It seems that a breakdown of the DualSense driver for the PlayStation 5 has been reduced to several factors that contribute to the joystick drift problem.
First, a certain context: the PS5 was released a few months ago, but it didn’t seem to happen long before the players began to report stick drift problems. Now, Sony is facing a class action lawsuit related to the problem. Look at the technical functionality of the DualSense driver, the repair people at iFixed identified several issues that may contribute together to the problem. Interestingly, it seems like the biggest thing is that the potentiometers on the DualSense joysticks will inevitably fail.
iFixit identified the manufacturer of joystick modules in DualSense — and other drivers from various hardware manufacturers — as Alps Alpine’s Japanese electronics and components company. Citing the Alps specification sheet for joystick potentiometers, iFixit found that the company lists a lifespan of 2,000,000 cycles in its RKJXV series.
According to iFixit’s estimate, after measuring the driver interactions of one of their own engineers, this could mean that someone who plays for two hours a day can start experiencing problems in as little as 4 to 7 months, according to the game. However, iFixit noted that the potentiometers could fail before or after this window.
Wear of joystick potentiometers may not be the only problem contributing to drift. iFixit noted that plastic stretching, stress on the spring mechanism that helps center the joystick, and dirt accumulated with normal use can also contribute to the problem. In any case, the complicated process of tackling these problems, especially without welding tools, is a problem.
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Sony did not immediately return any request for comments on iFixit’s findings or the lawsuit related to its warranty agreements.
The PS5 DualSense controller-related class action lawsuit was filed last week in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. The main allegation in the complaint there is that Sony is and has been aware of the problem, specifically as a result of “thousands” of consumer complaints. It also aims at what it frames as an arduous customer service process and costs for consumers for which, according to reports, Sony will not reimburse them.
“Even for Drift repairs under warranty, customers have to pay to send the driver to a Sony repair center, a cost that varies depending on several factors, including the location and total weight of the package, and Sony will not reimburse customers for these shipping costs, ”the complaint states. “As a result of Sony’s unfair, misleading and / or fraudulent business practices, the owners of DualSense drivers, including the plaintiff, have suffered a verifiable loss, in fact, they have been harmed by Sony’s conduct.”