Why Do PS5 Controllers Get Dirty?
If you are anything like me, your Dual Sense controller is constantly in your hands. Whatever chance you get – when you’re not working, doing chores, or taking care of the kids – that controller is within your grasp, gaming away the stress of the day. But, as you have probably already noticed, these controllers get dirty quickly.
When it first hit the market in November of 2020, the PS5 showcased a lot of major upgrades from the PS4.
The PS5’s AMD Zen 2-based CPU and custom RDNA 2 GPU (which comes with over 10.28 TFLOPs of computing power) was a far cry from the PS4.
And the 16GB literally doubled the PS4’s memory.
The PS5 also aligned itself more with PCs by upgrading to a solid state drive (SSD) versus the PS4’s sluggish and outdated HDD.
And that’s not to mention the fact that the PS5 can play 4K Blu-ray.
Of course, Sony also upgraded the controllers. Gone were the PS4’s Dual Shock 4 controllers.
Although the new Dual Sense controller weighs more (9.9 ounces versus 7.4 ounces), its features pack more of a punch.
With its haptic feedback, built-in mic, adaptive triggers, touchpad, and motion controls, the Dual Sense is leaps and bounds better for more competitive gamers who want a bit of an edge.
But, as others have pointed out in discussion forums, the PS5 controllers get dirty much more quickly than their predecessors.
Why is that the case? Shouldn’t they be easy enough to keep clean? Why, oh why, do they collect dust like nobody’s business?
Why Do PS5 Controllers Get Dirty?
The PS5’s Dual Sense controller has a textured design that traps dirt and dust. You will also see a lot of dirt show up on the white areas of the body. Your hands will transfer a lot of dirt and grime onto the white areas of the controller, even if you wash your hands before using the controller.
Why is dust such a problem for the PS5 and its controllers? Why do the controllers get so many black marks on them that are hard to get out? How do you get rid of them?
Is there an all-black controller that you can get for the PS5? Read on to learn more about how to take care of your dirty, dusty, disgusting (but oh-so-awesome) PS5 Dual Sense controller.
Is dust a problem for PS5?
Wondering “Why does my controller keep getting dirty?” Yeah, I did too.
And not just my controller, but the body of my PS5 console! It isn’t unusual to see dust accumulate within a matter of days. But this does seem excessive.
If you stay vigilant with cleaning the body of your PS5, dust shouldn’t cause too many problems.
You just don’t want it getting inside and building up on the console’s internal components.
Why are there black marks on my Dual Sense controller?
A lot of users have noticed black marks on their PS5’s Dual Sense controllers.
These are most likely scuff marks from dropping or bumping the controller up against another hard surface.
You might think nothing of it when this happens, but later on you will see these black marks on the white body.
With a white body, these scuff marks are going to be much more pronounced than they would be on a darker colored controller body.
How do you get rid of the black on the PS5 controller?
One of the methods I recommend for cleaning these black marks off of your controller is Goo Gone.
This is an adhesive remover, but as players like myself have found out, it can be used on these controllers to get the black marks off. (I also highly recommend Goo Gone for parents of messy toddlers. Just sayin’.)
How do you get dirt out of a PS5 controller?
Getting dirt and dust off of a PS5 controller takes a little bit of what my grandma used to call “elbow grease” – meaning, you’re going to be using some force.
Grab an alcohol based solution or some alcohol wipes since water is not as potent as isopropyl alcohol solutions.
They are also nowhere near as likely to cause any electrical damage.
Cotton swabs are handy for getting those hard-to-reach nooks and crannies.
You can also use something slender and hard, such as a credit card, to remove stuck-on dirt.
You might also want to snag some rubber grips for your controller and store it in the cleanest environment possible.
Why should I order a cover for my controller?
A lot of users are going out and buying covers for their controllers as a way to prevent dust and dirt build-up.
These skins come in a huge variety of styles and colors, so you can pick a darker tone that won’t show those hideous black scuff marks.
While they sure aren’t the easiest thing to put on, they do help when it comes to both aesthetics and cleanliness.
Oh, and they are affordable at an average of about $10 each.
Why doesn’t Sony just make their PS5 controllers all black?
Once enough people started complaining about the black marks, Sony got around to releasing the Midnight Black edition of the Dual Sense controller.
This all-black controller with dark blue backlighting won’t show those marks up at all.
If I had to pick between the standard controller and the Midnight Black edition, I’d absolutely go with the latter.
It will run you the same price as the basic white version and has the same features – just a different aesthetic.
Closing Thoughts
PS5 controllers get dirty quite easily since they have a white frame.
Your average black-clad controller gets dirty and scuffed up too, but you just can’t see it because of the color.
And, with the extra texturing Sony added to the Dual Sense, debris gets trapped more.
Keep your controller clean, buy a cover, or just say “To heck with it!” and invest in a Midnight Black edition.
You’ve still got a great controller no matter what.