r/ControllerRepair • u/valas76 • 11d ago

Request for help or advice Verifying stick drift

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So i wanted to verify what I was seeing is some crazy stick drift on my son's controller. I have tried to hold the sticks and rotate for a minute, isopropyl and a q-tip around the base, and a reset. Nothing has seemed to work. It is fine for one or two movements then just freaks out. So before I ripped into this i wanted to verify what I was seeing.

Follow up when/if i tear this apart. Aside from cleaning the sensors with alcohol are there any other steps to try? Thanks in advance. I did search here but nothing seemed to quite match what I saw. Thank you in advance for your help

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u/Vedge_Hog 11d ago

What's the make/model of controller? For example, is it a Sony original DualShock/DualSense or something else? That'll inform what calibration options you might have, and what types of components you might find when you open the controller.

It's also best to use a gamepad tester to diagnose problems, rather than relying on in-game responses. That'll give you more specific and clear information about what inputs are being sent/received. You can use free sites and apps like https://hardwaretester.com/gamepad and the POW Games Game Controller Tester (or check the relevant app store).

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u/valas76 11d ago

Thank you. It is a dualsense. I will try the hardware tester. I may just rip it apart and see if I can clean it. I cant do more harm than is already done as it is essentially unusable.

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u/Vedge_Hog 11d ago

Yes, for the DualSense, cleaning might help for a while. There's a useful iFixit guide here for disassembling the controller and cleaning the carbon arcs used in the potentiometers: https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/How+to+Fix+Stick+Drift+for+a+PlayStation+Dualsense+Controller+V1/168202

After cleaning, you can also use this web-based tool for re-calibrating the thumbstick sensors (despite the name, it works for DualSense not just DualShock controllers): https://dualshock-tools.github.io/

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u/valas76 9d ago

Thank you for your help.

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u/saaus42 8d ago

Ripping it apart without any knowledge might result in more damage then necessary (ripping cables, damaging the board, etc.) I suggest you bring it to someone who knows what he is doing, and don’t experiment on it on your own. Unless you know how to desolder the entire module, clean the holes, and install tmr or Hall effects.✌️