How to Fix Stick Drift for a PlayStation Dualsense Controller V1

Written By: Yadsari

Comments: 22

How to Fix Stick Drift for a PlayStation Dualsense Controller V1

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

Time Required

40 minutes

Introduction

Use this guide when your PlayStation Dual Sense V1 Controller experiences stick drift. Stick drift is when an in-game character or object makes an involuntary move on the screen even when the joysticks are not moved. This can disrupt games and cause frustration for users.

For more information on what causes stick drift in PlayStation Dual Sense V1 Controllers, read this tech news article that discusses the causes.

Note that this guide details only how to fix stick drift for the PlayStation Dual Sense V1 Controller for PlayStation 5. This is not to be confused with the Dualshock 4 Controller for PlayStation 4.

Before starting, make sure that your controller is powered off completely.

This guide will give instructions to users on how to properly access the inside of their controller. This is used to locate the areas of the joysticks that are covered and use 99.8% isopropyl alcohol to clean around these dirty areas. The alcohol works to break down any materials that are causing the joysticks to make unwanted movements.

This guide does not instruct users on how to fix other issues that cause stick drift such as internal issues and broken joysticks. For other information on repairs that may potentially fix stick drift in your Dual Sense V1 Controller, see the DualSense Controller V1 Repair and DualSense Joystick Replacement pages.

Tools

Step 1

Insert an opening tool into the bottom right corner of the controller.
Lift upwards with the opening tool.
Continue using the opening tool to pry up the inner sides of the black rim.
Repeat on the opposite side.

Step 2

Lift the black cover upwards to remove.

When reassembling, pull both joysticks downward, to get the 2 top prongs in first.

Brandon Ward -

Step 3

Insert the opening tool below the L1 button and pry the button away from the controller.

Step 4

Insert the opening tool below the R1 button and pry the button away from the controller.

Step 5

Detach the two middle clips using the opening tool or your fingers.

These are "snitches" - meant to be damaged by the ham-fisted to deny warranties. A note to recheck these halfway through Step 8 would be good

Brandon Ward -

Step 6

Remove the top right and left 6.4 mm screws using a Phillips #00 screwdriver.

Step 7

Remove the bottom right and left 6.4 mm screws using a Phillips #00 screwdriver.

Step 8

Insert the opening tool in between the sides to open the case.

2 more "snitches" at the top of the first photo. Tiny little snaps 1/4" down from the L1/R1 buttons. There must be a VERY specific way to pry these without breaking them, opening like a clam as shown in Step 9 definitely breaks them.

Brandon Ward -

They're useless, and won't affect anything but your warranty.

Brandon Ward -

Exactly, it's difficult to locate the strong ones. I was trying from diffrent angles eventually it let go

Olek Osikowicz -

Step 9

With both hands, pull apart the white bottom case to remove.

Step 10

Using a pair of tweezers or your fingers, disconnect the battery from the motherboard.

Word of caution, using tweezers like the one similar in the picture and one that I own from iFixit with the metal tips and ESD safe printed on it. I was using the tweezers to disconnect the battery, and I saw a spark quickly appear and disappear when I was attempting to disconnect it.

Needless to say, when I assembled it back together, it didn't turn on because the battery short circuit. I bought a similar replacement battery online and it worked once again.

My recommendation would be to use a type of all plastic tweezers to remove the battery portion, so you don't short circuit the battery.

Dave -

Step 11

Use tweezers or your fingers to pull the orange ribbon.
Remove the 6.4 mm screw using a Phillips #00 screwdriver.
Lift the battery bracket.

Step 12

Use tweezers or your fingers to detach the four ribbons from the motherboard.

Be ultra careful with this. The pins underneath the the right connect are extremely thin, like hairs. It is all too easy to completely demolish them with just a modest amount of pressure.

Giorgio -

Step 13

Guide the joysticks through the front case and lift the motherboard.

There are two plastic clips near the triggers, holding down the motherboard.

Quinten.exe -

Step 14

Remove the joystick covers by pulling straight off.

Step 15

Use the opening tool to snap open the green tabs.

Metal pry knife is better for this step, once you've done one with the plastic pry, and see/feel how it works. The green "tabs" aren't on hinges, you're bending the tabs soldered to the mobo.

Be ready for the first wiper disc to go flying.

Brandon Ward - 19/09/24

Step 16

Use tweezers to remove the wiper disks.

Step 17

Using a cotton tip with 99.8% isopropyl alcohol, clean around the black rims of the green tabs and the wiper disks.

Whats thats small gray piece in the middle

Einstein jr -

I imagine its linked to the touchpad functionality...

Ed Greenwood -

Conclusion

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.

Author

Yadsari

Member since: 01/11/23

1026 Reputation

11 comments

Just cleaning the carbon track on the potentiometer is not really a long term fix for stick drift. Better fixes would be to either replace the photometers or to replace the complete stick with a hall-effect joy stick.

David Fear -

Do you have a link?

Nora -

I did it, sadly cleaning wasn't enough. So I guess I'll have to replace something.

Riedweg Guillaume -

There is now a real fix for this, hall effect mod by Jun Zheng. About $25 per pair of mods. Check out the guys YouTube, link to his AliExpress store in his video description. Just use the guide here for disassembly. https://youtube.com/@junZeng-520?si=UYbf...

Alex Lao - 16/03/24

Upon reassembly I get the three orange blinks error. Research says there’s a ribbon connection error, is that right? I went through steps again and checked all connections, but no change. Have I short circuited something? Would replacing the potentiometer even fix it at this point? Have I damaged a ribbon? (There is no visible damage).

joe lewis -

Hi!

Did you fixed the issue? I have the same problem.

Voyteck -

Hi im also having this issue and ive replaced both sticks. Weird think is on the pc test everything is fine. Just when connected to a playstation

Michael Douglas -

I would be super careful when trying this I did it and ended up making the stick drift way worse. I'm almost certain it's my own stupidity but regardless I would look towards different options than to take apart the joystick.

MiniStab311 -

Worked for me :)

Max Luchterhand -

Worked for me as well!

Vincent Claes -

I did it it worked thank you!

Some tips:

- watchout for two microphones (looks like small round lego piece with orange ribbon) when assembing back together almost lost it

- Be gentle when redoing step 8 (closing the cover) both halfs have to fit perfectly on top of each other before pressinng.

Olek Osikowicz -