• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Is Sony going to ever fix the quality control with their controllers?

Trogdor1123

Gold Member
Never had an issue with a controller on ps1, ps2, ps3, ps4, ps5, Xbox 360, Xbox 1, or Xbox ones on pc.

Same thing with Nintendo controllers.

I don’t think any of them have qc issues.
 
I believed you until this part. That's not stick drift.
That's not a controller problem, its whatever you have it plugged into.
The left stick of my ds4 can't do diagonal inputs anymore but drifts up when pushing the left trigger.
I believe anything anyone tells about their controllers.
The DS3 seems to be Sony's last good sturdy controller. Move too but those have no stick anyway and shouldn't malfunction as easy.
 

Mowcno

Member
"Did I just get some bad luck or is this a problem with most of their controllers?" Yes most of their controllers are completely broken out of the box. You should have bought multiple just in case.
 
I'll be attempting a tear down and cleaning of my 2 year old console PS5 controller (maybe 150 hours of use). The right thumbstick makes the camera/character spin dizzingly to the left

Looked online and found a trick to push down and rotate counter/clock for a few minutes, and that worked for a bit, but went right back to spinning.

My launch Ps4 controller had the bad thumbstick plastic that fell apart, but there is no spin or other issues to this day ( I also have older console controllers with no spin issues. This is the first time I really dealt with it.

I'm torn, though, because I would want a 12-hour Controller, but there still is no word on the V2 version. I also have concerns with the Portal if those sticks start to wildy drift. I saw a video that they are easier to change, but it's they should last longer than they do.
I did that with my DualShock 4 and it did nothing, there's also a recalibrate analog button hidden in the back of the controller, you have to push it in woth a toothpick. That did also nothing in my case. So yeah.

Ain't gonna try it with DualSense too if I get stick drift- since there's 99% chance it will not help at all, I will just put hall effect joysticks. And test those.
 
Last edited:

STARSBarry

Gold Member
God if you think Sony's QA sucks, you should try the Elite or Elite 2 controller by Microsoft. Its like the launch Xbox 360 of controllers, and you can't even wrap it in a towl to fix it.

I just don't get how xbox can release a premium controller twice that breaks in the exact same way twice, I went through 3 Elite 1's and just binned it in the end. My Edge has already lasted longer than any of them, I use a regular xbox controller for PC, I don't get why they can nail those but not the Elite.
 
Last edited:
God if you think Sony's QA sucks, you should try the Elite or Elite 2 controller by Microsoft. Its like the launch Xbox 360 of controllers, and you can't even wrap it in a towl to fix it.

I just don't get how xbox can release a premium controller twice that breaks in the exact same way twice, I went through 3 Elite 1's and just binned it in the end. My Edge has already lasted longer than any of them, I use a regular xbox controller for PC, I don't get why they can nail those but not the Elite.
I'm 100% sure it's QA at analog stick manufacturer at fault now, the more stuff I'm reading. Probably a combination of QA and cost cutting. Something has to be done in this space. I'm curious if we get Gulikit modules in DualSense 2 or something for PS6. It's patented so it depends if they can strike a good deal.

Sony probably just does QA on modules they get and if they work within a specified range, they pass. But breakage during usage in a short ammount of time, that's on QA or cost cutting or culmination of both by the manufaturer of said modules.

If I were Sony or MS and I would get a lot of warranty calls for controllers because of analog modules, I personally would look for a new supplier with nextgen console next time.

But as always it's all about the money. If someone offers them a deal for a few cents they will get those instead. I would love to be wrong though.

For example my friends PSX DualShock with analog sticks is still going strong. So yeah, cost cutting it is.
 
Last edited:

Panajev2001a

GAF's Pleasant Genius
  1. Yes, exchange it. That's how you deal with this. How is starting a here thread going to help you?
  2. You assume because you bought one apparently defective controller, there is a QC issue with the entire product line?
  3. I've bought 3 Dualsense controllers and they're all great. Why does Sony have such great QC for their controllers?
Come on, man.
D-Pad quality is a step down compared to PS4. This needs to be called out.
 

Bojji

Member
I had more problems with Xbox controllers, Xbox one controller is just shit (I loved 360 controller) and series controllers are great but I hate how fucking noisy they are, at night I have to switch to DS to not wake up my woman.

I have zero problems with DS since 2021.
 

Skifi28

Member
I've often had issues with drifting, but thankfully I've always managed to fix it myself without any costs. Still using a dualsense from launch as well as a DS4 from 2017. I've repaired each about 3-4 times, but hey, they work!
 

The Shepard

Member


I had 2 stick drifting ps5 pads and this fixed it on both. The one returned about 8 months later, done it again and it's still good today.
 

MonkD

Member
  1. Yes, exchange it. That's how you deal with this. How is starting a here thread going to help you?
  2. You assume because you bought one apparently defective controller, there is a QC issue with the entire product line?
  3. I've bought 3 Dualsense controllers and they're all great. Why does Sony have such great QC for their controllers?
Come on, man.
I have 5 controllers and 3 of them have drift issues.
 

alienator

Member
in my 38 years of gaming i never had a controller get drift, im still using old dual shocks on my ps1 and 2, my launch ps3 controller still works perfectly, i own 2 ps4 controllers and 3 dualsense controllers, i make 100's of hours on gaming on these old systems every year, my ps5 gets a weekly workout with many games and i never got any stickdrift. what on earth are u doing to your controllers? Dont want to wave the problem away because its real and it exists, but im starting to feel left out of the stickdrift club.
 

Audiophile

Gold Member
What they need is...

...

...

"Quality Controllers"

tenor.gif
 

Jesb

Member
Haven't bought a PS5 yet. Is the controller battery life as shitty as the DS4?
Maybe the console is draining these batteries quick? I use my ps4 controller right now on gfn and did an 8 hour session and it’s still going on that charge.
 
Last edited:

buenoblue

Member
how u ppl manage to break em ? too much CoD or BF ? :D i still have 2 day1 controllers and works fine ^^
Putting in them hours lol. I do play rocket league quite a bit and PS5 is my main platform. My 2 first controllers have drift, One left stick the other one right stick. Both controllers had broken springs on the right trigger too but I replaced those.

I did knock the first controller off the couch to a hard wood floor but it's only about 15 inches. I pretty much babied my second controller but after a year still got severe drift.
 

Aenima

Member
Haven't bought a PS5 yet. Is the controller battery life as shitty as the DS4?
Slightly better, compared to my DS4, my Dualsenses last 2 hours longer. Battery life will always depend on how much of the controller feautures the game uses, with how frequent it uses it and the settings you defined for your controller.

Buy a charging station so you dock charge your controller every time you are not using it, and you dont have to worry with battery. I bought a second DS thiking i was going to run out of juice and need to switch controllers, but in my gaming sessions i just end up using 1 controller cuz its always fully charged when i pick it up and i dont play long enough to completly drain the battery.
 
Last edited:
They have no incentive to do that as they make tons of revenue from selling dualsense controllers (most people don't bother fixing controllers with stick drift and instead they buy new ones). Just check the monthly NPD/Circana reports, the dualsense is always number 1 in the accessory charts.
 
Last edited:

Jakk

Member
in my 38 years of gaming i never had a controller get drift, im still using old dual shocks on my ps1 and 2, my launch ps3 controller still works perfectly, i own 2 ps4 controllers and 3 dualsense controllers, i make 100's of hours on gaming on these old systems every year, my ps5 gets a weekly workout with many games and i never got any stickdrift. what on earth are u doing to your controllers? Dont want to wave the problem away because its real and it exists, but im starting to feel left out of the stickdrift club.
Do you play competetive games like Rocket League, NHL, FIFA, CoD?
 

Aenima

Member


I had 2 stick drifting ps5 pads and this fixed it on both. The one returned about 8 months later, done it again and it's still good today.

The controller that came with the console started drifting after a year and blowing up on the thumbsticks fixed the drift for me every time untill around the 2nd year where i think the drift became permanent and i think it can only be fixed by replacing the module. My second controller that i bought also at launch, still hasent shown any signs of drift.
 
Last edited:

The Shepard

Member
The controller that came with the console started drifting after a year and blowing up on the thumbsticks fixed the drift for me every time untill around the 2nd year where i think the drift became permanent and i think it can only be fixed by replacing the module. My second controller that i bought also at launch, still hasent shown any signs of drift.

The last part where you press the sticks in and turn them is the bit that works for me, didn't even bother blowing in them the second time. I did this originally 2 years ago and my pads are still working now with no drift. Both controllers are launch controllers to.
 
Last edited:

Aenima

Member
The last part where you press the sticks in and turn them is the bit that works for me, didn't even bother blowing in them the second time. I did this originally 2 years ago and my pads are still working now with no drift. Both controllers are launch controllers to.
Gotta try that in my OG controller to see if changes anything.
 

Jigsaah

Gold Member
I use a 6 year old Dual Shock 4 for Tekken 8 and other fighting games on PC. IF it ain't broke, don't fix it. Never had a problem
 

GHG

Member
Have 3 dualsense controllers, never had an issue with any of them. By this stage the rubber on my PS4 controllers were rubbing off.

One bad example does not indicate a "quality control issue".

They have no incentive to do that as they make tons of revenue from selling dualsense controllers (most people don't bother fixing controllers with stick drift and instead they buy new ones). Just check the monthly NPD/Circana reports, the dualsense is always number 1 in the accessory charts.

That's because they are selling the most consoles and most people will buy an extra controller or two.

That and the fact that it's rocketing in popularity on PC of late.
 
Last edited:
This is one of the main reasons I am not really feeling left out of the curren-gen by not having a PS5, and just being satisfied with my Series X, Steam Deck and Switch. I constantly hear how terrible the Dual Sense is, and between that and how incredibly ugly the console design is, I'm just in wait-and-see mode maybe with a possible PS5 Slim in 2025 or later, with a much bigger SSD.

And honestly there still hasn't been that *big* first-party amazing AAA game from Sony yet that makes me want to go out there and buy in yet. For all the big third-party games and back compat, I'm fully satisfied with my Series X, and honestly it's like the best controller I have ever played with. If it ever happens, Ghost of Tsushima 2 might entice me to buy in, or maybe a full-on Bloodborne remaster and promise of a Bloodborne 2.
 
Last edited:

Aenima

Member
The last part where you press the sticks in and turn them is the bit that works for me, didn't even bother blowing in them the second time. I did this originally 2 years ago and my pads are still working now with no drift. Both controllers are launch controllers to.
Bruh, I think that method fixed the permanent drift from my OG controller lol.
I test the drift using GT7 patch notes. If the mouse pointer moves, then thers drift in the left stick and if the text scrolls up or down thers drift in the right stick. This controller had drift in both sticks, more severe in the left stick. Now after that thumbstick yoga workout, thers no drift in any of the sticks. Gonna play a bit with it to see if it comes back or not.
 

Fbh

Member
I guess I've been lucky these last 2 gens.
Never had an issue with a Dualshock 4 and my only Dualsense still works flawlessly. Hell even my (near) launch joycons are still usable, they only have a slight drift and it's not constant.

That said I think Sony/Nintendo/MS don't really feel any big pressure to improve their controller quality. They all have their issues and for the vast majority of people controller build quality just doesn't seem to be a major factor when deciding which system to get.
 

Jakk

Member
no just walking sims, why?

all bad jokes aside, mainly racers and arcade / fighting games, so they get a good workout i can assure u.
I would say the games I mentioned put much more stress on the sticks than racers/fighting games. Mainly the left stick. I think almost every DS4 and Dualsense I had started stick drifting at least a little after a year or so of playing NHL competetively.
 

llLeonhart

Member
Still using my Day 1 Dualsense with no issues. Shit luck unfortunately & you should try to return it.
I think you might be just very lucky. I've owned 4 Dualsenses (1 came with console, 1 is the Edge) All of them presented drift issues eventually. The edge luckly has replaceable analogs, And I've even managed to fix one of the controllers by opening it up and using WD40 on it.

I just hope Sony and MS adopt the Hall Effect analogs sooner rather than later.
 
Last edited:

Roxkis_ii

Member
My Ds4 controllers lasted me half the life of my Ps4 before I had to replace them for drift issues.

I've had my ps5 since Feb 2021 and I'm 6 controls deep. Three for me and 3 for my wife.
We treat our controls really well and neither of us are heavy handed or use any thrid party accessories.

I'm starting to think it was engineer this way on purpose. The dualsence 5 isn't the best selling controler for no reason.
 

SkylineRKR

Member
My launch dualsense has stick drift since a week or 2. It seems the no tools solution only seem to work temporarily. So I probably need to open it up, or buy a new one down the line.

With PS4 I essentially never had it. But on that controller the coating would tear off like a few months after the system launch. Didn't happen with the revision.
 

Bond007

Member
Out of the 6-7 PS5 controllers to come into my house- across 4 consoles. Only one launch controller suffered drift after numerous years.
They been solid for me. But also dont treat my controllers like a monster.

Additionally, factory defects do happen. Just return and exchange
 
I truly wonder what some of you do to your controllers. I get part of this is maybe a little luck, but I havent had a defective controller in years, between multiple consoles. The only thing I can remember was the launch of the dualshock4, the rubber on the thumbsticks was ass and would peel after a couple months. But even that wasn't the biggest of deal as you could just buy some 99 cent thumb grips.
 

Sushi_Combo

Member
I think you might be just very lucky. I've owned 4 Dualsenses (1 came with console, 1 is the Edge) All of them presented drift issues eventually. The edge luckly has replaceable analogs, And I've even managed to fix one of the controllers by opening it up and using WD40 on it.

I just hope Sony and MS adopt the Hall Effect analogs sooner rather than later.
Got a 2nd controller as well with zero issues. The only gripe I have is how shit the battery life is on these things.
 

llLeonhart

Member
Got a 2nd controller as well with zero issues. The only gripe I have is how shit the battery life is on these things.
Curious, I play a lot. like 20+ hours a week.. How much do you play?

Or maybe could be a region thing? They send all their shitty ass controlers to 3rd World Countries or something?
 

Imtjnotu

Member
I’ll chalk this up to very bad luck. Atleast try and give it another chance. Is there any model # to look for or a certain colour that has a different model# than the others or are they all basically the same? If it matter I bought the one that’s all black.
Nah chalk this up to user error
 

FrankWza

Member
Drift is a product of the stick manufacturers. Has nothing to do with Nintendo, Sony or Microsoft.
Got a 2nd controller as well with zero issues. The only gripe I have is how shit the battery life is on these things.
If you're using a standard DualSense do a battery upgrade. There are batteries that last 15-20 hours with full haptics. It's really simple and takes about 10 minutes
 
Last edited:

Quantum253

Member
I did that with my DualShock 4 and it did nothing, there's also a recalibrate analog button hidden in the back of the controller, you have to push it in woth a toothpick. That did also nothing in my case. So yeah.

Ain't gonna try it with DualSense too if I get stick drift- since there's 99% chance it will not help at all, I will just put hall effect joysticks. And test those.
I've heard of the Hall effects ( I think they are magnetic sensors). I'd have to pick up some soldering equipment to remove. I'll probably end up picking up a black or red controller and then try to experiment on the one with issues. I wanted to make the PS5 Black and Red themed anyway. If I can successfully fix the non-functioning controller, I might go ahead and purchase joystick replacements to replace any further controllers I get
 
Still waiting for my launch DualSense to start stick drifting (two years), bought a black DualSense one year ago and it still has no drift.

I will put in hall effect joysticks when the time finally comes. Since warranty for controllers is only 1 year. And they are finally here, on the market here in Poland. Lots of shops here repair controllers with those lately for a friction of a price of a new controller. Not dropping a dime on a new controllers with the stuff I am reading.

And Edge controller is too expensive.

That being said. You should exchange yours, and if you will get another faulty controller, exchange it also- that's what warranty is for.

I bet I could go the the shop I bought my black controller too and try to RMA it, even past Sony 1 year warranty, since in Poland by consumer rights all of the products bought privately and not on company invovce have 2 years warranty.

But this would fall on the shop, not Sony to exchange it or repair it.

But I am already keen on hall effect joysticks so much, I will just pay $30 to $38 per controller and be done with it.

Since apparently they don't get stick drift ever, it's on magnets so no parts rub against each other like in regular analog stick - so in theory they don't get stick drift like ever.

Dunno if there's any grease or oil in those, but if it's on magnets than probably not.

I feel a bit of deadzone on my current DualSense controllers and I hear oils just slosh about in the analog sticks.

Curious if I will get those on hall effect joysticks or not. I think not, no rub, no oil or grease, no slosh, no deadzone but that's just my common sense thought process.

Anyways it's worth testing out in the near future.
Who makes hall effect sticks for them?

I've opened mine up before for battery purposes, is it easy to install the new sticks?
 
Top Bottom