If your DualSense is still under warranty, the first thing to do is not book a repair with me. Use the warranty — it costs you nothing, and I'd rather tell you that than take £19.
Here's how it works, and what you can do once it's expired.
Sony's warranty
PlayStation accessories in the UK come with a 12-month manufacturer's warranty from the date of purchase. If a controller develops a fault in that window that isn't down to damage or misuse, Sony's warranty is the route — normally through PlayStation Support, who arrange a replacement or repair.
Whether drift gets accepted varies. Some people report a straightforward replacement, others get told it's wear and tear rather than a fault. It's worth trying either way; it costs a phone call.
Keep your proof of purchase. Without it the warranty claim is much harder.
Your rights don't end when the warranty does
This is the part most people don't know, and it matters.
A manufacturer's warranty is something Sony offers voluntarily. Separately, under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, you have statutory rights against the retailer who sold it to you — not the manufacturer. Those rights are law, they can't be signed away, and they last longer than 12 months.
The law says goods must be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose and as described. A product that fails earlier than you'd reasonably expect may not have been of satisfactory quality when it was sold.
The timings that matter
First 30 days. You have a short-term right to reject faulty goods and get a full refund from the retailer.
First 6 months. If a fault appears, it's presumed to have been present when you bought it, and the burden is on the retailer to prove otherwise. They get one chance to repair or replace; if that fails you can claim a refund. This is the strongest window and it's the one worth acting in.
After 6 months. You can still claim — up to six years in England and Wales, five in Scotland — but the burden flips. Now it's on you to show the fault was inherent rather than caused by use or wear.
That last point is where drift claims get difficult. A retailer will usually argue that a stick which lasted a year and then started drifting has worn out through normal use, not failed through an inherent defect. Whether that's a fair characterisation of a part that wears this predictably is arguable, and some people have argued it successfully. Most don't try.
Does a third-party repair void anything?
Two separate answers.
Your statutory rights: no. Rights under the Consumer Rights Act are against the retailer and can't be removed by what you do with the product afterwards — though in practice, once a product has been opened by someone else it becomes much harder to argue a fault was inherent.
Sony's warranty: likely yes. Manufacturer warranties are voluntary and generally exclude products that have been opened or repaired by anyone other than an authorised centre.
Which leads to the only advice that really matters: if it's under warranty, use the warranty first. Once I've opened it, the manufacturer route is closed. There's no rush and nothing to lose by trying Sony before you try me.
If you've been turned down
If Sony or the retailer says it's wear and tear and won't help, you've got three options.
Push back, if you're within six months — the burden is on them, not you, and saying so plainly sometimes changes the answer. Citizens Advice have template letters and their consumer helpline is free.
Escalate, if the retailer won't budge — many belong to an alternative dispute resolution scheme, and there's the small claims route beyond that.
Or get it repaired. At £19 for a single stick it's often less hassle than the dispute, and you end up with a working controller either way.
After the warranty
Once you're past 12 months and a claim isn't realistic, a repair is straightforward economics. A new DualSense is around £60. A stick replacement is £19 or £24 with a 12-month warranty on the work — the same cover a new controller comes with.
And if you'd rather not have this conversation again in a year, the Hall effect upgrade at £34, or TMR at £39, replaces the sticks with contactless ones that don't wear the same way, so drift is far less likely to come back.
Book a repair, or get in touch if you want to talk it through first.
This is general information about UK consumer law, not legal advice. For advice on your own situation, Citizens Advice runs a free consumer helpline.
