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Update: A US law firm says it's "investigating a potential class action based on reports that Sony PS5 DualSense controllers for the PlayStation 5 console can experience drift issues and/or fail prematurely."
Chimicles Schwartz Kriner & Donaldson-Smith LLP, a specialist in class action suits, is asking for information from players who claim to have experienced controller drift. A contact form on the firm's website asks respondents when they first noticed the issue, and whether they'd had assistance from Sony. While the answers could eventually lead to a class action suit against the console manufacturer, it's important to note that this is only the first stage of the process, and there's every chance that the firm will decide not to proceed with the suit.
As reported by Kotaku, players suffering from stick drift have been taking to social media to document their findings. One Immortals: Fenyx Rising player showed their camera rotating slowly around their character at the centre of the screen, while a Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War player recorded their crosshair drifting to the left during a match. Both players make clear that they're not actually touching the relevant analogue stick.
When it comes to fixing the issue, players are also having trouble. The PlayStation support website has its own portal for dealing with DualSense hardware issues, which Kotaku says will eventually direct you to a period on hold with customer services. The good news is that the controller is covered under warranty, but the bad news is that you'll need to send it back to Sony for repair (paying out of your own pocket for shipping).
The DualSense's issues seem quite severe for those unlucky enough to be suffering from it, but drifting issues are nothing new. The Nintendo Switch's controversial 'Joy-Con Drift' is well-documented, and has been the source of a number of class-action lawsuits filed against the console manufacturer. Whether Sony's issue ends up being that widespread remains to be seen, but you might want to keep an eye out for wayward controllers in the future.
Too busy trying to find a console to worry about controller drift? Here's where to buy a PS5.
