• Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!

The DS4 is the worst built controller I have ever used

Two controllers? You could fill a minivan with all the joysticks that broke in my house over the Atari/c64/Amiga years. Damn leaf switches dying was the worst.

Hopefully it's just a localised flaw and gets sorted out. I haven't noticed anything so far.
 
I'm curious is the L1/R1 sticking has been determined to be part of a bad batch as well, or if this problem is still around in any more recently manufactured controllers?

I think it's just the button nit being put in properly. Like I posted you can fix it yourself. I did the thing in the video and never had the issue again.
 
i have no idea what you guys are doing with the controller that you're afraid to break it .

I'm using it since now 1 month , no problems ( NFS rivals + flower + creed 4 )

No problems , like at all
 
Only issue I had with mine was the R1 button sticking, it's fixed now though.

Had absolutely zero issues with the controller apart from that, the thumb sticks are fine, no peeling or cracking etc and I've used it a shit load.

Must be a bad batch?
 
And why do people keep posting 'I haven't had a problem, so why do you guys keep complaining'? I haven't had a RROD with my old style 360 either, it's not that that wasn't a problem.
 
I don't understand this new fad of people dipping their finger tips in glue before using the DS4. The sticks have better grip now people!
 
And why do people keep posting 'I haven't had a problem, so why do you guys keep complaining'? I haven't had a RROD with my old style 360 either, it's not that that wasn't a problem.

Because the Honeymoon period hasn't ended yet.
 
When it comes to products like controllers. Its bound to be those that don't like the feeling or control . I find no problem with them ,I thing the controller feels great.
 
Man some of the posts here are moronic. This is a serious problem that has happened to many people within weeks.

I'm sorry to hear about your issues, OP, but I HAVE to assume some bad batch went out or something since there are also so many that haven't had this problem at all. It's a real shame that it has happened in the first place, though.
 
Yeah, had 2 DS4 and both are lose at the left side after a while. It's horrible and gets even worse over time. Didn't even use them heavily and just a couple of hours :(
 
I have the same issues. Rubber is pealing off from the left stick. Ive used my DS4 for maybe 30 hours. Never had this problem with DS3.
 
You sound like Peter Moore
Thanks

Were you making comments like that back when RROD stories started flooding the internet?

"Things break!"
"What are y'all doing to your consoles!"
The issues with a limited number of controllers as opposed to hundreds of thousands of consoles RRODing are two different ends of the spectrum.

Get back to me when Sony extends the warranty on the PS4 to cover everyone's controllers that are breaking because they are so poorly built.
 
I must have a different controller than everyone else. My thumb sticks are in tact and outside of some sticky triggers, everything else is solid. PS I've put in over 100 hours into Warframe, 4 hours of KZ:SF, and 4 hours on BF4 with a single controller
 
Oh man we have so many problems with the DS4's here in Denmark. The local Sony Center in Esbjerg replaced my first controller that started to shed rubber after only a couple of days.

After the next controller started to shed rubber of the analogs I went to replace it, but they refused. Saying they needed word from Sony first, but offered me money to go buy a controller elsewhere. So I did.

I went to gamestop and asked them specific if they replaced the controllers once they started to shed the rubber of the thumbsticks.

They replied

"We have already replaced 3 just this evening, of course you will get another DS4 once it starts to break, and it will. The Bumper buttons also stick on some of them. We have had nearly every customer come in for replacements since we started selling PS4"

That simply just confirmed the obvious for me. Those of you who speaks of us using razors on our DS4' and evening chewing on them gotta be crazy. Just feel lucky instead of the silly accusations. The controllers i have had, have like a very brittle thin layer of rubber that simply starts to peel off at the slightest use.

let's hope Sony does not need 2 years to fix this like Microsoft did with the 360, because this is a much larger issue on the DS4.
 
Honestly I think that title goes to the 360 controller. Those things were made like shit.

But I hope Sony fixes the DS4s by March when I get my PS4. This stuff is worrying.
 
I think there were some serial numbers to look for with some of the bad thumb stick material. I'm not sure because I never paid any attention to it. I've spent at least 100 hours on mine and its still in perfect condition.

Not sure if it is relevant, but I always wash my hands before I play videogames.
 
Im going to try and get mine replaced next week. I dont accept that the stick is falling appart after 30 hours of use.
 
Wash your hands? Besides the obvious hygienically benifit, that should be totally irrelevant.

not that I play on my ps4 while stuffing myself with chips.

:)
 
Worst? No. Annoying in failing to reach my imagined potential? Yes. I like the Xbox One, Xbox 360, Wii U Pro Controller and even the DS3 better than this.
 
God tier controller, beaten only by keyboard & mouse.
Disagree,

Huge improvement over ds3 but

Horrible battery life
Gimmicky flashlight led that I need to see reflecting of my tv when I play.I will never buy the camera so it is useless to me
I see the touchpad as being a gimmick that might be used first party games, but not third party the xb1 does have it, but at least it does not detract from anything

Pretty good controller for me, nowhere need God tier
 
I see these threads often.
I disagree wholeheartedly.
God tier controller, beaten only by keyboard & mouse.

In the mad rush to get first reply, did you even read the OP?


I've used it a bit at my friends' place. It's a definite upgrade over DS3. HOWEVER my friend says that after several weeks of use it now has sticky R1 and peeling left analog. -_-

Hopefully they clean this up in later revisions...
 
I'm glad I didn't have the thumb issues. I beat the single player campaign of Killzone, played AssCreed4 to platinum trophy and have now logged about a dozen hours in Doki-Doki Universe and Don't Starve. I'm pretty sure my sticks would have shown wear at this point. I honestly feel that the controller is the best I've used from any system and I've been playing since NES in 1986.

I was a bit worried because my X button was sticky for about a week, but now everything is operating perfectly.
 
It's a well designed controller, just horribly built.

My friend who still has 3 basically pristine DS3's all the way from when they first came out, has his one of his DS4's Left stick cracking and R1 button sticking, getting it replaced by Sony.
 
I have played constantly with the DS4 and have no problems whatsoever.
Maybe you had a bad batch or you're being too rough.

Agreed. I keep seeing people complain about the rubber, but I'm with you. Haven't had any issues. I'm unsure how rough I'd have to be to replicate it, but I can guarantee it would be well beyond normal use. Maybe there was some bad rubber out there, but I certainly didn't get any.
 
The DS4 is the worst built controller I have ever used
kmp2.gif


We have over 30 DualShow 4 controllers in our hood (me and my friends).
All of them are working perfectly. So yeah, that's that.

Sticks, buttons, design, etc. --> Yep, it's the best controller I've ever had.
 
I agree with OP that it's a poorly built controller atm. Ever? That would probably go to the N64's analogue stick IMO. My R1 is sticking (which can be fixed without disassembly, but still) and the left stick is peeling off.

I know it doesn't affect everyone but it's not all that rare either.
 
And why do people keep posting 'I haven't had a problem, so why do you guys keep complaining'? I haven't had a RROD with my old style 360 either, it's not that that wasn't a problem.

Because some people just don't want to have their console see in any kind of bad light. Its pretty ridiculous. OP says he loves the controller, says it's comfortable, one of the best he's used but the build quality has been poor. Many posters respond, I love it, it's the best ever, no issues, perhaps it's you.

I wonder if they were on an auto forum, and some guy writes, man this year's model has a faulty transmission or something, had to replace it twice, whether they'd write "oh I think this year's model is perfect, my transmission is fine, maybe you're doing something wrong".

I can't speak for the build quality myself, all I've seen at my friends and from people I talk to, is that there R1 trigger or something sticks sometimes, that and the sticks get really dirty. Will have to see if they also develop this rubber problem.
 
It is pretty shit, so fucking dissapointing. I too find myself constantly checking out the sticks for fear of them going to shit and last week i noticed one of them is indeed peeling off. Considering i have to of them and i alternate them all the time this is pretty fucking disgusting. Also, since day 1 my controllers feel like they have loose screws and it drives me crazy, it feels like the controller is breaking apart.

I love my system and the ergonomics of the controller but the quality is terrible.
 
My left stick has the soft rubber totally worn off the bottom. Now it's just slick hard plastic and my thumb keeps slipping off.

Will Amazon do anything about this? (ie credit me for getting another controller)
 
My left stick has the soft rubber totally worn off the bottom. Now it's just slick hard plastic and my thumb keeps slipping off.

Will Amazon do anything about this? (ie credit me for getting another controller)

They will tell you to contact Sony, who will replace the controller for you.
 
I don't own a PS4 yet so take my observation however you want it. The two PS4 controllers I've used both had analog stick that were starting to flake. One of those was a demo unit in a store the other was at a friends house. Outside of that the controllers felt sturdy.

I'm guessing that it has to do with a faulty batch(es?), seeing how everyone here doesn't suffer from the problem.
 
I agree with OP that it's a poorly built controller atm. Ever? That would probably go to the N64's analogue stick IMO. My R1 is sticking (which can be fixed without disassembly, but still) and the left stick is peeling off.

I know it doesn't affect everyone but it's not all that rare either.

To be fair I never used the N64 controller that much. Zelda, Mario 64, Waverace, Shadow of the Empire and a few others. After the first few years I pretty much moved onto PS1 full time. Lasted longer than a week though!

My left stick has the soft rubber totally worn off the bottom. Now it's just slick hard plastic and my thumb keeps slipping off.

Will Amazon do anything about this? (ie credit me for getting another controller)

Amazon should replace it. I only had to go through Sony because the Tesco I bought it from were out of stock and told me they'd replace it when they got stock in, or to call Sony
 
Nope.

It's the best controller I've ever held next to the Gamecube controller.

My friend has used his PS4 almost daily since launch, and his analog sticks are still the way they were at launch.
 
Still no problems with my 2 PS4 controllers and my roommate has a controller as well without issues. We bought all 3 controllers at different times so from different batches I assume
 
It's a magnificent design, but the build quality is appalling. I've had the rubber peeling issue, the sticky R1 issue, and worst of all the front and back sections are clearly 'loose', and when I hold either of the two I have I can feel the two parts of the controller coming apart.

Crazy how cheap the fucking thing is, probably the only disappointment with the PS4.
 
OP isn't complaining about the controller, just the build quality.

I had to send my first one back because the R2 trigger came loose and would stick in the on position until you pressed it again and the replacement I got from asda has an occasional stick R1 button, when I get my one back from Sony I'll try the sticky button fix on my second one. It's a great controller, much improved on the DS3, just the odd batch has some build issues, no biggie, chill people.
 
Top Bottom