Sony’s DualSense Controller Issues Spark Outrage Among PS5 Gamers

People who own PlayStation 5 consoles are finally having their say with the DualSense controllers. Sony had posted the very quick fix for the controllers that sometimes won’t respond: just press the reset button with a pin for five seconds. However, with responses from players, one gets a very different picture. It turns out that problems occur, ranging from stick drift to battery drain, all related to a major quality control issue on what should have been this “premium” $70 controller.

This solution is good enough for a certain few, but the big issue in the room? Stick Drift. Kindly readers, the comments speak of a graveyard of DualSense dreams. @JosephGotThat put forth a statement quite candidly: “How about the controllers that people buy and get stick drift the next 3 days? So much for an $80 premium price controller… You’re scamming people.” Another painful comment after the first one, with many more who proceeded to share experiences along the same lines. @TonyDak3 said his controller was fine one day, whereas the next day, it was completely broken.

And it’s also not just about stick drift. Battery draining is another sore spot. @SouthSideItal wondered why the controller lasts just under five hours, whereas @hk48 imagines that the reset trick could somehow work at curing battery draining fast. Spoiler alert—Never works! Even the USB-C ports look fishy now—@Link_SSZ says whenever plugged into the front port, the controller keeps shutting off.

Going further, @XxLittle_DemonX suggested a more extreme path, replacing the joystick with a Hall Effect sensor (allegedly a more durable alternative), while @RayderRyGuy has simply given up on the whole warranty process and swaps between malfunctioning controllers because apparently, Sony’s warranty replacements are, like… used controllers? Yikes.

The peculiar part? It’s not just a PlayStation thing. @FNBastet reminded that Xbox and even older PS4 used the exact same cheap joystick hardware, which goes bad too fast. So yeah, it’s a facedown scam for the whole industry, but still, the PS5 crowd is hitting hardest now.

More official Sony provisions gave further troubleshooting on the support page, including firmware updates and calibrations through the PC, but let’s be honest, if a $70 controller needs this much babysitting, it’s broken.” Now, players are stuck either buying new controllers or trying some risky DIY fixes.

At this point, could it be that waiting for the revamped DualSense (if Sony ever admits to having packed out a dud in the first place) might be the one’s ticket? Until then, keep that pin handy, for sure-you’d need it!