Understanding Your Grade
Your grade evaluates the geometric perfection of the thumbstick module's outer boundary.
A+ (Esports Ready) means the stick achieves a flawless circle, critical for consistent diagonal movement in games like Apex Legends and Rocket League.
F (Defective) indicates severe asymmetry, meaning diagonal inputs will hit their max value prematurely or not at all.
Since you're using a PS4 DualShock 4 with a Hall Effect module, you can expect the underlying tech to be extremely precise and symmetric.
DualShock 4 sticks are among the most frequently reported for diagonal asymmetry in community teardowns — a low grade is common and generally means module wear, not your technique. Because the DualShock 4 is typically several years older than current-gen pads, the wear pattern is usually clearly one-sided: the axis you use for running (usually the left stick) grades noticeably worse than the aim stick.
Hall effect sticks measure stick position with a magnetic field instead of a physical wiper dragging across a carbon track. Because nothing rubs, the module keeps its geometric precision for far longer and shows almost no rim-to-rim variance when new. The practical result on a circularity graph is a tight, evenly distributed ring: your diagonals reach maximum extension together, with little wasted input near the corners. The trade-off is that calibration is digital, so a poor grade on a Hall effect module usually points to a firmware zero-point offset or a loose joystick gate rather than worn carbon.
Hall effect modules stay round because the magnetic Hall cell reads position without contact, which means the failure modes are digital rather than mechanical. If a Hall stick grades poorly, look for a zero-point offset in the controller firmware or a magnet that has shifted in its holder — both produce a clean, uniform error rather than the patchy ring of worn carbon. Since there is no track to wear, a Hall module that grades badly on day one is almost always a calibration or assembly issue, and re-running the test after a firmware reset frequently recovers a full A-grade ring.
For the DualShock 4, age is the dominant variable: these pads are the oldest in the set, and their potentiometer sticks have typically seen the most total play hours. A one-sided grade is the classic signature — the run stick reads worn while the aim stick stays round. Because DS4 modules are cheap and widely documented, a failing grade is one of the most cost-effective replacement decisions on the list; a replacement module usually restores a clean A-grade ring immediately.
The DualShock 4's age is the dominant factor in its circularity, and because these pads have often passed through multiple owners, a low grade reflects cumulative play hours more than any single incident. The left stick is the usual casualty — it carries forward input in nearly every game — while the right stick often grades notably cleaner, which is exactly the asymmetric signature this grader is built to expose. If the DS4's left stick shows a one-sided flat, replacement modules are inexpensive and well documented, making the fix decision far simpler than on a newer pad.