A PlayStation 5 gamer is claiming that their DualSense 5 controller spontaneously caught on fire. Consoles throughout the years have dealt with all manner of technical problems. The Xbox 360 was well known to overheat, causing the infamous Red Ring of Death. The PlayStation 2 had disc-reading error issues. Controllers catching on fire, however, is an extreme that's thankfully rare, if it's ever happened at all. This PS5 controller has undeniably caught flame, however.
It's not impossible for a controller to theoretically catch on fire, PS5 DualSense or otherwise. Every controller contains multiple components that could create a spark or overload. And wireless controllers like the DualSense contain lithium batteries that aren't immune to catching fire or even exploding in very specific circumstances. With that said, there's no known evidence of a PS5 controller catching fire before, regardless of the possibility.
The evidence of Reddit user havla1312's PS5 controller having caught fire is clear. Several photos were shared that show the PS5 DualSense controller melting from its bottom end. havla1312 notably mentions that the fire started when she set the controller down after turning on her PS5 and that it was unplugged at the time. It was sitting on a glass table and "one minute later" it started burning. There was nothing nearby that could potentially light a fire.
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The burn marks, unfortunately, do not clearly show where the fire originated from. The photos only show melted plastic on the outer part of the controller, though the first could have started internally. The only components in this area of the controller, however, include the charging port for the DualSense Charging Station and internal connectors attaching microphones to the controller's motherboard. There doesn't appear to be any damage to the DualSense's battery, which makes the situation all the stranger.
It's also possible that the burnt controller was faked. Holding a lighter to the bottom of the controller would likely create a very similar result, for example. And it's difficult to believe a fire would start from this area of the controller without a direct electrical connection or more evidence of a battery issue. There's also the possibility of an outside cause for the fire, like a magnifying glass through a glass table.
havla1312 says that she'll try to contact Sony regarding a replacement for the controller. Hopefully, Sony will accept if only to see if there's a more serious issue with the PS5's DualSense that needs to be addressed. It's not like havla1312 will be able to use the controller, anyway. Even if it's a genuine issue with the controller, there's no evidence that this is an issue any other PS5 users need to worry about at this time.