Some PlayStation 5 owners are reporting that the adaptive trigger feature on their DualSense controller is breaking. The PS5 brings a bevy of new features and capabilities but has been an extreme struggle to find for those who aren't scalpers or professional basketball players. As more consoles slowly and steadily make their way into the hands of fans, feedback for the PlayStation 5's new features is trickling in.
One of the console's best selling points is its new controller, the DualSense. Along with a more comfortable shape and size and improved buttons, the DualSense brings two great features. The first is the new haptic feedback system, similar to Nintendo's HD Rumble, which allows for subtle, highly specific vibrations that can make the player feel the differences between walking on sand and walking on concrete. The other big selling point is the adaptive triggers, which can tighten or loosen depending on the context; for example, players can feel the string of their bow tighten as they draw an arrow. The tension in the trigger can be quite strong, to the point where it can be a real struggle just to push the button. When the controller was revealed, some worried whether the triggers could "break" - now it seems, at least in some cases, that it has.
Via Hot Hardware, hundreds of PS5 owners are reporting malfunctioning or broken triggers. Some users have reported a "snap", where the button then loses all adaptive features. Others have reported that their trigger will activate under the slightest touch from the controller. It's unknown how widespread the problem is, but it's definitely more than a few isolated cases: one thread concerning the issue went on for 11 pages.
Since the console is just over a month old, all parts are still covered under warranty, so replacing the controller shouldn't be a problem. For more brave users, the controller can be dismantled in order to replace the spring at home. The potential issue brings up comparisons to Nintendo's infamous "Joy-Con drift," an issue so widespread it is currently being investigated by nine countries; Sony will hope these cases are more of the exception rather than the rule. The reports did not detail if anyone managed to get a return on their controller.
Adaptive triggers are quite literally a game-changing feature that developers are only just discovering how best to implement. It would be a great shame if gamers missed out on these features due to faulty springs. It's still too early to tell how widespread the issue is, partly because it's hard to tell how many PS5s are in the hands of people who actually want to play them: scalpers have brought in nearly $60 million since launch, so the console's sales figures cannot be taken at face value. In any case, Sony is likely hoping that this PlayStation 5 issue is solved before it becomes a drift-sized calamity.