PS5 Users Complain Of Broken DualSense Adaptive Triggers, But How Widespread Is The Problem?

One of the defining features of the PlayStation 5 is its DualSense controller, which ditches old school vibration motors in favor of haptic feedback, and introduces new adaptive triggers. The adaptive triggers are particularly noteworthy, as they can vary their force based on in-game parameters. For example, as your player tires in a basketball or soccer game, the triggers can become harder to press (to represent fatigue), which affects your offense and defense capabilities. The PlayStation 5 pack-in title, Astro’s Playroom, is a great showcase for the adaptive triggers.

Unfortunately, several gamers are reporting that their adaptive triggers are malfunctioning or breaking completely. One user over at Resetera complained about issues with the adaptive triggers in the wildly popular game Spider Man: Miles Morales. "A few days ago, I was swinging around in Miles Morales when I felt the R2 snap and immediately become looser," wrote EeK9X. "It was as if whatever was causing the trigger to 'resist' broke, causing it to go back to being a regular, non-adaptive trigger."

Redditors also expressed similar complaints, with mofftarkin33 adding, "About one week into Demon's Souls, I just noticed my R2 trigger abruptly started activating under the slightest touch, or even controller movement. Inspecting the outside of the controller, The R2 trigger is now significantly looser than the the L2; the slightest jiggle will rattle it in its place."

Most people appear to be placing blame on the puny spring for the triggers, which are either failing outright or becoming dislodged from their proper seating location. The dislodging would explain the "snap" that EeK9X experienced in Miles Morales. Mofftarkin33 also gives some tips on how to fix the issues yourself in the reddit thread, but we'd suggest that you simply go through Sony for a replacement given that this is still a new console under warranty.

It's hard to tell how widespread the issue is, but the Resetera thread has gone on for 11 pages, while many people have chimed in on reddit about experiencing the same problem. And a Google search brings up quite a few posts from around the internet about problems with the adaptive triggers.

Have you experienced issued with your PlayStation 5’s DualSense adaptive triggers? If so, please tell us your thoughts in the comments below.