A popular YouTube channel may have just figured out what is going wrong with many players' DualSense controllers and causing drift. If correct, the source of the drift is an alarming development - not just for PlayStation 5 owners, but for anyone with a modern console and controller.
One of the biggest selling points of the PlayStation 5 is the DualSense controller, which promises to provide unparalleled haptic feedback. New PS5 owners are able to see these haptic capabilities in action straight away, without even needing to buy any games. The PS5 comes pre-installed with Astro's Playroom, a short platformer with a focus on haptic feedback. Unfortunately, players' enjoyment has been hampered by reports that the controller will eventually provide a slight input even when nothing is pressed.
YouTube channel iFixit took apart a DualSense controller to see why so many PS5 owners complain about drift. One culprit seems to be the potentiometers, which determine the direction and intensity of the joystick's displacement from rest. They do so by reading voltage at different points between two terminals, using a third terminal known as a "wiper." Unfortunately, over time, the wiper's movement eventually wears down the path between the two end terminals, resulting in erroneous readings. Another culprit may be the spring mechanism that returns the joystick to a default position at rest. Over time this mechanism gets stretched, meaning the joystick will tilt slightly at rest.
The most surprising part of the teardown is that the DualSense shares its joystick technology with controllers released by Nintendo and Microsoft. The joystick hardware shared by the consoles is listed as having a lifetime of approximately two million movements, and about half a million clicks. With rigorous gaming, this can give controllers a lifespan of under 500 hours. This impacts many beyond PS5 owners; for example, players may not be able to bypass the infamous Nintendo Joy-Con drift issue by using the Nintendo Switch's Pro Controller.
Unfortunately, the high failure rate of the DualSense's components leaves owners with a difficult choice: repair the hardware manually, live with the problem, or buy a new controller. As manual repairs involve high-precision techniques, many will find this option too daunting. Many games will simply be unplayable with a drifting controller, as simple movement becomes a struggle. The end result is that many players will likely dispose of the controllers. Even though the PS5 features environmentally sustainable packaging, it accomplishes little if DualSense controllers are regularly thrown out and replaced.
This issue may be frustrating for current PS5 owners, but it could be even more frustrating for the millions of gamers trying desperately to get their hands on a PS5. Many suffered through the chaotic PS5 pre-order process without a console to show for it, and whenever they eventually obtain the console, they will have to worry about controller drift. Hopefully Sony will revise future iterations of the DualSense to make it easier for joysticks to be replaced, but until then, frustration is likely inevitable.