Rant on PS4 Hardware (controllers)

Sometimes, I hate the internet. At crunch time, nobody ever seems to have any useful information.

Recently, my PS4 controllers stopped functioning correctly. One was glitching hysterically and the other wouldn't turn on or even charge.

Looking online for a solution other than buying a replacement (how do I know a new controller will actually work any better?), the solutions I found (charge it upside down, do factory reset, hit share and PS button, swap out charging port and/or battery) haven't worked. From what I could tell the controller that wasn't charging had an actual dead battery as when I replaced it from the glitchy controller, it sprung to life. But it still wouldn't charge even after I replaced the port from the other controller which was charging just fine. And yes, I've tried charging directly from the system, from another plug via USB, from a phone-charger which was not a USB. All three methods worked in the glitchy controller, but not the one which I swapped the port to. Also, the LED wouldn't work until I put the original port back. I don't even know what that's about as it's still the same wire from the other controller.

Now, one controller is completely non-viable (I'm not gonna try to repair a glitchy piece of crap) and the other has one foot in the grave (I'd say maybe a couple of hours battery life).

None of this would have been an issue if the controllers I owned had been constructed from universal parts. I had no idea when I bought my second controller that it would be so damned different from the one packaged with my system. On first glance they look exactly the same. However, shoulder buttons are connected differently, the charging port is obviously not universal and the original connector for the battery was smaller than that of the other controller. I had to use wire cutters to swap the battery. I'm happy I finally got one controller working but it dulls into a listless melancholy when I consider that about an hour from now, it'll be dead too.

My last resort which I don't expect to work any better (because honestly, why should it) is to buy a charging station and hope the EXT port can renew my faith in Sony. Doubtful. I am honestly afraid of buying a replacement which may turn out to have the same problems. Usually, gaming hardware is non-refundable once you've opened the package.

As a weird side note, when the controller's original charging port is swapped in, the system registers two bars of battery life for my controller. However, when the other port is put in, it says my battery is dead. What the frickin' hell is that about. The charging port is not a frickin' battery, why is it effecting the read on my controller's battery power (and causing it to disconnect and power off).

Oh yeah and I almost forgot to mention. I can charge my phone from my PS4. So yeah. It's not the USB.

PS4 controllers are just bad from my personal experience. I've had two controllers just miss up on me. My first controller would just sometimes walk left. Like the analog would stick or something. And if I was holding R2 is was worse. And if you played FFXIV as a caster, just walking randomly is bad. This controller I have now is messing up. Sometimes it won't register a hit and then it's register like 10 hits of that button.

And for reference I still have the same controller that came with my PS2 that works fine. And I got that limited edition Lightning Returns controller for my PS3 that still works.

I had to replace the analog sticks in one of my girlfriend's controllers, and in doing so, I accidentally attached the charger port ribbon backwards, so it wouldn't light up when plugged in or charge, it was just left with what was in the battery. But that was easily reversed, and outside of that I can't think of any actual problems with the controllers. Generally when I experience control issues it's specific to a game, rather than a controller. My girlfriend and I each have a PS4, and we each have two controllers for each console. So there's 4 controllers in this apartment getting near constant use, and we've had pretty much zero issues. I don't know if you guys are getting stuff manufactured elsewhere, or if it's specific to certain generations of controllers or what. Maybe I'm just super lucky, or maybe you guys are just super unlucky. It just seems weird though. I've had those kinds of issues in other controllers though. I can't remember if it's a 360 controller or a PS3 controller, but I know we have one that lists to the left automatically and the analog that causes it has quite a bit of give in it. Either way, you seem to know what you're doing with the inner workings of the controller, but since it can't charge, I have to ask, does it light up when you plug it in? Could your connecting ribbon be backwards like mine was?

The original port still lights up. Since replacing the port didn't help with the charging (and didn't even light up), I put the original back. I bought an EXT charging station from GameStop for 30$. It charges from the bottom of the controller rather than the top. So I have at least one working controller now.

Funny story, the guy at the shop had no idea that kind of charger was being sold there (there were 10 of them on display). He really needs to be better read up on inventory.