My DualSense is starting to drift slowly, especially on the left stick. I've had the PS5 for about a year and a half now and I play pretty regularly. Is this a known issue and how long does it usually take before it gets really bad?
Don't try messing around with cleaning products or opening up the controller yourself - Sony handles it faster and often for free if it's still under warranty. For me it took about two to three months from the first signs until it became annoying drift, but it varies a lot depending on how much and what games you play.
That's unfortunately a standard problem with DualSense controllers, lots of people report it. How quickly it becomes really annoying depends on how intensively you play and which games - you'll notice it sooner in fast-paced action games than in more laid-back titles. It can take a few weeks to months from the first signs until the drift actually becomes bothersome, but then it usually gets worse pretty quickly. If you're still under warranty, I'd contact Sony - a lot of people have had success with that.
Contrary to the second comment: cleaning with isopropyl alcohol actually helps with drift surprisingly well for a long time before you bother Sony - just spray it under the stick and move it around, costs nothing and the controllers usually last several more months afterward. When it really gets annoying, sure, use the warranty, but before that you can definitely slow down the problem yourself. With a year and a half of regular play, drifting is completely normal for the DualSense - some people get it after eight months, others not until two years, depends on how intensively you play.
My left stick started acting up after about two years, just barely at first, but then got noticeably worse pretty quickly - within maybe two or three months it was annoying enough that I had to do something about it. How fast it escalates for you really depends on how intensively you game and what games you're playing - with fast-paced action games you'll obviously notice it way sooner than with more relaxed titles. Before you call Sony, I'd try isopropanol first (just spray it under the stick, move it around a few times), it actually helped me out for a while and it costs nothing.
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