Cause of the PS5 controller’s joystick drift revealed by iFixit

A breakdown of the DualSense controller for the PlayStation 5 seems to have dropped several contributing factors to the joystick drive issue.

First, some context: the PS5 has been launched a few months ago, but it apparently did not take long before the players start reporting stick drive problems. Now Sony is facing a class action related to the problem. Dive into the technical features of the DualSense controller, and the repair staff at iFixit identified several issues that together may contribute to the problem. But interestingly, the biggest seems to be that the potentiometers in the DualSense joysticks will inevitably fail.

iFixit has identified the manufacturer of the joystick modules in the DualSense – and other controllers from various other hardware manufacturers – as the Japanese electronics and components company Alps Alpine. With reference to an Alps specification sheet for joystick potentiometers, iFixit found that the company has an operating life of 2,000,000 cycles on its RKJXV series.

According to iFixit’s estimates, after measuring the controller interactions of one of its own engineers, this could mean that someone who plays two hours a day could start experiencing problems in as little as 4 to 7 months, depending on the game. iFixit did notice that potentiometers before or after the window may fail.

Carrying the joystick potentiometers may not be the only problem that contributes to power. iFixit noted that the stretch of plastic, tension on the spring mechanism that helps center the joystick, and dirt that accumulates during normal use can also contribute to the problem. In any case, the complicated process of addressing these issues – especially without soldering tools – is a problem.

Sony did not immediately return a request for comment on iFixit’s findings or the lawsuit regarding its warranty agreements.

The lawsuit in the PS5’s DualSense controller lawsuit was filed last week in U.S. District Court in the Southern District of New York. The primary assertion in the complaint is that Sony is aware of the matter and is aware, namely as a result of ‘thousands’ of complaints from consumers. It is also aimed at what it describes as a difficult customer support process and costs for consumers for which Sony apparently does not compensate them.

‘Even for repairs that Drift guarantees, customers have to pay for sending the controller to a Sony repair center – a cost that varies depending on a number of factors, including the location and total weight of the package, and Sony does not reimburse customers for these shipping costs, ”reads the charge sheet. “As a result of Sony’s unfair, fraudulent and / or fraudulent business practices, owners of DualSense Controllers, including the plaintiff, have suffered a set loss, in fact, and have otherwise been harmed by Sony’s conduct.”