How to Fix PS5 Controller Stick Drift
Clear dust and grime from DualSense analog stick potentiometers using non-invasive reset, mechanical cycling, compressed air, and isopropyl alcohol.
- Read the tools, materials, safety notes, and steps below for free.
- Tap Start Camera Coach when you want hands-free voice help.
- Allow camera and microphone. Point your phone at the work; the coach watches your progress and tells you the next step.
🧰 Required Tools & Equipment
- ✓ Compressed air can with straw attachment
- ✓ Cotton swabs (pointed tip preferred)
- ✓ SIM ejector tool or unbent paperclip
- ✓ Microfiber cleaning cloth
📦 Materials & Supplies
- ✓ 90% or higher Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA)
⚠️ Safety Checkpoints & Warnings
- • Ensure controller is powered off and disconnected from USB charging cables before applying any liquid.
- • Do not use lower concentration rubbing alcohol (like 70%) as the water content can corrode internal contacts.
- • Hold compressed air can strictly upright to prevent freezing propellant liquid from spraying onto plastic parts.
📋 Step-by-Step Guide (5 Steps)
Perform Hard Hardware Reset
Turn off your PS5 console completely. Locate the small circular reset pinhole on the back of the DualSense controller next to the Sony logo. Insert the SIM ejector tool straight into the hole, press down until you feel a distinct click, and hold for 5 continuous seconds.
- • Ejector tool held steady in the pinhole on the rear shell for a full 5 seconds
- • Controller light bar remains completely unlit
- • Poking into the microphone hole instead of the rear reset hole
- • Pressing at an angle and missing the internal switch button
Mechanically Exercise and Dislodge Debris
Click the drifting analog stick inward (L3/R3) and hold it down firmly. While depressed, slowly rotate the stick clockwise 10 full rotations, then counter-clockwise 10 rotations. Gently pull outward on the analog stick cap until you feel a faint pop out, then push it back down.
- • Analog stick fully tilted to maximum outer perimeter during rotation circles
- • Slight upward displacement visible when pulling up on the stick cap
- • Yanking stick cap with excessive upward force
- • Rotating without pressing the central click mechanism
Blow Out Trapped Particulates with Compressed Air
Attach the thin straw nozzle to the compressed air can. Push the drifting analog stick fully to one side to expose the gap underneath the dome. Position the straw tip 1-2 cm away from the exposed crevice and emit short 1-second bursts while rotating the stick in full circles.
- • Straw tip aimed precisely into the gap between the stick hemisphere and outer housing
- • Can held completely vertical throughout spraying
- • Tilting the can upside down or horizontally
- • Blasting continuous long bursts which cause condensation freezing
Clean Potentiometer Housing with Isopropyl Alcohol
Lightly dampen a cotton swab with 90%+ isopropyl alcohol, ensuring it is not dripping wet. Press the stick to one side and trace the wet swab around the exposed spherical base of the joystick. Roll the stick around continuously for 30 seconds to work the alcohol into the contact wipers beneath.
- • A thin, quickly-evaporating wet sheen around the circular ball base
- • Cotton swab tip picking up dark graphite/plastic dust particles
- • Soaking the swab until alcohol floods directly into the vibration motors
- • Using 70% rubbing alcohol with high water content
Recalibrate and Test Deadzone
Wait 5 minutes for all solvent to evaporate, then reconnect the controller via USB to the PS5. Open an in-game deadzone test or use an online gamepad tester browser tool. Check if the resting stick crosshair stays dead-center; if slight drift persists, increase in-game deadzone threshold by 2-5%.
- • Controller powers on with solid blue/white indicator light
- • Stick readout resting cleanly inside the central neutral deadzone circle
- • Powering controller on immediately without giving alcohol time to flash off
- • Leaving deadzone set to 0% after physical cleaning
Credit: inspired by an original tutorial by YourSixStudios — watch the original on YouTube.
Don’t have everything?
- No Pointed tip cotton swabs? Standard cotton swabs tightly rolled at the tip
- No SIM ejector tool? Sturdy sewing needle or small paperclip