out.

Also,tapdancer, I would suggest giving New Horizons time. I did not like it at first, either, but I'm starting to finally hit a stride and I can't put it down. I think I really hated the crafting (didn't like Pocket Camp), but things are slowly starting to build up now. But I don't blame you. I loved ACNL so much and still think it's the best in the franchise.

PennyGwin THANK you for the explanation. Much appreciated.