Sony’s DualSense Edge controller launches on January 26, 2023, the company’s response to the popular Xbox Elite controller and the aftermarket Scuf and Victrix devices. The Japanese tech giant knows tens of thousands of its customers head elsewhere when they want a controller to take their gaming skills to a competitive level. Sony wants to keep these customers in-house where it can make money from them; it’s simple business. Those potential customers want a state-of-the-art controller that does away with Sony’s problematic stick drift.
Reviewers and PlayStation 5 owners sang the praises of the DualSense controller after its launch in November 2020, and rightly so. The integrated voice coil actuators provide vibrotactile haptic feedback, while the analog triggers and their force feedback mechanism bring games alive in your hands. Astro’s Playroom did a fantastic job showcasing the new features, as did the PS5 launch exclusive Returnal. But, and it is a Kim Kardashian-sized but, the early DualSense controllers suffer from stick drift.
DualSense Controllers Plagued by Stick Drift
Stick drift is the bane of gamers’ lives. The term describes a controller moving by itself like you are moving one of the analog sticks, even though it is in a neutral position. Almost everyone who has used a controller for an extended period has had one of the analog sticks suffer from stick drift. Sometimes, the drift is more annoying than anything else. Sometimes, it is so severe it makes playing games all but impossible, particularly first-person shooters where frequent, tiny adjustments are required. Although Sony will fix drifting controllers of a certain age, most people are left needing to purchase a new one, and they don’t come cheap. It’s essentially down to luck whether or not your unit suffers from stick drift; if you’re going to use luck, do so by claiming the best bonus betting sites offers, as it is probably more worthwhile.
Back in February 2021, iFixit.com posted a DualSense teardown video highlighting some of the components prone to stick drift. Shockingly, the video creator delved into the various parts and revealed the parts controlling the DualSense’s movement have an operating life of 2,000,000 cycles. That seems like a large number, but in practical terms, it means the average Call of Duty player will reach the end of the joystick’s operating life within 400 hours. This writer is on his third controller since launch, and he played 921 hours of PS5 games across 2022.
Upgraded DualSense and the DualSense Edge
PlayStation has already launched an upgraded DualSense controller and has done so stealthily. Original units have an FCC ID ending in the number one, while the newer controllers, which have subtle improvements, end in the letter A. Sony has likely done this because it knows there is an issue with the DualSense controller and the fact there is an ongoing lawsuit in the United States regarding the matter.
Now we have the DualSense Edge, which comes with a whopping price tag of $199.99/£209.99. You would hope Sony has done everything in its power to ensure this elite-level controller has upgraded, sturdy, and long-lasting components. If that is what Sony has done, why is it possible to purchase replacement stick modules for the new controller? Hopefully, the new Edge controller’s sticks will last longer than 2,000,000 cycles, but at least they can be replaced if not, unlike the unserviceable default controllers. Does the new DualSense Edge spell the end of stick drift? Almost certainly not, but at least you can swap out the faulty stick for a new one. That’s a start.