Are you tired of experiencing unresponsive controls or erratic movements while gaming on your PS 4?
Do you find yourself constantly struggling to maintain accuracy and precision during intense gameplay sessions?
Look no further!
In this definitive guide, we will delve into how to calibrate your PS4 controller.
Empowering you to unlock its full potential and elevate your gaming experience to new heights.
In this article, we will delve into the underlying reasons behind controller calibration issues.
We will equip you with the necessary knowledge to troubleshoot and fix stick drifting these issues effectively.
Why You Need Calibrate Controller
The controller offered with Xbox Series X or Xbox One does not require calibration before using it.
However, the same is not the case with PS4 controllers. Users need to calibrate it before they can enjoy using them for their enticing gameplays.
Stick drifting owing to the L3 and R3 button while X and Y button for Xbox players can become unresponsive due to various potential reasons.
Thus, calibrating your controller would be the ideal option to resolve the issue and make it responsive to the user’s commands.
Calibrating the controller also helps to restore the default sensitivity settings which helps in better movements or reflexes during the gameplay.
Alongside better performance, you can also improve your controller accuracy using calibration to focus on more trivial details related to your movements through the input.
How To Calibrate a PS4 Controller
To calibrate a PS4 controller, follow these steps:
- First turn off the controller and console.
- Press and hold L3 and R3 buttons for 30 seconds.
- Release the buttons and rotate analog sticks clockwise five times.
- Rotate the analog sticks counterclockwise five times.
- Press and hold L3 and R3 buttons for another 30 seconds.
- Release the analog sticks. Your controller’s analog sticks should now be recalibrated.
Unplug The PS4
Unplugging the PS4 from the USB slot if connected through wire connection and reconnecting it helps to solve the minor bugs or glitches that can cause the controller to become unresponsive or laggy.
If the controller is connected wirelessly, press the PS button for around 10 seconds to turn it off and enable it again after some time.
Clean The Sticks
One of the most common issues with the controllers is the accumulation of dirt particles around the thumb stick buttons, which causes them to become unresponsive.
- Try cleaning the sticks using a dry microfiber cloth gently to soak up the moisture and allow room for them to respond efficiently.
- Users can also choose to rub alcohol using a damp cloth near the buttons which are causing you trouble. Avoid using excessive solutions as it can damage the controller.
- Gently wipe the buttons and let them dry before starting the controller again and check if the issue has been resolved.
It is very necessary to clean your PS4 controller for seamless gaming experience.
Loosening The Thumb sticks
To loosen up the thumb sticks for your PS4 controller, rotate counter-clockwise or vice versa and let the device adjust according to the movements. It will also clear any dust or debris near the sticks.
Follow the given pattern for losing the sticks.
- Rotate the right stick clockwise for 4-5 times and repeat the same for the left analog stick.
- Hold on to the L3 and R3 buttons for around 30 seconds to allow them to get loosened up.
Remove Battery From Your PS4 Controller
Follow the given steps to remove or drain the battery from your PS4 controller.
- The most efficient method to drain the battery from the controller is by disabling the settings to prevent the controller from turning off to save power after being inactive.
- Head to the Settings tab on your PS4 console.
- Under the list of options, choose the Power save settings.
- Select the option to Select time until the controller is off.
- Once selected, disable the feature. It will lead to battery draining from your controller. Once the controller has been discharged. Plug in the USB cable and charge it and check if the issue has been resolved.
Reset Controller To Default
- To reset the controller to its default settings, you will need to trigger the reset button located on the opposite side of the L2 face of the controller.
- You will have to use a small pin or other tools to push and press the button for about 5 seconds located within the gap or hole.
- Once the reset process has been completed, connect your controller to the console using the USB cable and enable it using the PS logo button to calibrate it.
Doing A Soft Reset
To do a soft reset of your controller to allow it to become more responsive, follow the given steps.
- Plug in the console and navigate to the home or main screen.
- Head to the Settings tab and choose Devices.
- Select Bluetooth Devices and choose the controller you wish to recalibrate.
- Hold the options button on the controller to generate a choice to Forget Device. It will unpair the controller from the console.
- Restart the console and try connecting the controller again using a wired connection. Hold the PS button when instructed to allow it to pair again with the console.
Doing A Hard Reset
Turn off the console before performing a hard reset. Once done, locate the small gap on the backside of the controller near the L2 button.
- Using a “wire” or a “pin”, hold down the reset button inside the hole for around 10 seconds to perform the reset.
- After the process is completed, restart the console and connect the PS4 controller using a wired connection to the console and hold the PS button to pair it up again.
Check if the hard reset has helped with the issue related to the controller.
Calibrate PS4 Controller With The Calibration Tool
If you find hard reset a bit challenging, you can also calibrate the PS4 controller with the calibration tool available. To do so, you will have to pair up your controller with any PC.
Follow the given steps to fix the issue using this technique.
- Pair up the controller with any system using Bluetooth connectivity.
- To enable the Bluetooth pairing, go to Settings and Under the Bluetooth tab, enable it by sliding down the tab.
- Once connected, use the Windows key and search for controller options, and choose Setup USB, game controllers.
- Choose the controller from the available list and head to Properties.
- Under Properties, head to the Settings tab and click the Calibrate option.
- The process for calibration will begin. Click next and navigate to different areas on the screen using the controller. For instance, use the L3 stick to navigate to the leftmost side of the screen and so on.
- You will now be presented with a wizard menu offering you a process to calibrate the display.
Follow the instructions to calibrate the controller and click Finish and try connecting it again with the console to see if the problem has been fixed.
Calibrate PS4 Controller Using A Third-Party Tool
Users can also rely on various third-party calibration tools available on the internet, such as Fluke. Navigate to the official website and download it into your system.
- If download has been completed, install them by double clicking on them.
- Once the installation process is completed,launch the tool and start the calibration process.
- You will be asked to click on multiple random targets on the screen to reset the controller’s responses and fix the issue.
- Once installed, you will be guided using a wizard menu. Pair up your controller with the system and follow the instructions to calibrate the controller to cater to your needs.
After the process has been completed, pair up with the console wirelessly or through a USB cable to see the changes.
FAQs
How Do I Recalibrate My Controller?
Performing a soft reset to recalibrate your controller is an ideal option to consider. You can also try out other tips mentioned in the article, such as draining the battery or performing a hard reset based on your liking.
How Often Should I Calibrate My PS4 Controller?
Generally, the PS4 controller requires calibration at the time of initial use. However, it is recommended to calibrate the controller frequently to avoid any unresponsive button input during the gameplay.
Are There Any Risks Involved In Controller Calibration?
Controller Calibration does not affect the other settings or the functionality of the controller making it safe from any risks or issues. You can calibrate the device as many times as you like to boost your performance.
Can I Use The Same Calibration Settings For Multiple Controllers?
No, each controller has been entrusted with different calibration settings per their requirements. Thus, you cannot use the same methods to calibrate other controllers.
Conclusion
PS4 controllers help deliver a top-notch experience to the users during their favorite gameplays.
It is crucial to calibrate the controller regularly to boost the response time of the controller and avoid having any stuck buttons.
We recommend trying the soft reset and battery drain method to calibrate the controller and ensure optimum performance during gaming sessions.
Hard resetting can be challenging for some users and can be avoided by beginners.
We hope you liked the article.
Keep Clashing!
as far as i can tell ps4 controllers are only calibrated at the factory. there is a python script that can do it now that the ps4 is obsolete-ish. none of this worked for me.