The PlayStation 4 controller is a decent one and is likely Sony’s best design to date. It contains a tonne of features, such as a speaker and motion controls.
Despite how excellent it is, you could occasionally run across problems with it. For instance, the PS4 controller could lose calibration and start to drift. But how is a PS4 controller calibrated? Techpotamus can guide you that how you can calibrate the PS4 controller easily. Keep reading
How to Calibrate a PS4 Controller
Stick drift is one of the most annoying problems with the PS4 controller, yet it is not a problem that exclusively affects the PS4.
For instance, stick drift is a recurring issue with the Nintendo Switch that has been noted for all Switch models and Switch Joy-Cons.
Even after being the focus of a class action lawsuit, Nintendo gave free repairs for Switches and Joy-Cons that stick drift, even if the work is done after the warranty has expired.
Even the Xbox controller from Microsoft is accustomed to stick wander. Even, if you are non-technical and don’t want to calibrate your PS4 through its hardware you can easily calibrate the PS4 controller on the PC through easy steps. Coming back to the calibration of the PS4 controller through its hardware mentioned below:
Calibrate your PS4 Controller
Verify that the console and the controller are both off.
- L3 and R3 buttons should be pressed and held simultaneously for 30 seconds.
- Release the buttons after 30 seconds, then five times clockwise rotate both analogue sticks.
- Then, turn them five times counterclockwise.
- Now, press and hold the L3 and R3 buttons once again for 30 seconds.
- After 30 seconds, release the analogue sticks, and that’s all. The analogue sticks on your controller should now be properly adjusted.
Hard Reset your Controller
Next, you can try hard resting your controller to see if that resolves the problem if the aforementioned techniques didn’t. Switch off your console and your controller.
Make sure they are not in sleep mode and are completely off. Using a paper clip, now push the reset button on the controller’s back, which is situated in the upper right corner.
Clean the sticks
It’s possible that the analogue sticks are drifting because of anything nearby. If so, your best approach could be to gently wipe this region with a dry microfiber cloth.
If it appears to be dirty, remove any crud or grime with a little damp q-tip. After that, use a dry microfiber cloth to wipe away any remaining wetness.
Unplug the PS4
Thankfully, this option is very straightforward, but make sure the PS4 is turned off before you proceed. If not, something can occur that corrupts the data you save or download. Give it a minute to fully shut down after being unplugged before plugging it back in. The stick drift should go if this solves the issue.
Remove or drain the battery from your PS4 controller
Though you will need specific tools to remove the battery, this approach is also rather straightforward. To help the battery come out, for instance, you will need a pry tool and a Philips #00 screwdriver.
However, you can just completely drain the battery if you don’t want to go through the process of removing it. Depending on how much power the PS4 controller has left, this will take longer. You can modify the setting to prevent the PS4 controller from turning off automatically in order to drain it as quickly as possible.
Go to Settings and choose Power Saver Settings to prevent your PS4 controller from shutting down automatically. The option to Set Time Until Controllers Turn Off will be visible.
Your PS4 controller should be able to drain automatically if you disable this option. When your PS4 controller is connected to the PS4 via USB, this feature is automatically disabled, although the charging impact of doing so defeats the point of doing so.
You can plug the PS4 controller back in to start charging it after it has fully discharged. Simply return to the Power Saver Settings and change the duration of time for the controller to switch off to the time you had previously specified if you want to use the automatic turn-off feature once more.
Is stick drift a serious issue on a PS4 controller?
Stick drift is undesirable in any controller because it frequently leads to failure in any gameplay you attempt, even if the stick drift is just minimal. In essence, what happens is that the stick will be slightly pointed in a specific way. Because it is so insignificant, you probably won’t even notice it when it occurs. However, if you perform the calibration procedure described above, you will notice the stick indicator “jiggling” if you are suffering stick drift. The stick may have trouble relocating to the centre when moved during the calibration process.
Depending on the type of input, this issue may have a greater or lesser impact on your gaming experience. A slight stick drift, for example, might not be a problem when navigating the menus, but if you are playing something precisely, even something so small could destroy the experience.
Does stick drift affect both of the PS4 controller’s joysticks?
Stick drift won’t necessarily occur with both of your joysticks if it occurs with one of them. This is owing to the fact that hardware failure, not software failure, is often what causes stick drift.
As a result, one stick may function flawlessly while the other may be totally out of alignment.
Does Sony offer free repairs for controller stick drift?
It might be better to get in touch with Sony if none of the aforementioned strategies succeeds.
Do they, however, offer a service similar to Nintendo’s that enables free stick drift repair? Unfortunately, the bad news is that they don’t. Therefore, if you want the issue fixed, you’ll probably either have to pay Sony or, if it’s still covered by warranty, get it fixed for nothing.