I have a weird, kinda gross problem with my PS5 controller

[lincolnic]

I don't know how else to say this: the thumbsticks on my PS5 controller appear to be secreting some kind of oily substance of their own accord.

I'm a pretty clean person. I wash my hands often and I keep my stuff in the best shape I can. I don't eat while I'm playing video games. But a few weeks ago, I noticed that the tops of the thumbsticks on this controller (i.e. exactly where your thumbs go when you use it) appeared to be greasy. For the above-mentioned reasons, this was weird. I carefully cleaned them off with some dish soap and water and that seemed to do the trick, but then a couple of days later, I noticed they were oily again! I hadn't used them since they were cleaned. I thought maybe it was some residue from the dish soap that I'd failed to wipe off with clean water, so I cleaned them again. This turned out to be the start of the cycle I'm now in: I clean them, nobody touches them and they're fine for a day or two, and then suddenly they're oily again.

Originally I was trying to stay away from alcohol-based solutions because I was afraid it would dry out the rubber (or whatever the sticks are coated with), but when it became clear that the dish soap/water wasn't solving the problem, I tried a disinfectant wipe and now I'm currently on 90% isopropyl. The problem keeps coming back, and I don't know why or what else I can do to fix it. It's kind of upsetting and (shocking no one) the internet at large isn't helpful. Has anyone ever experienced this? Does anyone know how to make it stop? Is...is my controller haunted?

 

[JBear]

I am confident that I have experienced this with a controller at some point in my life, because it sounds very familiar, but unfortunately I have the memory of a goldfish and can't recall any of the particulars. Hopefully someone else will be more helpful, but I can at least assure you that you're sane.

My best guess is that it was the thumbsticks on my PS2 controller... I think?

 

[WisteriaHysteria]

I’m pretty sure this has happened to all of my PS controllers. There’s something about the rubber they use that seems to absorb body oils and then secrete them later. It’s… weird!

 

[Regulus]

I've seen this happen with a few PS controllers over the years. In every case it was a second controller that didn't see much use and sat in a drawer most of the time. In one case it was only one of the sticks on the controller and in another it was both of them.

I haven't been able to find a concrete explanation, but due to the inconsistency, my guess is that it's a manufacturing issue - similar to the defect that causes certain pieces of console/cartridge plastic to "yellow" at different rates. I don't know if the rubber is absorbing skin oil or simply breaking down somehow, but I don't think it's related to uncleanliness or anything.

 

[Yimothy]

I had something like this recently with my PS3 controllers. I hadn’t used them in ages, then I started a PS3 game and found the sticks were sort of sticky to touch. In my case after I’d used them for a while the stickiness went away - maybe a layer of broken down whatever on the surface that wore away with use?

 

[Phantoon]

It'll be rubber breakdown or something. I'm pretty certain they didn't use actual rubber because that would've crumbled already, but I'm guessing the oils are leeching out all of the time and it's only noticeable when you haven't used them for a while and it's had a chance to build up.

 

[lincolnic]

Thanks folks. At least it's not just me! I'm genuinely shocked by how frequently it keeps happening, though. It just doesn't seem like there's enough material present on the sticks to secrete that much oil.

It'll be rubber breakdown or something. I'm pretty certain they didn't use actual rubber because that would've crumbled already, but I'm guessing the oils are leeching out all of the time and it's only noticeable when you haven't used them for a while and it's had a chance to build up.

Okay, this is interesting -- are you suggesting that if I used the controller more frequently, I effectively wouldn't be seeing this problem? Because it's true that I haven't been playing a lot of PS5 for the past month or so.

 

[Phantoon]

I'm no expert, but a load of my rubber -coated controllers seem to get tacky if they've been left for a bit. I don't think that it's lack of play that does it, it's more likely that it happens all of the time but it gets rubbed off before it builds up normally. That's my theory.

 

[Violentvixen]

Oh hey, I remember having this happen too. I couldn't find the exact Reddit thread about it but this one seems relevant. People seem divided on if it's rubber breaking down or oil from the joysticks leaking over time. To support what @Phantoon said it looks like a lot of people saw it at the worst after not playing for a while.

 

[Oathbreaker]

Yeah I've had this happen with PS2 and PS3 controllers, and same thing as Phantoon and VV are saying, after a long time of not being used. It hasn't happened to all of them, but when it does... yeah it's gross.

I think it's probably directly related to the rubber breaking down because the times I've seen it, afterwards the rubber is always in much worse shape. But until it starts basically sweating like this the rubber stays fine. With a PS5 it should still be too new to worry about the rubber breaking down, this just seems unlucky.

 

[ThornGhost]

I'm going to go against the grain here and ask you if you're sure that there's not a second party involved in this? A lot of what we're hearing here is secretions/breakdown after long periods of disuse. You're talking about days.

Are there kids/pets/partners/sneaky people living in the walls that might be using the controllers when you're not?

Could you hide or put away the controller for a few days and see if the residue reappears?

 

[lincolnic]

I'm going to go against the grain here and ask you if you're sure that there's not a second party involved in this? A lot of what we're hearing here is secretions/breakdown after long periods of disuse. You're talking about days.

Are there kids/pets/partners/sneaky people living in the walls that might be using the controllers when you're not?

Could you hide or put away the controller for a few days and see if the residue reappears?

I'm the only one who uses the controller, my girlfriend doesn't play console games.

 

[Sarge]

I've definitely had this happen with several rubber-coated devices - they get very tacky and gross after significant disuse. But I suspect there's a breaking point where it's not an issue until it is, so having it crop up quickly wouldn't surprise me.

 

[Phantoon]

Are there kids/pets/partners/sneaky people living in the walls that might be using the controllers when you're not?

I swear children secrete jam from their hands

I tell myself this because it's less horrifying than what the gunk actually is

 

[ShakeWell]

Bottle it and sell it as a salve provided by St. Kutaragi, Patriarch of the Stations Played.

 

[Phantoon]

You should've got a second job and got your butler to wipe it daily

 

[Torzelbaum]

Stations Played

The Stations of the Played?

 

[ShakeWell]

The Stations of the Played?

Feels like a lot of "of the"s, but that's never stopped them before.