Does your PS4 controller no longer seem to respond perfectly to commands? Does it struggle to respond every time you press a button? Before you send it back to the factory, try resetting it to factory defaults.
Gamepads like those designed for Sony’s PS4 can go out of adjustment over time. Joysticks become temperamental and buttons less responsive than before. Controls may also no longer match the actions that are supposed to occur. Before blaming natural wear and tear on heavy controller use, first check to make sure the problem isn’t just a nearly dead battery. Then connect your controller to your PC with its USB cable. If the malfunctions persist, a reset of the controller settings may be useful. There are two ways to do this. You can do it directly on the controller or through Windows. Here is how to do it.
How to reset a PS4 controller with the Reset button?
The controller comes with a device that allows you to return to the default settings so that it is as it was when you took it out of the box the first time.
- First press the PS button at the bottom center of the controller once to bring it out of its sleep state.
- Turn the controller over and locate a small hole near the L2 button. Using a paper clip or a SIM card extractor for example (used on smartphones to open the SIM card drawer), press the button in this small hole for 5 seconds.
- The controller is now reset.
How to reset a PS4 controller with a PC?
Don’t have a paper clip or SIM card extractor handy to perform a manual reset? Use your PC.
- If you haven’t already done so, first connect your controller to your PC. Read our How to Use a PS4 Controller on a PC fact sheet.
- Then go to the Windows Control Panel. To do this, simply type Control Panel in the search field next to the Start button and then click on the first instance of Control Panel.
- In the window that appears, click on Hardware and Audio and then Devices and Printers.
- In the window that appears, right-click on your controller icon and choose Game Controller Settings.
- The Game Controllers window opens. Select your device and click Properties.
- Select the Settings to tab in the window that appears.
- Finally, click the Reset button. Your controller is now ready to be configured the way you want it.