Lawsuit filed against Sony over alleged DualSense PS5 controller drift issue

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Apparently okayed by the company even after pre-release testers flagged it.

Sony Dualsense
(Image credit: Sony)

I've always been a Sony fan myself, but a recent lawsuit over the PS5 DualSense controller is making me question my life choices. 

Have you ever had the issue where, despite your non-action, your controllers analog stick still manages to sense some mystical input, causing your character to drift aimlessly off a cliff or stare wistfully into the sky? Same. And so have a buttload of other people in online forums, as well as Sony's own pre-release testers for the hardware, reportedly.

Disgraced by the controller's alleged issues, along with Sony's apparent wilful negligence on the matter, Chimicles Schwartz Kriner & Donaldson-Smith LLP have now filed a class action lawsuit against the company.

Cut the cord...

(Image credit: Steelseries)

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According to IGN and Metro, the case documentation notes that the problem "significantly interferes with gameplay and thus compromises the DualSense controller’s core functionality." It goes on to claim Sony's action was "fraudulent, deceptive, unlawful, and unfair," especially considering the limited repair options available for the issue.

Being a class action lawsuit, any US citizen who's felt the pain of the supposedly "defective" controllers can raise the stakes of the case by adding their evidence to the claim, potentially landing a payout in the event that Sony loses the case. You read that right: those who've experienced this might manage to receive some money over their controller's drift issue, but only if Sony is found to be at fault. 

Katie Wickens
Katie Wickens
Hardware Writer

Having been obsessed with game mechanics, computers and graphics for three decades, Katie took Game Art and Design up to Masters level at uni and has been writing about digital games, tabletop games and gaming technology for over five years since. She can be found facilitating board game design workshops and optimising everything in her path.