Sony PS5 DualSense Controller Drift – Class Action Investigation [Update: Lawsuit filed]

[RivalGT]

One of my late ds4 purchases has drift issues. I'm guessing this is related. My experience was the drift issues pretty much happen out of the box if not very soon after getting the new controller.

Hopefully Sony looks in to the issue, and actually does something about it. Just sending new controllers out isn't really a fix.

 

[MrFox]

What's strange about this to me is my ps4 controllers always worked fine, the entire time, and I played most the games that came out. My switch controllers all drift in and it's been half the amount of time, yet they say they are the same build? Weird

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The switch is worse because of it's smaller linear potentiometer, they will wear out sooner. That's why Nintendo was the first class action, it's obviously a frequent issue. The reason Microsoft had a class action was more because they sell an Elite controller with supposedly higher reliability and higher price, and then people found out it's the same joystick part as all the others. Now since Sony uses the same part as Microsoft, there is money to be made. Lawyers will make millions for themselves, and gamers will received a check for a dollar and fifty cents, about 8 years from now. I do have some hope there will be more reliable parts available at some point, and all three companies will be able to use them.

Also the wear specs of those pots indicates that anyone with a problem a month after buying them would be unrelated to pots wear, but a bad batch of pots.

We shouldn't ignore the possibility that the pots manufacturer (Alps make the joystick but probably source the pots) might have a worse quality today compared to 2013, or some changes happened to it, maybe they source it from another supplier.

 

[MeltedDreams]

I hope Sony have DualSense v2 at the time console stock improve next year.

 

[Lube Man]

DS 4 was my worst experience with quality ever. I had 4 faulty controller.

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Two of my Dualshock 4 died last week on the SAME DAY. :(

I suppose a bigger lawsuit for PS5's Adaptive triggers are coming soon; lawyers are all about making money, and none of this is for our benefit.

 

[Duxxy3]

I hope Sony have DualSense v2 at the time console stock improve next year.

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I would say there's a much higher chance of Sony making adjustments to the trigger mechanism than they are to swap out the analog modules. Maybe they could add a separate 3/5 year warranty specifically for the analog modules.

 

[ZeoVGM]

I keep randomly looking to the left in Destiny 2.

I never experienced drift with Joy-Cons and now I understand how big of a fucking issue it is.

 

[Ctrl Alt Del]

DS 4 was my worst experience with quality ever. I had 4 faulty controller.

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Yeah, I also had problems with my two DS4s. One of them never displayed stick drift, though, but it had trigger and face buttons issues.

 

[delete12345]

I hope Sony have DualSense v2 at the time console stock improve next year.

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If that happens then we would've had v2 for Joycons as well.

 

[Okii]

Sony also does what Nintendoes.

 

[VanDoughnut]

Mine seems fine but what's a good way to test for it? And what am I looking for?

 

[Teddie28]

This is why I hate games that make extensive use of R3 and L3. I feel like it only exacerbates the issue.

 

[reclaimerzzzzz]

Mine seems fine but what's a good way to test for it? And what am I looking for?

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You're fine if your two analog sticks are doing what you're expecting them to do. If you have to fight your sticks then you most likely have stick drift. One thing you can do is place your controller down and if the camera or character is moving in one direction without your input then you have stick drift.

 

[PLASTICA-MAN]

One of my late ds4 purchases has drift issues. I'm guessing this is related. My experience was the drift issues pretty much happen out of the box if not very soon after getting the new controller.

Hopefully Sony looks in to the issue, and actually does something about it. Just sending new controllers out isn't really a fix.

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All my 4 last DS4 V2 had drift issues and with different occasions. Actually, there isn't a month and sometimes a week where I couldn't find a report of such issue on reddit or other online forums. When I tried to fix one of my controllers, yes fix, because all of the controllers get such issues after 6 months exactly and starngely after the wararnty period ends (not strange at all since this is is an obvious case of planned obsolescence where it just starts being useless after the longest allowed warranty period which is 6 months so you can't get it replaced but instead you are forced to get a new one each time), the store told me you don't need to fix it it's a very common issue, just throw it and get a new one, trying to fix it will cost you the price of another controller.
But still, I wanted to fix it so I went to a repair center and I found dozens of DS4 controllers suffering from the same issue and being put into repair. The technician tried to fix mine twice, the first time he changed the PCB and it worked but after a day it started being messed up again so he changed the motherboard with a new one and later it still got the drifitng. It costed me the price of a new DS4 and withiiout fxing it, so each time after 6 months when the controllers gets ****ed, I get a new one instead. It's either in the program of the controller or the way it is built but it is certainly a planned problem timed to happen at at a planned time like what I have been told by many.

It seems it gets repeated in the DualSense but I am baffled why not a single lawsuit was filed agaisnt the DS4 when the issue was more common and widespread than on PS5.

Edit:

DS 4 was my worst experience with quality ever. I had 4 faulty controller.

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Yeah, I also had problems with my two DS4s. One of them never displayed stick drift, though, but it had trigger and face buttons issues.

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Wow, here you go. Other heavy casualties.

 

[VanDoughnut]

You're fine if your two analog sticks are doing what you're expecting them to do. If you have to fight your sticks then you most likely have stick drift. One thing you can do is place your controller down and if the camera or character is moving in one direction without your input then you have stick drift.

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Thanks!

 

[Thera]

When I tried to fix one of my controllers, yes fix, because all of the controllers get such issues after 6 months exactly and starngely after the wararnty period ends (not strange at all since this is is an obvious case of planned obsolescence where it just starts being useless after the longest allowed warranty period which is 6 months so you can't get it replaced but instead you are forced to get a new one each time)

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Warranty perdiod is 2 years in EU so I don't believed in planned obsolescence here. It's just cheap design for me. Exactly like the joystick rubber of DS4 v1.

 

[tyfon]

I'm surprised to see people say the DS4 is bad, I have 7 of them for various uses and they all still work without issues.
Granted they are the DS4 version 2 but still. I must have been mega lucky!
I had much less luck with the joy cons where I've sent 6 out of 8 in the house for drifting repair.

In any case the consumer protection laws here will make the shop responsible for replacing/fixing my DS4/5s not Sony, same with the joy cons.

 

[ray_caster]

For slight drift, many issues would be solved if console manufacturers would just allow users to configure dead zones in software.

 

[MykonosFan]

I got an email from these guys wanting to buy my controller...? Strange...

 

[Columbina]

I've honestly never heard of a PlayStation controller drift, but regardless I hope this helps future batches of controllers be of higher quality / Go through higher Quality Assurance and I'm sure V2 will iron out/improve everything that needs improving or fixing with current variant of Dualsense.

 

[Afrikan]

I got an email from these guys wanting to buy my controller...? Strange...

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Why wouldn't they just ask to represent you? 🤔

Are they like trying to buy evidence for their case? lol

 

[ManNR]

Just watched this video and it has really opened my eyes to the issues with joysticks in general and the PS5 sticks in specific.

You may be shocked with the estimate of lifespan for an average control stick.

I've dealt with JoyCon drift and have become pretty adept at replace the sticks myself. Still, something needs to be addressed here with the design of control sticks as games become more complex AND we put more hours into our games.

 

[MCD]

Just watched this video and it has really opened my eyes to the issues with joysticks in general and the PS5 sticks in specific.

You may be shocked with the estimate of lifespan for an average control stick.

I've dealt with JoyCon drift and have become pretty adept at replace the sticks myself. Still, something needs to be addressed here with the design of control sticks as games become more complex AND we put more hours into our games.

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This honestly deserves a new thread. Jesus christ even the $180 Elite controller is using the same shite sticks.

This is just depressing.

 

[sumo]

So it's confirmed the DualSense sticks aren't any worse than any previous PS or Xbox controller, unsurprising. Moving parts are always going to wear out, the only real solution I can see here is optical potentiometers with removable sticks to replace the spring but who knows how much that would cost.

 

[delete12345]

Just watched this video and it has really opened my eyes to the issues with joysticks in general and the PS5 sticks in specific.

You may be shocked with the estimate of lifespan for an average control stick.

I've dealt with JoyCon drift and have become pretty adept at replace the sticks myself. Still, something needs to be addressed here with the design of control sticks as games become more complex AND we put more hours into our games.

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Needs a new thread honestly. No one's going to watch this and know this.

Added threadmark.

 

[Twister]

So I've never had drift on any controllers. I've had 6 DualShock 4s, 8 joycons, never had any issues until now. My DualSense has begun drifting despite the fact that I haven't used it in months. Sony Support has been a nightmare to deal with. Is there something I can try to fix this myself?

 

[delete12345]

So I've never had drift on any controllers. I've had 6 DualShock 4s, 8 joycons, never had any issues until now. My DualSense has begun drifting despite the fact that I haven't used it in months. Sony Support has been a nightmare to deal with. Is there something I can try to fix this myself?

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This is something I don't know how you would do this. Just keep contacting customer support, and keep us in the loop, because there are a bunch of people who have similar issues.