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[RageWaffles]

Swapped out the sticks and cleaned a sticking R1 tonight. Very pleased with the results.

Bought three sets of sticks because I couldn't decide. Ended up using the aluminum ones; they feel great.

Edit: After a night of using the aluminum XB1-style sticks I can't really recommend them. They're not bad, but my thumbs slip around on them too much. Precise aiming with them is a pain in the ass. So, I swapped in the DS4-style ones and so far they're great. Hopefully they'll hold up better than the original sticks.

So are the issues resolved in the newer DS4s? Need a new pc controller and xbone/ds4s on sale on amazon for 39.99

Not in my experience. I have a blue DS4 that was bought in September. Its thumbsticks have worn down to total smoothness (but haven't torn, which is something), and it has an additional issue where it creates interference/static with my noise-cancelling earphones plugged in to it.

That said, $40 is a damn good price, and I'd jump on that in a second if I needed another controller. The DS4 is a great controller, and its issues are easily and cheaply resolved (just test your earphones with it before you can't return it).

 

[Baldwin_the_First]

Swapped out the sticks and cleaned a sticking R1 tonight. Very pleased with the results.

Bought three sets of sticks because I couldn't decide. Ended up using the aluminum ones; they feel great.



Not in my experience. I have a blue DS4 that was bought in September. Its thumbsticks have worn down to total smoothness (but haven't torn, which is something), and it has an additional issue where it creates interference/static with my noise-cancelling earphones plugged in to it.

That said, $40 is a damn good price, and I'd jump on that in a second if I needed another controller. The DS4 is a great controller, and its issues are easily and cheaply resolved (just test your earphones with it before you can't return it).

Are these more elevated than the regular PS4 sticks? I'm checking amazon.ca for some replacement sticks for my new controller and havn't decided if the deadzone of the xbox1 sticks is worth it.

 

[RageWaffles]

Are these more elevated than the regular PS4 sticks? I'm checking amazon.ca for some replacement sticks for my new controller and havn't decided if the deadzone of the xbox1 sticks is worth it.

I forgot to do a good comparison of the aluminum xb1 sticks to the others, but they seemed to be the same size as the plastic xb1 sticks. I took photo of a plastic xb1-style, a ds4-style, and an original ds4 stick. As you can see, the xb1 is slightly taller, but even the third-party ds4 stick is minutely taller than the original.

 

[Baldwin_the_First]

I forgot to do a good comparison of the aluminum xb1 sticks to the others, but they seemed to be the same size as the plastic xb1 sticks. I took photo of a plastic xb1-style, a ds4-style, and an original ds4 stick. As you can see, the xb1 is slightly taller, but even the third-party ds4 stick is minutely taller than the original.

Thank you for this! I'll be getting myself xb1 sticks the moment I see my new PS4 controller ones deteriorating.

 

[Alex_Mexico]

So are the issues resolved in the newer DS4s? Need a new pc controller and xbone/ds4s on sale on amazon for 39.99

Been wondering this as well. I'm hoping for a new batch of DS4s with better sticks myself before I buy any extra ones.

 

[Yoday]

Not in my experience. I have a blue DS4 that was bought in September. Its thumbsticks have worn down to total smoothness (but haven't torn, which is something), and it has an additional issue where it creates interference/static with my noise-cancelling earphones plugged in to it.

That said, $40 is a damn good price, and I'd jump on that in a second if I needed another controller. The DS4 is a great controller, and its issues are easily and cheaply resolved (just test your earphones with it before you can't return it).

The new sticks do definitely wear down, but how quickly is going to depend greatly on the person using them. I have had a blue controller since they came out in the US, and they had barely worn down at all by mid November after 100+ hours of use. My wife started to use the controller when Dragon Age came out, and after about ten hours of use she had worn them down to where they felt almost completely smooth. Like you said though, they haven't torn at all. My wife tore up the sticks on my launch controller in just a couple of hours, and now after she has used the newer sticks for 30+ hours there have been no tears or cuts in the material.

 

[Xander Crews]

Been wondering this as well. I'm hoping for a new batch of DS4s with better sticks myself before I buy any extra ones.

As far as I know, the old peeling sticks haven't been manufactured since around spring of this year.

 

[balohna]

So I bought a PS4 on black Friday and a blue controller. Both controllers are fine so far, but the rubber on the sticks does feel different. Worried my black one may eventually peel.

 

[UncleCross]

The new sticks do definitely wear down, but how quickly is going to depend greatly on the person using them. I have had a blue controller since they came out in the US, and they had barely worn down at all by mid November after 100+ hours of use. My wife started to use the controller when Dragon Age came out, and after about ten hours of use she had worn them down to where they felt almost completely smooth. Like you said though, they haven't torn at all. My wife tore up the sticks on my launch controller in just a couple of hours, and now after she has used the newer sticks for 30+ hours there have been no tears or cuts in the material.

Worn down in ten hours? Jesus. I have the original controller I got last November, use it almost daily and it barely looks worn at all.

 

[Xander Crews]

So, I think there have been at least 3 versions of Dual Shock 4 sticks now, and I recently found a good source to buy what I think are current improved OEM DS4 sticks.

The first version were the launch controllers with the sticks that peeled. These had fantastic grip, were soft, and felt like they had the texture of an eraser. The only downside is they wore down really quickly for some people. After mine peeled, I sent it in the Sony in June, who then sent me a replacement. The sticks had a harder rubber, but felt much more slippery than the launch controllers. It was noticeable enough that I was surprised more people didn't complain. I did see a few people, and one guy even mentioned how hard it was to play Entwined with these sticks, something I personally experienced (Entwined is a good game to test sticks with).

On a whim, I tried ordering replacement sticks from a few different eBay sellers just to see what they had. I had considered trying to find some of the original launch sticks since I liked them so much, and just replace them if they peeled. I decided to do this and try to "fix" the controller as designed instead of installing Xbox One sticks or other mods.

When you order from most of the Chinese vendors who sell replacements, you usually will get a stick that looks exactly like the original, but it will have virtually no grip. It's a cheap knock-off. I did, however, find one vendor that sells a variety of DS4 replacements, and they label one as "Original". I got a pair of these the other day in the mail, and they are different than both of the ones I have experience with mentioned above. They have a harder rubber similar to the revision I received from Sony in June, but they are much more grippy, similar to the originals I like. Sort of the best of both worlds. The stick look like they are OEM for sure, and seem like something Sony should be using. Im now seeing people praise the grips of newer controllers, so I wonder if these are the sticks actually on new controllers, and my replacement I got in June was some sort of "in-between" revision. Not sure, but this might explain why I see some people complain about the slippery sticks but most people do not.

Anyway, they great DS4 stick caper continues, but wanted to mention those sticks if anyone was interested. I'd be curious to know if these are ones actually used on new controller now.

This is the vendor I bought from. Make sure you get the ones they label as "Original".
http://www.ebay.com/itm/-/221485974439

 

[Grimsen]

This is the vendor I bought from. Make sure you get the ones they label as "Original".
http://www.ebay.com/itm/-/221485974439

Thanks for that. I ordered a pair from a different vendor that got decent reviews, I'm waiting for them now.

Before that I bought two sets of XBONE thumbsticks from different vendors, and I really dislike them.

They're like mini meat grinders for my thumbs. At first I thought it was because they were knockoffs, so I bought another pair from a GAF-recommended seller, but same shit.

I can't recommend those knockoff xbone thumbsticks to anyone, they're terrible in my opinion.

 

[Hazanko]

Just want to mention my launch controller developed that drift issue too. Was mainly a problem in infamous as character would twitch and move by itself. Oh and new controller has loose R2 button now. It moves side to side easily. Launch controller didn't have that issue.

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

This issue still isn't fixed? Put grips on mine (manufactured feb 2014), and it's peeling off underneath terribly bad, to the point where my grips slip off.

I want to get a replacement, but at the same time it looks like it's still not fixed.

horrible quality control from Sony on this.

 

[TheNAC]

Does GameStop accept trade ins for controllers with analog wear/tear? Did a search and couldn't find anything.

 

[Mr Git]

I've had my PS4 for a little over 2 weeks and the sticks are already peeling. Bit annoyed as I thought buying a later bundle would avoid this. Bought the Driveclub bundle.

 

[TheLegendOfMart]

Bought a Jet Blue one in January this year and mine have started to wear away noticeably now, 2 small chunks have come out of the right stick and I barely used it. Very disappointed.

Might have to get some stick toppers or replacements before they wear away completely.

 

[RedAssedApe]

My launch ones are notably worn down but not tearing yet. Bought a new ds4 with that Sears deal for $30.

Are these the new style thumbsticks (left) or are my old ones (right) just super worn. Can't remember exactly how they looked at launch.

 

[Tohsaka]

Both of the sticks on my launch DS4 have started to peel in the last month, I'll probably pick up a new one when it gets to be too bad.

 

[Gillian Seed]

Highly recommend the Kontrol Freak Alpha's!

 

[RedAssedApe]

Highly recommend the Kontrol Freak Alpha's!

I liked them for their grip but unfortunately I think they still make the sticks too tall for my small hands to feel comfortable. Went back to the old sticks after realizing that my hands would start feeling cramped due to stick height. Also noticed that my set of alphas were so tight that they would dig into the lip of the analog sticks. Probably a defect because the other set of control freeks I tried did not do this.

 

[On Demand]

I bought the black controller at bestbuy on black friday and the blue i had since september. As you can see on the right i noticed the box has the extra information about PSTV and PS Now. Same for the side where it says PSTV.

The reason why i'm guessing this is because the rubber on the black controller is much more thicker and you can easily see that the material used is different and more raised and rough looking.

Why wouldn't the blue controller have the new rubber? My guess again it has something to do with what Audioboxer said in this post-

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=140089021&postcount=317

Where the colored models were stopped being made to check the rubber. Maby i bought one of the last ones?

With that said, i don't know for a fact if the blue controller i have is one of the bad rubbers. But the difference between the black one is very obvious.

 

[Qwell]

I got a set of these and use the 2nd to lowest set (kind of looks like a 4 prong nuclear symbol) and really like them. My thumbsticks weren't tearing or anything, just getting worn down and slick (like the DS3 sticks got after a while). I'm not mad about it, I game heavily and wearing sticks happen with all the controllers, even my 360 controllers which use a much stiffer plastic / rubber I have worn down from use.

I did end up buying an urban camo DS4 during the best buy deal and it has been great. The urban camo one was just released a few months ago so I figured it would be a freshly produced batch, it doesn't seem too different from my 2nd OG DS4 though in terms of the amount of grip on it. But I don't have any issue with R2 or R1 (Destiny folks might know on OG DS4 the auto fire scout rifles would stop shooting when R2 was held, a lot of people thought it was a bug in game, but turns out it had to do with the pressure of R2, on OG DS4 you really have to make sure R2 is held down to the max)

 

[electric turd]

I am using geltabs on mine. The bigger problem I have is that its almost like Sony just cheaped out on the whole console/controller (compared to launch ps3) all together. The ps4 creaks when touched and the ds4 feels almost fragile to me. Aside from that I really like it so far.

 

[RedAssedApe]

I bought the black controller at bestbuy on black friday and the blue i had since september. As you can see on the right i noticed the box has the extra information about PSTV and PS Now. Same for the side where it says PSTV.

The reason why i'm guessing this is because the rubber on the black controller is much more thicker and you can easily see that the material used is different and more raised and rough looking.

Why wouldn't the blue controller have the new rubber? My guess again it has something to do with what Audioboxer said in this post-

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=140089021&postcount=317

Where the colored models were stopped being made to check the rubber. Maby i bought one of the last ones?

With that said, i don't know for a fact if the blue controller i have is one of the bad rubbers. But the difference between the black one is very obvious.

I didn't even notice that labeling on the package. But yeah I was at Target and all of black and blue controllers seemed to be the old smoother thumbsticks. The new ones you can see the pronounced grain through the plastic packaging.

 

[RedAssedApe]

yup the ones i have that have the grainier sticks list ps tv on the package

 

[Garrett Hawke]

My PS4 thumbsticks have been really worn and I want to get a replacement. I bought the console from GAME about 7 months ago - will I be able to just go into the store today and ask for a replacement? Has anyone else done that?

 

[Alcoholikaust]

got a new white ds4 yesterday at BB (Sears price match)and can confirm: they are using the more firm rubber in these now. not XB1 firm but a lot less rubbery than the launch ds4 sticks. thank goodness.

edit:had the "for ps4, Pstv and Psnow" text. guess just look for that

 

[Miguel81]

got a new white ds4 yesterday at BB (Sears price match)and can confirm: they are using the more firm rubber in these now. not XB1 firm but a lot less rubbery than the launch ds4 sticks. thank goodness.

edit:had the "for ps4, Pstv and Psnow" text. guess just look for that

I'd purchased one on Black Friday and it seems to have the newer stick material, but no PSTV or Now labeling box. Pondering whether I should exchange for one of those.

 

[Alcoholikaust]

I'd purchased one on Black Friday and it seems to have the newer stick material, but no PSTV or Now labeling box. Pondering whether I should exchange for one of those.

im sure they released some before the newer packaging was released-if its working out-I wouldnt exchange it- give it some time (it comes with a 90 day warranty from sony on the little manual thingy) if it seems worn by say jan15th you may have an issue- otherwise enjoy-you can notice the new material immediately

 

[Garrett Hawke]

Got mine replaced at GAME today after a lot of sass from the guy behind the till. Is there any way to check the one I have is the new model before openin the seal? I figure it would be easier to return if still sealed. Box doesnt mention PSTV.

 

[Lightning Count]

So far, I have not had any problems and I must have racked up a good 250 hours on my PS4.

 

[On Demand]

yup the ones i have that have the grainier sticks list ps tv on the package

Nice.

Anyone else please check the box so we can see if it's consistent.

 

[SystemUser]

I just checked. My launch DS4 box has no PSTV and the launch sticks are soft rubber. The two black friday DS4 boxes I have both have PSTV logo and both other those DS4s have the newer harder rubber.

 

[Marty-esque]

Bought a white ds4 on black Friday and it does show the PSTV compatibility on the box. The sticks do seem grainy but they feel like they will still get smooth with use. Also the right stick is more grainy than the left.

 

[The Scientist]

My right analog stick develops drift and increase dead zone when the battery is lower than 1/3 charge. After a charge it usually gets better, anyone have this?

 

[Oscar]

Modded my stock DS4 and black/grey camo one with XB1 sticks.

First mod I've ever done, easy as pie and well worth it. Can't go back to default sticks.

 

[AndrewDean84xX]

My left stick has a tear from about the 1 o'clock to 2 o'clock area. Showed up out of nowhere.

 

[Mr Git]

I took the controller back to GAME and they swapped it for one of the newer models without hassle. I did only get the console on the 28th of November so it was still within their 28 day returns time limit. Not sure whether they'd switch one which was older. Saved having to go through Sony and sending away my only controller, which is a bit of a godsend.

 

[Afrikan]

I now have two controllers that have messed up sticks... what are my options regarding Sony themselves?....besides opening it up myself.

edit- I have my PS4 warranted by Sony for 2 years....so I would think that one of the controllers should be under that warranty no?

 

[Synless]

My black launch ps4 sticks wore out after my family used them this passed week. I ordered some Xbox One sticks to see what that was all about and they work great. I also bought a camo controller for $25 (thanks sears) just in case. I bought a white dualshock the day it came out, should I worry about it?

 

[Melchiah]

I got a new DS4, and the material on the sticks feels harder, and it also seems like the battery life is better now. I've been having Dragon Age marathons, and I've rarily needed to charge it. Yesterday I played about eight hours with some short breaks inbetween, and the battery almost lasted until the end. Whereas the old one would have dried up about halfway through.

 

[Cyborg]

I still need to find same sticks (material and size) for X1 and DS4 . Bought a couple of them online but the material is fake and they are smaller.

 

[Synless]

I still need to find same sticks (material and size) for X1 and DS4 . Bought a couple of them online but the material is fake and they are smaller.

I bought these and they feel good:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IZSTNKW/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Or are these what your talking about?

 

[ironcreed]

Mine are still great after nearly 4 months. No squeaky triggers or anything. I have actually grown quite fond of the controller.

 

[Synless]

Mine are still great after nearly 4 months. No squeaky triggers or anything. I have actually grown quite fond of the controller.

I had one pair that lasted about a month and another that lasted 11 months. The one that lasted 11 months showed 0 signs of wear until last week after my family destroyed it. I mean fully textured to smooth and peeling in one week. I swear the oils in some people's hands destroy the rubber because I used that controller for months and it was perfect.

 

[ColonelWalrus]

Just giving my two cents, but I would recommend using the aluminum sticks for the dual shock 4. I Previously had xbox one sticks on my two controllers after the regular sticks got worn out, but switched one to aluminum after seeing a post on reddit.

Now it's the controller I use the most. It definitely takes some getting used to, especially if you've grown accustomed to Xbox sticks, but I think they do a good job of giving you control due to the concave- without sacrificing possible discomfort due to the Xbox sticks being slightly higher. I'm not saying the taller sticks are necessarily a pain to use, but I feel like the aluminum sticks fit the controller "better".

 

[vvise]

Bought three sets of sticks because I couldn't decide. Ended up using the aluminum ones; they feel great.

The look inspired me. I bought a rainbow of colours, going to go with 4 black DS4s but have each one with different sticks to easily differentiate them.

There's nothing even wrong with my current sticks either, lol.

 

[Xander Crews]

Nice.

Anyone else please check the box so we can see if it's consistent.

I got two new DS4s over Christmas:
-A black one in the new box referencing PS TV
-A white on is a box that doesn't mention PS TV.

Both controllers were virtually identical in design and feel. The sticks in both are MUCH improved over the replacement I received from Sony in June (sticks were very slippery). That controller replaced my launch DS4 which had the original soft, super grippy sticks that peeled.

 

[Auctopus]

Right, this is definitely down to how people play.

I've been playing with my controller since launch and have never had a problem, not even sign of the rubber wearing off.

Last weekend, I brought my controller over to a friend's for a get-together and we played some multiplayer games. Ended up switching controllers a few times and one of my friends had 5-10 minutes with the controller and I got it back with a slit/cut.

 

[Schrade]

Right, this is definitely down to how people play.

I've been playing with my controller since launch and have never had a problem, not even sign of the rubber wearing off.

Last weekend, I brought my controller over to a friend's for a get-together and we played some multiplayer games. Ended up switching controllers a few times and one of my friends had 5-10 minutes with the controller and I got it back with a slit/cut.

It's possible that the rubber can't handle long/unkempt fingernails and grubby fingers. Also, maybe the chemistry in some peoples' sweat could be causing the problem.

Not the fault of customers of course but maybe that's why it only happens to some people.