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R2 Button on Dualshock 4 sticking.....again.

meanspartan

meanspartan

Member
So in November , right after the year long warranty ran out, one of my two launch Dualshock 4 controllers had it's R2 button start sticking (it still presses as normal, but on Advanced Warfare my gun would not stop firing until the clip emptied). I was annoyed, but discovered online that the issue is the spring wearing out and you could buy a replacement spring and fix it mostly painlessly. Some repair vids suggested just removing it altogether.

Now, just today while playing Dragon Age, I am noticing that the other controller is starting to do the same exact thing. So I guess what I want to ask is:

1. Is this issue super common?
2. Some youtube DIY repair vids suggest just taking out the spring entirely. If anyone has done this, does the R2 button still feel ok? I don't want it to feel too mushy so will just buy more springs if I have to.

Very irritated right now....I love the feel of the DS4 but god damn is it built shoddily. A couple months in I bought grips for the sticks because the material was tearing, now I have to repair buttons. I am not even rough on my controllers and take good care of them.
 
B

bananafactory

Banned
Yeah I laughed at people thinking they were crazy for a while until I had problems with my own.

Haven't had the R2 issue yet but I've had sticky R1 and thumbsticks on all my controllers peeling, including some I bought as recently as September/October.

Sony definitely cut some corners with the build of them. It sucks.
 
D

Dawg

Member
R1 was sticking here, cleaned it out and the left side is ok but the right side still doesn't feel good/snappy :(
 
meanspartan

meanspartan

Member
Trigonometrize. said:
Dualshock 4 has been an understated disaster. Had my own problem with a left stick dead zone a couple months in.
Click to expand...

I love hate it so hard. It is my favorite controller of all time in regards to how it feels, but it is built with fucking paper or something.

Last month I played my old Ps2 for the first time in years, and the old Dualshock 2 while not as comfortable is a sturdy son of a bitch compared to the DS4
 
B

bananafactory

Banned
Dawg said:
R1 was sticking here, cleaned it out and the left side is ok but the right side still doesn't feel good/snappy :(
Click to expand...

I tried the pencil fix for R1 that I saw on your Twitter but I used a mechanical pencil and it kept snapping and now there's just random broken pieces of lead in my controller and the R1 still sucks :( :(
 
Duxxy3

Duxxy3

Member
Whoever thought that a simple spring mechanism would work for a primary button should be shot (please don't go out and shoot him/her). They are OK for the occasional use like they were for the dualshock 3, but they should have made a change when they designed the dualshock 4. No excuse for that design to transfer from one generation to the next.
 
D

Dawg

Member
bananafactory said:
I tried the pencil fix for R1 that I saw on your Twitter but I used a mechanical pencil and it kept snapping and now there's just random broken pieces of lead in my controller and the R1 still sucks :( :(
Click to expand...

I had the same issue with a toothpick I used :)>) but I finally got the R1 off and luckily the pieces fell out.

Cleaned it out with a Q-tip and I was sure it would be fixed, but alas... still not as snappy... L1 feels 10x better :(
 
P

Phamit

Member
On my first controller the R2 became sticky too and then broke later, I fixed it with magic ( it still works, after some fixing attempt it worked somehow,idk why, it just feel very wrong and not as good as the L2). I removed the spring too, it feels loosely, but its playable

On my second controller it also starts to feel sticky and wrong
 
B

beetle

Neo Member
I'm on my 4th controller.. Each one had trigger problems. On my launch controller R2 completely snapped. At least one of them I blame playing Trials Fusion a bit too hard ;)
 
B

Brian_FETO

Banned
Trigonometrize. said:
Dualshock 4 has been an unnoticed disaster. Had my own problem with a left stick dead zone a couple months in.
Click to expand...
Maaaaaan..... I never had the disintegrating sticks problem but as of late it seems like my left stick is starting to have issues, mainly with "click to run" in some games. I just picked up Wolfenstein again the other day and running just flat out doesn't work sometimes. Which is great for sections where you need to run and jump or slide....

DS4 is still the best controller I've ever used, questionable build quality and all
 
A

AkelisRain

Member
What do you guys mean by sticky? Like the button sticks when you press it down? Like an old controller with gunk in it?
 
meanspartan

meanspartan

Member
Are newer controllers any better in regards to sticking triggers (and tears on the sticks)?

I hope they are getting their shit together and making them sturdier.
 
H

Hazanko

Banned
My issue is different. My R2 is loose in that it moves side to side easily when pushed in. Doesn't feel sturdy, which is distracting.
 
meanspartan

meanspartan

Member
AkelisRain said:
What do you guys mean by sticky? Like the button sticks when you press it down? Like an old controller with gunk in it?
Click to expand...

I described it in OP.

Basically, if the console is off and you are just hitting R2, it feels more or less ok (perhaps very slightly less springiness than L2, but that could just be in my head). But when you play a shooter for instance, you press it like normal and it goes back up like normal, but the gun keeps on firing after you have stopped pressing it, as if you were holding it down.
 
B

bananafactory

Banned
WraithBringer said:
These threads keep popping up about the control pads on the PS4 having issues. I got a launch console with two pads and have had none. I find it hard to sympathise since they have been through a lot. :/
Click to expand...

I take immaculate care of my controllers and have had issues with 4/4.

You may have got lucky but there are definitely some problems with them, or at least large batches of them.
 
A

AkelisRain

Member
meanspartan said:
I described it in OP.

Basically, if the console is off and you are just hitting R2, it feels more or less ok (perhaps very slightly less springiness than L2, but that could just be in my head). But when you play a shooter for instance, you press it like normal and it goes back up like normal, but the gun keeps on firing after you have stopped pressing it, as if you were holding it down.
Click to expand...
Sorry, I skimmed over it. That sucks, I have a sticky problem but it's my touch pad and ps button. My son spilled apple juice on it, other than that it works flawlessly.
 
Q

qa_engineer

Member
I was one of the lucky ones who didn't encounter any controller issues with my launch day ps4. But exactly one year after purchasing the console my controllers are starting to exhibit all of the issues; rubber peeling off sticks and sticky r2 button. The seonc controller I bought but it after just 6 months but my launch controller stick works sans rubber on the sticks.
 
S

Samboread

Member
WraithBringer said:
These threads keep popping up about the control pads on the PS4 having issues. I got a launch console with two pads and have had none. I find it hard to sympathise since they have been through a lot. :/
Click to expand...

Same here, I have a launch controller and a newer red version. neither have had any issues, I noticed the bumpy texture on the thumb sticks is wearing down but they have not torn nor have any buttons become sticky.
 
O

OneUh8

Member
I love the DS4 so much, but it does have issues for sure. My launch controllers had to be replaced under warranty. The new ones I have now seem to be better and different. The sticking R1/L1 buttons were an easy fix when I had that issue. never had an issue with the triggers though, just the thumbsticks wearing.
 
meanspartan

meanspartan

Member
shem935 said:
Had a similar problem, wd-40 fixed it right away.
Click to expand...

Really? Cuz the fix videos I've seen mostly point to the spring wearing out, not literally being sticky (hence why most just remove it entirely and it works fine). It doesn't seem like a problem a lubricant would fix, though maybe yours is different.
 
S

system11

Member
I'm still on my launch pad, hundreds of hours on it easily.

Weakest point seems to be the triggers though from when I took it apart - it doesn't surprise me that they get loose because the pivot point just wears - plastic on plastic, black dust everywhere in there.

I removed the springs because I have tendon problems and it's easier to squeeze them without a spring in there. It does make them a bit too soft and VERY easy to set off by accident. Also removed the rumble motors to make the pad lighter (sadly it won't run without a battery even if the USB cable is in), and removed the light Sony wouldn't let me turn off.
 
E

Effnine

Member
My L2 started sticking ... well, it just doesn't spring up all the way ... didn't start noticing it until NBA 2K15 ...
 
R

Relix

he's Virgin Tight™
My R2 sticks, thanks in part to Dragon Age and Minecraft. Beyond annoying, but at least in Minecraft is like automining :p
 
P

Pimpwerx

Member
R2 broke on both my controllers. One is usable, but will stick every so often. The other one sticks all the time. I assume the warranty is over if I got mine last Xmas? PEACE.
 
D

Dawg

Member
WraithBringer said:
These threads keep popping up about the control pads on the PS4 having issues. I got a launch console with two pads and have had none. I find it hard to sympathise since they have been through a lot. :/
Click to expand...

I've owned my controller since launch and it's only happened about a week or so ago.

I also suffer from OCD and I'm crazy hygienic with my stuff so it's not like you can blame me for being messy or some shit. I take care of my hardware, probably too much.
 
Shpeshal Nick

Shpeshal Nick

aka Collingwood
How would the R2 stick? I had an R1 stick on one controller but that's it.

My sticks have been fine across 4 controllers and my 2 triggers have all been fine. How would the trigger stick?
 
meanspartan

meanspartan

Member
Dawg said:
I've owned my controller since launch and it's only happened about a week or so ago.

I also suffer from OCD and I'm crazy hygienic with my stuff so it's not like you can blame me for being messy or some shit. I take care of my hardware, probably too much.
Click to expand...

I can't say I'm overly careful, but I dont drop them and I don't spill stuff on them or let people touch them with greasy fingers or anything like that.

Yet here I am, R2 button #2 malfunctioning.

And honestly, you shouldn't need to take immaculate care of a video game controller. My old SNES controller is beat to hell (in my defense, got it when I was 5 lol) and still works well.
 
V

Vilam

Maxis Redwood
Having the L2 or R2 trigger get stuck down has happened to me with four separate controllers now since Destiny came out (over the course of around 700 hours of play time). It is the only time I've ever had a controller break on me, and I've owned just about every console since the PS1.

Honestly it's completely unacceptable and something Sony needs to fix. The build quality on the PS4 controllers is just flat out poor. I've also experienced the touch pad having resistance to getting clicked down on the left hand side (because I primarily press down on the right hand side), and the material on the analog sticks peeling off.

Now admittedly, I apply a lot of pressure when pressing buttons. I have a habit of pressing down the triggers hard when playing shooters. That said, I'll reiterate... it has never been a problem with any other controller I've owned.


Edit: I think the issue I've had is actually different than what the OP posted. My issue isn't the spring, but a small piece of plastic in the trigger actually breaking. When pressing the trigger down, the trigger leans to one side rather than pressing down evenly. Simply replacing the spring would not fix the problem I've encountered - my controllers are actually broken and have to be replaced. Like this:

maxresdefault.jpg
Click to expand...
 
D

Dawg

Member
meanspartan said:
I can't say I'm overly careful, but I dont drop them and I don't spill stuff on them or let people touch them with greasy fingers or anything like that.

Yet here I am, R2 button #2 malfunctioning.

And honestly, you shouldn't need to take immaculate care of a video game controller. My old SNES controller is beat to hell (in my defense, got it when I was 5 lol) and still works well.
Click to expand...

Exactly. DS4 really needs an overhaul, I think. At least material-wise.
 
Duxxy3

Duxxy3

Member
Vilam said:
Having the L2 or R2 trigger get stuck down has happened to me with four separate controllers now since Destiny came out (over the course of around 700 hours of play time). It is the only time I've ever had a controller break on me, and I've owned just about every console since the PS1.

Honestly it's completely unacceptable and something Sony needs to fix. The build quality on the PS4 controllers is just flat out poor. I've also experienced the touch pad having resistance to getting clicked down on the left hand side (because I primarily press down on the right hand side), and the material on the analog sticks peeling off.

Now admittedly, I apply a lot of pressure when pressing buttons. I have a habit of pressing down the triggers hard when playing shooters. That said, I'll reiterate... it has never been a problem with any other controller I've owned.

Edit: I think the issue I've had is actually different than what the OP posted. My issue isn't the spring, but a small piece of plastic in the trigger actually breaking. When pressing the trigger down, the trigger leans to one side rather than pressing down evenly. Simply replacing the spring would not fix the problem I've encountered - my controllers are actually broken and have to be replaced. Like this:
Click to expand...

It looks like the trigger popped loose on one side. You'll probably rip out the trigger if you attempt to fix it yourself. So if you do decide to open it, make sure to account for the trigger and spring popping out.
 
meanspartan

meanspartan

Member
Vilam said:
Having the L2 or R2 trigger get stuck down has happened to me with four separate controllers now since Destiny came out (over the course of around 700 hours of play time). It is the only time I've ever had a controller break on me, and I've owned just about every console since the PS1.

Honestly it's completely unacceptable and something Sony needs to fix. The build quality on the PS4 controllers is just flat out poor. I've also experienced the touch pad having resistance to getting clicked down on the left hand side (because I primarily press down on the right hand side), and the material on the analog sticks peeling off.

Now admittedly, I apply a lot of pressure when pressing buttons. I have a habit of pressing down the triggers hard when playing shooters. That said, I'll reiterate... it has never been a problem with any other controller I've owned.


Edit: I think the issue I've had is actually different than what the OP posted. My issue isn't the spring, but a small piece of plastic in the trigger actually breaking. When pressing the trigger down, the trigger leans to one side rather than pressing down evenly. Simply replacing the spring would not fix the problem I've encountered - my controllers are actually broken and have to be replaced. Like this:
Click to expand...

Wasn't my issue, but it became my issue when I fixed my first one- I was trying to get the button out to remove the spring and the stupid plastic hinge on one side broke off. I ordered a replacement on Amazon for this reason.

Some youtube videos suggest replacing the hinge with a metal one, so that is another route you can take.
 
U

User 479360

Banned
My launch DS4 had a sticky L1 button, which started when I was playing Amazing Spider-Man 2 (a disappointingly bland game). Luckily, the manager at the store I got it from let me exchange it even though it'd been six months.

I didn't have a lot of use on the thing, either. Maybe a hundred to a hundred and thirty hours. And I always washed my hands before playing, plus cleaned it with an alcohol wipe.

The new one hasn't had any issues yet, knock on wood.

I'm not handy, and don't like the idea of DIY fixing a controller. I worry about them being clean and working properly, and that'd make my OCD think it was broken even if the fix worked. Or, in better terminology, something to be ashamed about because it's not perfect.
 
Nicktendo86

Nicktendo86

Member
Having receiving a ps4 at Christmas I was struck by two things about the controller; how comfortable it is and how cheap it feels.
 
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