Lack of products from other companies in Drift… Surprisingly serious PS5 controller problem – How to repurchase as cheaply and wisely as possible?

PS5, which has been difficult to purchase for over two years, will finally be available for anyone to purchase around 2023. Now, more than a year has passed since then, and the popularity of PS5 has progressed, and the number of compatible software is increasing day by day.

There are probably many users who purchased the main unit at this timing.

However, when you are passionate about games, some people may come across problems with the controller. The PS5 controller “DualSense” is no exception, and there are some aspects that are different from other controllers.

What kind of problems might DualSense have? Also, what can I do to get it cheaper? Now that it's becoming more popular, let's take another look at DualSense.

■Even current machines are not free from “malfunctions”
As game hardware has improved, the performance of controllers has also increased, and various new functions have been added. In the case of DualSense, features include “Haptic Feedback,'' which increases the sense of realism with rich vibrations, and “Adaptive Trigger,'' which allows you to experience in-game actions with a tangible response.

However, as long as it is a device, failures are inevitable. This is not unique to the DualSense, but the higher the performance, the more delicate it becomes, so it is not surprising that unexpected problems may occur. In particular, the “drift problem'' that occurs due to wear or malfunction of analog sticks is a serious problem that hinders comfortable game play.

It's no exaggeration to say that the drift problem, where input is recognized even when you haven't touched it, is the enemy of all games.

It can occur not only with the DualSense, but also with the Nintendo Switch Joy-Con and Pro Controller, and the voices of victims can often be seen on social media.

The opinion that “If it's broken, you should just repair it'' is a valid opinion, but if the warranty period has passed, it will of course be costly. Repair costs are on a case-by-case basis, so I can't say exactly how much they will cost, but when you look at the reference price for repairs published on PlayStation Support, it says “DualSense wireless controller repair/replacement 7,480 yen (tax included).'' Masu.

Although this is just a reference price and there is a statement that says “the actual repair fee may differ,'' there is no reason to be hesitant about sending it in for repair.

■“DualSense” is expensive, and there are no products that can replace it cheaply.
Considering the options other than repair, the simplest solution would be to replace it. However, due to the improved performance of current consoles such as the PS5 and Switch, the price of the controller is also higher than before, so the issue of price stands in the way here as well.

The current price of DualSense is 9,480 yen (tax included) for the initial three colors and 9,980 yen (tax included) for other color variations. Also, the Switch Joy-Con costs 8,228 yen for a pair of left and right. Although it is unavoidable from a performance standpoint, it is a price that is difficult to afford.

However, in the case of switches, it is not difficult to get them cheaply as long as you are not particular about genuine products. If you are not looking for Joy-Con's special features such as a motion IR camera, and are using it for general gameplay, there are many controllers made by other companies that are cheap and have sufficient performance.

Prices of other companies' products vary depending on performance, but if you are fine with standard performance, there are multiple options even in the 2,000 yen range.

Also, if you want to stick to genuine products, the “Pro Controller” is cheaper than the Joy-Con, so you can choose that. As a reference price, the Pro Controller is on sale for 6,973 yen on Amazon. (at the time of article writing)

However, for DualSense, it is hard to find any other companies' products that are so-called low-priced versions, and the controllers released by other manufacturers are only the same or more expensive than DualSense. Therefore, you cannot use the option of switching to a cheaper product from another company like you would with the Switch.

■Even if it is new, you can purchase it at a slightly lower price depending on the store.
If you are not concerned about the price, you can consider switching to a superior product from another company or the higher-end DualSense Edge. However, it is human nature to want to replace it as cheaply as possible.

From here, I will discuss ways to replace the DualSense as cheaply as possible, while also sharing my own experiences.

If you prioritize security and stability, there is no better option than buying a new, genuine product. If the product malfunctions during normal use (according to the instructions in the instruction manual, etc.) within the warranty period, the product will be repaired free of charge. When it comes to peace of mind, nothing beats a brand new genuine product.

Also, the list price is 9,480 yen to 9,980 yen, but the actual selling price in stores is a little lower, and Amazon sells it for around 9,000 yen, including the new color “Cobalt Blue”. In addition, although Surugaya mainly handles used products, they also sell new products, such as “Volcanic Red'' for 8,480 yen (tax included).

(at the time of article writing)

If you're looking for a second-hand product that's cheaper than the regular price, you might want to consider second-hand products. Since it is a used product, there are concerns about its durability, and the warranty will be stricter, but the cost of replacing it will be lower, so it is not a bad choice.

■I want to aim for cheap used items!But be careful of trouble
In fact, I myself was troubled by the drift problem with the DualSense for a while, so I bought a used one in February of this year. Fortunately, there were no major problems with the usability, and I am still enjoying comfortable gameplay two months after purchasing it.

Even if you say used, there is a wide range of options, not only in terms of price but also in terms of safety. The easiest way to find cheap items is probably on flea market apps. Even with a quick search, you can find DualSense in the 5,000 yen range, which is quite reasonable in terms of price.

However, I personally do not recommend using flea market apps. In the case of precision equipment like DualSense, it is a little too risky to purchase it without guaranteeing its operation. Furthermore, transactions between individuals are prone to trouble, and there is also a non-zero possibility that problematic items will be forced onto you.

Although there is a possibility that problems may arise when buying and selling at a store, the sense of security is far greater than when dealing with individuals. If there is a problem with the transaction, the store will have a lot to lose if it continues to push through, so unless the store is in a particularly bad situation, they will take appropriate action.

■Personally, I recommend purchasing at a store.
There are two routes when purchasing at a store: online shopping and purchasing at a physical store. Online shopping has many options and is ideal for comparison, but it takes time from ordering to delivery, and second-hand products can be defective. Even if you want to return it, you have to send it back, which is honestly quite a hassle.

With over-the-counter sales, depending on the store, you may be able to touch the product directly before purchasing (*permission required), and since it is face-to-face, it is easy to inquire about guarantees of operation. In the unlikely event that there is a malfunction, you can return the product by simply bringing it in.

From this perspective, I narrowed my search to major used stores and visited several of them in person, and found that most used DualSense prices were in the mid to high 6,000 yen range. Although there are some differences between stores, I felt that the prices were generally stable within this price range.

When choosing a store, we recommend that you consider factors such as reliability and ease of access. I chose Geo based on the fact that the price of a used DualSense was a reasonable 6.578 yen including tax (at the time of writing) and that the store was located within easy reach.

■What we focused on when purchasing was “color variations”
Finally, there is one more point to keep in mind when choosing a used DualSense. If the item is second-hand, you may be concerned about how long it has been used, but you cannot know this accurately. However, it is possible to set some guidelines.

DualSense now comes in several color variations. The newest of these is “Sterling Silver,'' which was released on January 26th of this year. If you were to find a used sterling silver item, it would have only been used for about 3 months at most.

Among color variations, colors that have been on sale for a long time may have been used for a long time, and the closer the release date, the narrower the period. Of course, there are probably used products that were shipped after the release date, but it is not easy to investigate the details of each shipping date. It's easy to find out the release date for each color variation, so it's worth using as a guideline.

In my case, unfortunately I couldn't find a used item of “Sterling Silver'', but I found a used item of “Volcanic Red'' (released on November 3, 2023) that was close to the next release date, so I decided to use that. purchase. The initial color was also the same price, so I felt like I was getting a little bit of a bargain.

There are concerns about the durability of second-hand products, and the warranty is not perfect. A new, genuine product is the most reliable, but it is also the most expensive, which is a problem. However, pursuing only low prices is risky and is not recommended.

When purchasing a new DualSense, how much weight do you place on price, warranty, peace of mind, etc.? After carefully considering the decision, consider buying a new or used item.