Sony Dualshock CUH-ZCT2U Troubleshooting

During game play, my buttons will get stuck down in place, even though I have released the button.

Over time, dirt, dust and other residual materials can get trapped in crevices between the buttons. If the area is accessible, a quick blast of compressed air can dislodge the debris enough to knock it out of the controller. If this doesn't work, you may need to clean the buttons from the inside. To do this, follow the steps in the button replacement repair guide. If this doesn't work, you may need to order a new button from Sony, or another distributor.

If you've spilled a sugary drink onto the DualShock 4, dried sugar may have gotten into the buttons, causing them to stick. If the buttons are not cleaned, the sugar could corrode the buttons even further. In order to clean out the buttons, remove the affected buttons, and wash them with soap and water. To do this, follow the steps in the button replacement repair guide. If this doesn't work, you may need to order a new button from Sony, or another distributor.

During impact in Grand Turismo 6, I don’t really 'feel' the impact. My controller is physically inert.

If your controller doesn't have enough charge, it may refrain from initiating the vibration motors, in order to sustain the overall charge for as long as possible. Recharge the battery to 100%. If this doesn't work, you may need to replace the battery or the vibration motors.

If re-syncing the controller with the system didn't work, you can manually reset the controller as follows:

1. Locate the small reset button on the back of the DS4 near the L2 button.
2. Use a small, pointy object, such as an unfolded paper-clip (or a similar object) to push the button. The button is in a tiny hole next to the top right screw on the bottom outer shell.
3. Hold the button down for several seconds, and release.

If the controller is turning on, but not syncing to the console, then the controller will appear to be unresponsive. To sync the controller, use the USB cable to re-sync the controller with the system. If this doesn't work, try and reset the controller.

If you've accidentally turned off the vibration function through the console, then the controller will not vibrate. To turn it back on, go to the Functions area by pressing "up" on the d-pad. Go to Settings, then in Settings go to Devices, then go to Controllers. Inside the Controllers menu, there is anEnable Vibration function; make sure that there is a check mark next to it. This setting affects all controllers, and also overrides in-game vibration settings. If this doesn't work, try and reset the controller.

Sometimes, if the wireless connection between the console and the controller is not functioning properly, some features, such as vibration, may not respond to the game play. You may be able to solve this by turning both the console and the controller off, and then back on. The blue light will indicate that the controller is on. If this doesn't work, try and reset the controller.

If you hear a rattling or clicking noise coming from inside of the controller, then the vibration motors may be damaged. You may need to order a new motor from Sony, or another distributor.

When I hold down the power button, my controller doesn't turn on.

If the battery is very low, then the controller will not have enough power to turn on. Plug the controller in to charge, until it is at 100% power. If this doesn't work, you may need to replace the battery.

If the controller is not charging when connected to the system, then the charging port might be at fault. To make sure that it is not the charging cable that is broken, connect the cable to another controller, and see if it charges or not. If it is indeed the charging port that is broken, you can reference our charging port repair guide.

If re-syncing the controller with the system didn't work, you can manually reset the whole controller.

I dropped my DualShock 4 controller, and now the touch pad is not responding during game play.

Although it is a major new addition to the controller, the touch pad cannot be used in every area that the PlayStation 4 has to offer. Only games that have incorporated the touch pad into their software work with the touch pad. Check the game case to make sure that a particular game is compatible with the touch pad. There are also a few areas of the PlayStation menu that don’t support the touch pad. If you have successfully identified that the game you are playing does, in fact, support the touch pad, you may need to reset your controller. If neither of these steps is successful, you may need to replace the touch pad.

The touch pad may not be working correctly, if you haven't installed the newest update. If you have installed the newest update, and your touch pad still isn't working, try resetting your controller. If you reset your controller, an you're unsuccessful in resolving this issue, you may need to replace the touch pad.

If re-syncing the controller with the system didn't work, you can manually reset the controller.

When I try to press my analog sticks down, it gets stuck, and won’t come back up. My analog sticks are also tearing.

Over time, dirt, dust, and other residual materials can get into the crevices between the joysticks. If you can identify the area that is dirty, and you have canned air, give the area a quick blast. This might disrupt the debris enough to knock it out of the controller. If this doesn't work, you may need to clean the joysticks from the inside. To do this, follow the steps in the 'analog stick replacement repair guide.

If none of the previous suggestions fix the problem, it is likely that your analog stick(s) is bent or broken. In this case, you’ll need to order a new analog stick from Sony, or another distributor, and then follow the analog stick replacement guide.

The light on the front of the controller doesn’t light up when I charge it.

The simplest initial method would be to reset the controller itself. Manually resetting the controller can be done as shown below:

1. Locate the reset button. Under the L2 button, next to the upper right screw, there is a small hole. Inside this hole is the reset button.

2. Put a toothpick, or a similar object, into the hole, press the button, and hold it down for a few seconds, and release.

3. Once the device has restarted, attempt to charge it again.

If your controller is old, consider replacing its battery. Old batteries are more likely to stop holding charges. Disclaimer: doing this voids Sony’s warranty on the device.

Make sure that the charging cable/port is not defective. Connect the controller to a different charging cable/port, and see if it starts charging. If you are using a 3rd party micro-USB cable, it may not charge the controller. They can allow a controller to play on the Playstation 4, but they will not always charge the device. Plug the controller in with a Sony USB cable, and see if that fixes the issue.

If you have tried the previous suggestions, and the device still will not charge, consider replacing the controller’s charging port. See below for detailed instructions on replacing the charging port:

Charging port replacement guide

My controller is on and working, but it is not connected to the console

The controller might have a general malfunction. This can be resolved by resetting it.

1. Turn off Playstation 4 console.

2. Turn the DualShock 4 over and locate the reset button near the L2 button. (It should be a small hole to the left of a screw)

3. Take an unfolded paper clip or a similar object and push it into the reset button hole so that it presses the button itself.

4. Hold the button down for about 10 seconds and then release.

5. Now that the controller is reset, connect the controller and console by taking a USB cable and attaching it to the appropriate ports.

6. Turn on the Playstation 4 console and press the PS button on the controller in order to login to the PS4.

7. If the PS button is unresponsive, try a different USB port on the console.

Your Wi-Fi router may be the problem. The router might limit connectivity which can be solved by resetting it.

1. Turn off Playstation 4 console.

2. Unplug the Wi-Fi router’s power.

3. While the router is still unplugged, turn the PS4 back on.

4. Turn the router back on to check if router interference was the problem. Change the router channel to either 1 or 11 if the problem persists (the router manufacturer’s guide has more specific instructions).

The controller is not emitting any audio from its speaker system.

1. To turn the controller’s volume up higher, go to the “Home Screen” of your PS4, and press the up arrow button on your controller’s D-pad.

2. This will take you to a screen referred to as the “Function Area.” From here, you will select the option that reads“Settings,” then you will select the option that reads “Devices,” and then you will select the option that reads “Controllers.”

3. After selecting the “Controllers” option, you will select the “Volume Control” control option, which will highlight it. After highlighting this option, press the right arrow on the controller’s d-pad to turn the volume up on the controller. The controller should make a sound effect when you press the right arrow on the d-pad to increase the volume, or when you press the left arrow on the D-pad to decrease the volume.

If you followed the steps above, and adjusting the volume on your controller did not work, then you need to reset your controller.

1. Completely shut off your PS4 console.

2. Unplug your router to turn it off.

3. Turn your PS4 console back on, but leave your router unplugged.

Check to see if the sound on your controller has been restored, by either clicking on a certain function, or playing a certain game, that will cause your controller to emit sound. If your controller’s sound capabilities have been restored after unplugging your router, then the initial issue may have been caused by interference from your router. After plugging your router back in, you may need to change its channel to either 1, or 11, in order to ensure that this issue does not occur again (you may need to consult the router’s manufacturer website in order to know how to do this).

If unplugging your router did not properly reset the controller, and your controller is still not emitting any sound, then you may need to reset your controller using another method.

1. Completely shut off your PS4 console.

2. Find the “Reset Button” on the back of your controller, behind the “L2 Button,” and use a paperclip, or some other thin object, to hold the button down for a few seconds, in order to reset your controller.

3. After your controller has been reset, plug your controller into a USB cord, and plug the USB into your PS4 console, in order to repair the controller to your console.

4. Turn your PS4 console back on.