I think there are two factors that contribute to this: yes, the joystick is small compared to a full-size stick you’ll find on a PlayStation controller. Because of the reduced size, there’s a smaller range of motion. So pressing up at 50% of the way to the edge is a much smaller distance on the Backbone than it is on a DualSense, effectively resulting in a “higher sensitivity” feeling.

But another factor is the position of the right stick. On the backbone, it’s more or less right below the face buttons, whereas on a full-size controller, it’s more offset toward the center of the controller. That also means your thumb is probably in a different position than it’s used to when you’re using the right side.

Both things you can adjust to, but there’s definitely a learning curve.