PS5 DualSense teardown suggests multiple causes for joystick drift

Some gamers who’ve managed to get their hands on a shiny new PS5 are reportedly experiencing drift, where DualSense controllers register joystick movement without the player touching them. Teardown specialists iFixit found several possible causes, and highlighted the next-gen Sony controller’s similarities to those of Microsoft’s Xbox One and Nintendo’s Switch.

One possible reason is the internal potentiometers, which are used to measure position and which can wear down as you play. The springs that return your controller’s  joystick to its neutral position can also stretch, as can the plastic within the joystick. The accumulation of “grime, dust, moisture and other gunk” can also play a role.

The joystick module is similar to the one found in the PS4’s DualShock 4, Xbox One’s pad and Nintendo Switch Pro controller, according to iFixit.

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“While every console maker touts the uniqueness of their controllers, the joystick hardware underneath is not only dead simple, it’s almost universally the same — not just the same tech, but literally the same part,” the teardown site said in a release. 

“That company rates the hardware for a limited number of use cycles — which Sony and others are well aware of — that you can easily burn through in just a few months, if you play an average of a couple hours a day.”

Sony didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.