Stick drift is a very common problem with game controllers across all consoles, including Xbox, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, and even generic controllers. It’s an issue that has been around for a long time, but luckily, it’s easy to check for. Fixing it can be a bit more complicated, though, so before you think about repairing or replacing your Xbox controller because of possible drift, you should first make sure the problem is really there. Follow this guide to learn what to look for, how to test it, and some simple fixes you can try quite easily without a repair shop.
Takeaways:
- Learn how to check if your PS5 Controller has joystick drift issues.
- Drift can be caused by internal damage, accumulated dirt or connectivity issues.
- Sometimes a repair service can solve the problem, while in other cases replacing the controller is the only option.
Table of Contents
What Drift Means on a PS5 or PS4 Controller
Drift is the involuntary movement of one or both analog sticks. The controller sends movement signals even when you are not touching the joystick. This reduces accuracy and forces you to compensate constantly during gameplay. When it's bad enough, it can make playing certain games impossible as you are fighting the game and the controller for control over the situation.
Even though each console generation improves features like performance and loading times, drift continues to appear because of how the joystick mechanisms are built. On the DualSense controller, this problem can affect one or both joysticks and is especially noticeable in games where precision is essential.
What Causes PS5 and PS4 Controller Dift?
90% of the time, hardware issues cause stick drift from the Joysticks. When these components wear out or malfunction, they send incorrect voltage readings that the console interprets as movement. There are also instances of poor design that cause these issues, though dirt, dust, sweat or food residue and all sorts of other debris can enter the mechanism and interfere with the contacts, leading to blocked movement or inconsistent signals.
The easiest way to tell if you have a problem is to check if anything happens in the game when you aren't touching your controller. If your character stays still, you shouldn't have any issues. If weird things happen, you've got a problem!
How to Check for Stick Drift on a PS5 Controller
To check for PlayStation controller joystick drift, you will need to do the following:
- Open the Gamepad Tester tool in your browser.
- Connect the controller. You can use a USB cable or pair it through Bluetooth by pressing the PlayStation and Share buttons until the light flashes and the PC detects it.
- Press any button to activate detection. You should now see axes and buttons responding on screen.
- Move both joysticks slowly in circles and then release them.
- In a normal state, the axes return to a value near zero. If the readings stay at a non-zero value without touching the stick, the controller has drift.
Quick Way to Test PS5 Controller Drift on the Console
If you do not have access to a computer, you can still perform a basic check on your PS5, although you will not see numerical data.
- Open a game with a free-moving camera or a menu with a movable cursor.
- Move the character or cursor and then release the sticks.
- Watch to see whether the character camera or cursor keeps moving on its own.
If movement continues after releasing the stick, it may indicate drift. However, this method is less precise because other factors may cause similar behaviour.
How do you Fix PlayStation Controller Drift?
Unfortunately, this problem cannot always able to be fixed, and you may have to get a new controller. But before you go out and spend the money on a new one, it's worth trying a few known solutions, which you can find below.
How to Fix PS5 Controller Stick Drift | Dualsense Joystick Calibration
