The PlayStation 5 is already suffering technical issues regarding its much-hyped DualSense controller only a few short months removed from its November launch – and Sony might be facing potential legal trouble because of it. Fans have reported a “drifting” problem with the controller’s thumbstick, which could cause a player’s character or a game’s camera to move uncontrollably in a single direction even when the stick isn’t being pressed.

This could naturally lead to problems among PS5 players, as video games often require very precise controller movements in the heat of a very intense session; a sudden, out of control drift could ruin hours of gameplay in mere seconds. Furthermore, operating in-game menus under these conditions is a nightmare. Complicating the issue is how expensive and scarce DualSense controllers can be amid hardware shortages and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, meaning that either finding a replacement controller in-store or ordering one online could be very time consuming and costly.

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Earlier today, IGN reported that the US-based law firm of Chimicles Schwartz Kriner & Donaldson-Smith LLP has set up a questionnaire page on its website, allowing PlayStation 5 owners to report problems with their DualSense controllers. No official legal action has been filed against Sony as of this writing, but CSK&D has stated that it is “investigating a potential class action based upon reports that Sony PS5 DualSense controllers for the PlayStation 5 console can experience drift issues and/or fail prematurely,” hence why it is looking to consumers to provide their feedback on the issue.

ps5 dualsense controller

Chimicles Schwartz Kriner & Donaldson-Smith LLP is very familiar with cases involving gaming controllers drifting, as the firm was one of many that handled a similar situation with the Nintendo Switch’s Joy-Con controller last year. That particular case did lead to legal action, with multiple lawsuits being filed against Nintendo in the United States, the European Union, and Canada over the past few months. Meanwhile, PS5 owners are reporting many other issues with their DualSense controllers, such as its high-tech adaptive triggers suddenly snapping out of place.

It's worth repeating that no actual lawsuit has been taken regarding the PlayStation 5’s growing controller drift problem as of yet, but it would do Sony good to handle the issue sooner rather than later, lest Chimicles Schwartz Kriner & Donaldson-Smith LLP decide to take more direct legal action in the future. The PS5 is off to a great financial start despite an ongoing supply shortage, and it would be a shame if the company behind it found itself in a troubling legal predicament like Nintendo not even a year into the lifespan of its successful current generation console.

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Source: IGN, Chimicles Schwartz Kriner & Donaldson-Smith LLP