iFixit - Answers With Device "DualSense Controller V4"

DualSense Controller V4: How do I fix my stiff thumbstick?

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 16:33:04 -0700

When turning the thumbstick in any direction, once letting go, it does centre itself and stays turned the direction i turn it to.

⟐ Answered февраля 03, 2026 at 16:33 GMT-7

DualSense Controller V4: How do I tear it down

Wed, 10 Dec 2025 21:55:58 -0700

I need to know how to test it down

⟐ Answered декабря 10, 2025 at 21:55 GMT-7

DualSense Controller V4: L3 button (sprinting) does not work after change of potentiometer

Sun, 14 Sep 2025 09:49:35 -0700

Hi,

Changed my potentiometer (left joystick) and it works great after the GUI installation. BUT, the toggle on the L3 does not work. I can’t sprint, and I have disassembled the controller 10 times, can’t see anything wrong. I really think I did a great job!

What to do here?

⟐ Commented сентября 14, 2025 at 9:49 GMT-7

DualSense Controller V4: How to fix stick drift

Fri, 14 Nov 2025 00:45:40 -0700

How to fix stick drift

⟐ Answered ноября 14, 2025 at 0:45 GMT-7

DualSense Controller V4: Since replacing thumbsticks, my Bluetooth range is practically zero.

Sat, 22 Mar 2025 03:44:22 -0700

I recently installed some replacement hall effect thumbsticks into my V4 controller. Since I did the replacement, the bluetooth range has gone to almost nothing - it won't connect to the PS5 and only my Mac will see if if I rest the controller literally on the laptop. As soon as I move it away, it stops working.

I've clearly broken something. Do these controller have an antenna for the bluetooth? If so where is it on the motherboard. I'm wondering if I broke a connection or two.

Any help much appreciated :).

⟐ Commented марта 22, 2025 at 3:44 GMT-7

DualSense Controller V4: After doing some unrelated soldering, the controller can't charge

Sun, 26 Jan 2025 15:48:37 -0700

I got Hall effect sticks and the eXtremeRate Back Paddles Kit which I installed and tested, and they all worked, but now the controller can't be charged. I didn't even notice at first because I was playing with it plugged in for hours after doing the GUI calibration tool. Every button functions, joysticks work great, have good circularity error rate (8-10%) and seem to perform beautifully. Like I said, I played for hours and noticed no issue.

The problem is, the battery doesn't seem to be detected/charge correctly.

If I plug into USB to the PC, the controller works. When I unplug, the controller dies immediately and can't turn on.
If I plug into USB to a power brick, it will connect via Bluetooth to the PC, but when I unplug from the power it dies immediately.
If I use a charged up battery from another controller, it will turn on via the battery and work perfectly, until the battery dies normally.
If I look at DS4Windows, it says 100% charge, if I look at the "Playstation Accessories" app, it gives a question mark on the battery icon, and the GUI calibration tool shows 0%.

So all that to say, it seems like the USB port itself works (device can be powered via the port) and that the battery connector works (the device can be powered via the battery) but the charging of the battery doesn't work anymore. All the soldering I did was toward the bottom of the PCB: all 12 joystick pins on each side, and a few spots for the flexible board for the eXtremeRate. I undid all the eXtreme rate soldering (but left the joysticks because those are a pain) and had no change.

All considered, I'm fairly new to soldering, but I don't even understand how I could have messed it given that each function except the charging works, which should be quite far from where I've soldered. Does anyone know what I should check or how I might fix it?

Some controller details in case they matter:

Board Model: BDM-040

FW Update: 0x0458 (I can't update this currently due to the battery not being detected in the updater tool on PC)

EDIT: Adding images. I only soldered in the circled areas around the joysticks and a few spots for the eXtremerate flex board. The image with the flex board is it just resting on top, since I removed it to see if that solved the charging issue.

⟐ Commented января 26, 2025 at 15:48 GMT-7

DualSense Controller V4: Flash orange but it won't turn on.

Mon, 22 Sep 2025 03:34:21 -0700

It flash orange, when I connect the type c to it, but it won't turn on or charge, I make sure to unplug any connections but it still not working.

⟐ Answered сентября 22, 2025 at 3:34 GMT-7

DualSense Controller V4: Trigger ribbon cable connector replacement

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 10:59:32 -0700

So I decided to replace the sticks on a dualsense controller because of drift. Replacement itself was successful however when I put back the controller I by mistake slashed the header for a trigger cable with soldering iron and after trying to fix it back messed it up completely.

Is there a way to either solder the cable itself to the contacts or find the same plastic head? Maybe a 3d printed one?

⟐ Commented марта 03, 2026 at 10:59 GMT-7

DualSense Controller V4: Touchpad is kind of stuck. There's stiffness about it

Tue, 17 Feb 2026 01:26:26 -0700

So, when I press it, it's kind of stuck in a way. I gotta press it hard for it to actually press. How do I fix it, and is there a way to do it without tearing the controller down? It's been this way since I bought the PS5 Slim.

⟐ Commented февраля 17, 2026 at 1:26 GMT-7

DualSense Controller V4: L2 button not working

Wed, 04 Feb 2026 02:27:46 -0700

My l2 button is like something broke inside when press .also I hear a sound of plastic inside to roll ..maybe this blocks the l2

⟐ Answered февраля 04, 2026 at 2:27 GMT-7

DualSense Controller V4: My controller won’t hold charge after plugging type c charger.

Sun, 04 Jan 2026 15:46:56 -0700

how do I fix my controller if it turns off immediately after charging it? The only way it can stay on is if I leave it plugged in even then it turns off at random like it doesn’t hold any battery at all.

⟐ Answered января 04, 2026 at 15:46 GMT-7

DualSense Controller V4: Dead motherboard? Battery still works

Wed, 17 Dec 2025 14:21:45 -0700

I replaced the wipers in the potentiometers, and now the controller won’t turn on whatsoever. I did no soldering whatsoever. I followed the “Dualsense Joystick Replacement” article by Arthur Shi but skipped any step with soldering. For example, step 27, I just flipped the motherboard over, making sure not to put too much strain on those wires to the vibration motors. I just opened up the potentiometer and replaced the wipers. It’s not an issue with the battery either because I hooked it up to another controller and it works just fine. I’ve also replaced the wipers in the potentiometer many times on two other controllers and I’ve never had a controller die on me. There is no damage to motherboard, at least none that is visual. The only thing I can think of that happened was that I broke the little gold plate on the mother board that works as the power button or short circuited it somehow. After I replaced the potentiometer I wanted to test it on the hardwaretester.com site before reassembling the controller, so I just plugged the battery in to the back of the motherboard, connected the controller to my laptop, turned the motherboard on by pressing the gold plate with my finger, tested it, and then unhooked the control to my laptop. I unplugged the battery and reassembled the controller (the blue light showing the motherboard was on had gone off when I unhooked it from my laptop, so I doubt it was on when I unhooked the battery) but now it won’t turn on, and again I’ve ruled out an issue with the battery by testing it on a different controller. Any ideas? And is it just a matter of replacing the motherboard?

⟐ Commented декабря 17, 2025 at 14:21 GMT-7

DualSense Controller V4: Fixing the stick drift. (Either cleaning or changing the joysticks)

Thu, 13 Nov 2025 00:08:32 -0700

I am trying to fix a 80 dollar ps5 controller, and I dont want to have to pay for a new one i know how to solder and I know a good bit about tech repair, and I havent worked on a ps5 controller before

⟐ Answered ноября 13, 2025 at 0:08 GMT-7

DualSense Controller V4: How to fix stick drift

Fri, 17 Oct 2025 06:57:18 -0700

Just have stick drift of my dual sense cant even use it just keeps going left without doing anything. Wanting a fix procedure please

⟐ Commented октября 17, 2025 at 6:57 GMT-7

DualSense Controller V4: Some buttons on Dualsense not working

Mon, 08 Sep 2025 02:28:16 -0700

I'm trying to fix my brother's dualsense controller; He got it used from a rental store, so I don't know what may have happened to it before that that may have caused this. When my brother first asked me to take a look at it, all the buttons worked except for the d-pad, which didn't work at all. I took it apart and cleaned the buttons, etc., they weren't that dirty. I didn't see any signs of damage that I could recognize. Now I've put it back together, and you can navigate the PS5 menu with the D-pad but it always moves to the left, as if the left D-pad button is always pressed (which it's not). And now some of the face buttons, namely the X and Square buttons aren't working, even though they were working before. Any help to get the controller working would be greatly appreciated; I'm very much an amateur, and I assume I'm probably making a basic mistake.

⟐ Answered сентября 08, 2025 at 2:28 GMT-7

DualSense Controller V4: My audio port dosent work

Mon, 18 Aug 2025 08:30:41 -0700

every time i plug in my controller i get nk input from my mic i can’t hear or talk at all

⟐ Answered августа 18, 2025 at 8:30 GMT-7

DualSense Controller V4: I would like to change the cap on my DualSense controller.

Thu, 14 Aug 2025 06:29:54 -0700

My cat nibbled the joystick cap on my standard DualSense controller and I would like to change it, but I don't know which specific cap model to take that will be compatible with

the version of my controller (my controller : CFI-ZCT1W, Ak8cfizct1b)

⟐ Commented августа 14, 2025 at 6:29 GMT-7

DualSense Controller V4: How can I fix My ps5 controller drift on the left joystick?

Tue, 20 May 2025 16:37:31 -0700

My controller has a problem with the drift on the left joystick and it make the tv go up and down and i can't play

⟐ Answered мая 20, 2025 at 16:37 GMT-7

DualSense Controller V4: How to fix my headset aux plug

Sat, 07 Jun 2025 18:31:14 -0700

When i plug my headset in the sound seems like it sounds underwater and static, it happened when the cable was yanked from the port and ever since then it sounds weird, i used my headset on another controller and it worked fine

DualSense Controller V4: L2 adaptive trigger problem

Mon, 07 Apr 2025 06:58:53 -0700

L2 adaptive trigger turns on and off after headphone jack repair.