A lot of people who play the PlayStation 4 (PS4) have trouble with stick drift. It’s when your controller’s analog sticks move around on their own, making it hard to play games correctly. To fix stick drift on your PS4 controller, you can try a few things. Some of them might even work. This piece will talk about each of these ways one by one.
Table of Contents
Method 1: Cleaning the Controller
Clean your controller first to stop stick drift. Some things can get stuck on the analog sticks, which makes it tough to move easily. Do these things:
- Take the Controller Off: Turn off your PS4 and remove the controller to keep yourself safe while you clean.
- Be careful when you take the controller’s thumbsticks off. A small screwdriver with a flat head will work.
- Wipe the bottom of the sticks and the grooves where they go with a cotton swab or compressed air to clean them. Get rid of any dust or other things that could be causing the drift.
- Take the controller apart again. Make sure the thumbsticks are properly attached and put them back where they belong.
- The controller needs to be aligned. To do this, connect it to your PS4 again and go to the settings menu. Calibration helps make sure that the controller works right.
Method 2: Dead Zone Adjustment
If you want to stop stick drift, you can change the dead zone. So that you can do this, you need to slow down the analog sticks. Things to do:
- Sign in to your account: Take out your PS4 and look for “Devices.”
- Next to “Controllers,” opt for “Customize Button Assignments.”
- Change the Dead Zone: The thumbsticks let you change the dead zone. To put your input in a bigger dead zone, you have to move farther away. This can keep the stick from drifting. Try a few different dead zone settings until you find the one that works best for you.
Method 3: Firmware Update
The firmware on your controller should be up to date. Do these things:
- Check out what’s new: Back on the PS4, go to “Settings,” “Devices,” and “Controllers” when you’re done. Click on “Update the Controller.”
- Steps: If there’s an update, read the screen and do what it says. Putting new firmware on the game can fix most trouble with stick drift.
Method 4: Replacement Thumbsticks
And if cleaning and adjusting the old ones doesn’t work, you can get new ones:
- Get new thumbsticks. It’s easy to find cheap new thumbsticks online.
- Make sure the new thumbsticks are lined up right before taking off the old ones.
Method 5: Professional Repair
You might want to call a repair service if nothing else works:
- Sony can help you. If your controller is still under warranty, call their customer service to learn how to fix it or get a new one.
- Service Centers Near You: If your controller is no longer under warranty, you can also look for service centers near you or online that fix game accessories.
Method 6: DIY Repair (Advanced)
For your own safety, this method should only be used by tech-savvy people. But be careful, because it could void your warranty:
- Take the Controller Apart: To get to the stick parts, open the controller with a screwdriver.
- Should I Change or Clean This Part? The contacts and sensors on the thumbstick should be cleaned. If that doesn’t help, you might want to get a new analog stick module as well.
- Slowly put the controller back together, and then test it to see if the repair worked. When you need to take something apart and put it back together again, online how-tos and guides can be very helpful.
Method 7: Recalibration
Putting your controller back together with a PC is one way to do this. Do these things:
- Connect to a PC: Use USB to connect your PS4 controller to a PC.
- Set up again: To set up the controller again on the PC, use software or apps that let you do this. If you re-calibrate the thumbsticks the way the software tells you to, stick drift problems might go away.
- Stick drift can be a pain, but you can fix it and play PS4 games without any problems if you know what to do and take your time. Get help from Sony right away if the problem keeps happening or if your controller is still under warranty.
Conclusion
A lot of PS4 gamers worry about how to fix stick drift. Still, it’s not impossible. Trouble with stick drift should be fixed by following these steps. It will then be easy for you to play games. To stop stick drift, you don’t have to buy new thumbsticks. You can clean, calibrate, or update the firmware, or you can do any of these other things. Get a new controller or have a professional fix the one you have if nothing else works. This might be the only way to make sure you can play games without any issues. To read more content like this, visit https://www.trendblog.net.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What makes the sticks on a PS4 controller drift?
The analog sticks can get stuck with dust or wear out over time. There could also be a problem with how they are calibrated. It can also happen if the thumbstick module is broken.
How often does the PS4 controller’s stick drift happen?
Yes, a lot of PS4 users have issues with stick drift. It can happen with both new and old controllers. Still, things might go wrong sometimes or sometimes not.
How can I keep the stick from drifting?
Make sure your controller is clean and in good shape to stop stick drift. You should always keep the firmware on your controller up to date. Do not push too hard, and keep the area around the analog sticks clean.
If the warranty is still good, should I fix my controller myself?
It’s possible that fixing a controller again would void the warranty if you did it while it was still under warranty. You should call Sony’s customer service for help if your controller still has a warranty.
Will stick drift happen again, or is there a way to stop it for good?
Mostly, stick drift can be fixed for a short time. It might happen again, though, if the controller is old. If this keeps happening, you might need to get a new controller.
