How to make ps4 controller vibrate constantly

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My colleagues had come over on Friday night after work and we were all settling in for a long night of FIFA.

We were a few games in when one of my colleagues suddenly exclaimed his controller was constantly vibrating and it was hampering his ability to play. Typical gamer excuses.

I took the controller from him and tried turning it off and back on, but it didn’t work.

Eventually, I hard reset the controller using the reset button on the back and it worked.

This, however, got me thinking about how bad could the issue get. Considering I had to completely reset the controller definitely means it can get worse.

With some diligent research, I found out that it can be very annoying and many individuals do face this issue.

To fix your PS4 controller constantly vibrating, turn it off and back on, or reset the controller by holding down the reset button on the back of the controller with a sim-ejector tool.

I’ll also be going through a couple of other methods including cleaning the controller and checking the vibration motors.

Turn Off and Turn Back On your PS4 Controller

If your PS4 controller is constantly vibrating it might be a small error or bug that’s causing the issue.

It’s not a permanent bug and can be fixed by just turning off the controller and back on again. But in some cases, it may not work.

If it didn’t work for you, continue reading to solve the issue.

Disconnect and Reconnect your PS4 Controller to your PS4

If you already tried turning the controller off and back on again and the vibration still persists, then the next option is to disconnect and reconnect the PS4 controller with your PS4.

You can do this by following these steps:

• Go to the ‘Settings’ screen.
• Select ‘Devices’ and click on ‘Bluetooth Devices’.
• Navigate to the controller that is causing the vibration issue and click on disconnect.
• Once the controller has disconnected, you can press the PS button on your controller to reconnect.

This should almost always solve the constant vibration issue, but if it doesn’t then it might be something else that needs to be checked.

Check for Controller Updates

Controller updates on the PS4 are generally tied to the system update.

To update your PS4, navigate to ‘Settings’.

Look for ‘System Software Update’ and click on it. This checks your system, and if it finds a software update, it will be downloaded automatically.

This will also update the controller if there is an update linked to the system software.

Disable Vibration in Settings

A quick fix to keep the game going is to simply turn off the vibration setting on your controller.

Granted this isn’t an ideal fix and takes a lot away from the gaming experience, it’s simply meant to be a quick fix if you and your friends are in the middle of a game.

You can always come back to the other methods when you aren’t active on the console.

Clean the Electrical Contacts

Dirty or damaged electrical contacts can have undesired effects on the controller.

This is usually caused by a fluctuation in power between the components.

Check the USB port on the PS4 to make sure the controller is it’s clean and none of the pins are bent or damaged.

Also, make sure to check near the analog sticks to make sure dirt hasn’t got trapped inside.

If it is dirty, however, then you can clean the ports and under the analog sticks by first unscrewing the four screws underneath the PS4.

Next, use a flathead screwdriver or any prying tool and slot it into the gap between the top and bottom plate.

Slowly work your way around the controller till it pops open. Be careful not to be forceful, as it could damage the controller.

Pull the backplate away, but don’t pull too hard as there is a white ribbon connector that you have to disconnect before fully removing the backplate.

Gently remove the battery and disconnect it and proceed to unscrew the black plate right under it.

Once you remove the black plate, disconnect the small blue ribbon cable attached to the green logic board and proceed to remove the rest of the components.

If you wish to, you can remove the buttons and triggers to clean as well, but for our current situation, we are focusing on the parts we’ve disconnected already.

Use rubbing alcohol and a microfiber cloth to slowly wipe over all of the electrical components and connectors.

Use this opportunity to make sure not of the connector pins are damaged.

Clean out the USB port as well and follow the steps in reverse to put your controller back together.

Note that if you are not familiar with electrical components and have never done this before, follow through with the process at your own discretion.

Check if the Rumble Motors Are Damaged

While you have the controller open, you can also check if the vibration motor on your device has been damaged.

Look for obvious issues such as frayed or damaged wires, as well as any damage in and around the housing of the vibration motor.

At this point, whether you have visible or internal damage to the vibration motors, the controller will need to be taken to a service center to be repaired.

Reset your Controller Settings

Another simple fix that might help you fix the vibration issue is to reset the controller settings to default.

Simply find the recessed reset button on the back of the PS4 controller and use a sim-ejector tool.

Hold down the reset button for around 5 seconds and the controller should be reset to factory default.

Now, you can connect the controller via USB and it will automatically resync the controller.

Reset your PS4

As a last-ditch attempt, you can choose to reset your PS4.

You can either do a ‘Quick’ reset, which will keep all data but restore default settings, or you can choose ‘Full’ reset which will wipe the system and reinstall the OS from scratch.

Depending on the severity of your issue, you can choose which option to go with.

Remember to back up your data to an external hard drive or thumbstick before performing a full reset.

Once the reset is done, you can proceed to use the system normally.

Contact Support

If you have damage to your vibration motor, then you can contact support.

They will be able to guide you to a local service center for repairs.

If your device is under warranty, and it’s not possible to repair the controller, they will issue a brand new controller to you.

Conclusion

To wrap up, the PS4 does have certain issues at times when it comes to the controller constantly vibrating.

However, it’s usually easy to fix, but in some rare cases might require additional steps to fix.

Additionally, it’s also a good idea to clean your controllers every six months or so as this can help increase the longevity of the controller.

Finally, you can try reducing the vibration settings as well so that if the issue does occur, it isn’t as jarring as having it at full vibration.

The PS4 controller comes with amazing haptic feedback and light indicators. So, before deciding that the controller is faltering, do your research.

For example, if the PS4 controller light is green, it might indicate that you are a third player in the game instead of notifying you of an error.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do you change the vibration on a PS4 controller?

In most cases, you change the vibration settings within the game if the game allows it, but there is no way to change the settings from the system settings.

How do I stop my PS4 controller from vibrating?

You can turn off vibration settings by going to Settings>>Devices>>Bluetooth Devices.

Select the controller you want and change the vibration setting between on and off.

What does it mean if your PS4 controller keeps vibrating?

It could either be a minor bug in the game or controller, but in some cases it could mean there is an issue with your vibration motor.

How do I make my controller vibrate more?

Why is my PS4 controller vibrating nonstop?

How do I make my phone vibrate non stop?