( How to clean PS4 joystick) After a hard day, you’ve finally got yourself comfortable on the sofa for some stress-relieving gaming with your PlayStation 4, but you noticed that some buttons and the controller analog sticks are not responsive as usual. However, the controller is not necessarily damaged: it is often the fault of the dust and dirt that lurk between the keys and make them unresponsive. In this case, just make a good one cleaning to get the controller back on track.

As? Don’t know how to do it? Do not worry! I’m just here to explain how to clean PS4 joystick outside and inside. I warn you that internal cleaning requires a lot of attention and good dexterity, as you will have to open the controller and intervene on the internal components. If the warranty of your PS4 controller is still valid, you should take it to the store where you bought it and ask for a replacement. In any case, I warned you! I, therefore, take no responsibility for any damage.

All clear? Good! Now, go get the controller to clean and give yourself some free time to read the guide and follow my instructions step by step. You will see that with a little patience and attention, you will eventually be able to get your controller back on track and get back to enjoying your favorite video games right away. Enjoy the reading!

Necessary

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Before starting, I recommend that you get the right products to be able to do proper and safe cleaning of your PS4 controller. You may already have what you need at home, but in any case, here is an inventory of what you need.

• Microfiber cloth
• Compressed air
• Screwdriver for 6mm screws
• Brush or cotton swab
• Alcohol and water solution
• Tweezers

 

 

The microfiber cloth you will need to remove the dust from the external case of the controller and carry out a preliminary cleaning. Microfiber is the most suitable material because it is light and thin, but at the same time it collects dust well.

 

For residual dust between the analog sticks and buttons, you need to use the compressed air, also useful for removing any residual dust inside the gamepad.

 

Finally, to thoroughly clean the dust from keys and sticks you can use a medium bristle brush or a cotton swab. These can also be useful for cleaning some internal components, without damaging them.

I anticipate that you may need a solution consisting of alcohol and water, to intervene on the most resistant dust and dirt. If you can, get some tweezers with narrow tips as well which may help you disassemble the controller, as you will see later.

Do you have everything you need with you? OK! So let’s start with the tutorial and give your controller a good clean!

How to clean PS4 controllers

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There cleaning the outside of the PS4 controller it’s really simple, so you can do it without any risk.
Broadly speaking, I suggest you clean often the DualShock 4, so you can always keep it in top condition and prevent dust and grease from accumulating over time. Often a little cleaning of the case, buttons, and levers is enough to eliminate dust and prevent it from lurking inside the controller.

My advice is to open the controller when you notice malfunction problems such as to prevent its use and only if the product warranty has expired.

How to clean PS4 controllers on the outside

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So, are you ready? Good! First of all, if necessary, unplug the USB cable and any headphones from the controller, then unplug the PlayStation 4’s power cable to avoid turning it on by accidentally pressing the button PS on the gamepad.

Afterward place the controller on one well-lit flat surface, perhaps using a white cloth to collect dust and be able to work more precisely.

Now, take the microfiber cloth and gently pass it over the entire outer shell of the gamepad afterwards sprays the compressed air on the buttons, under the analog sticks, and on the directional buttons.

I suggest you use compressed air several times, especially on the dustiest spots. For more thorough cleaning in tight spaces such as the USB port and headphone audio jack, bring the compressed air nozzle as close as possible.

In case microfiber cloth and compressed air are not enough to remove the dirt, then you will have to switch to the hard way!

Moisten a cotton swab (or the tip of the microfiber cloth) e pass it on all buttons and levers, rubbing between the cracks, without exaggerating. Alternatively, you can use the medium-bristled brush. You can also make a solution by mixing water and a little alcohol, in case you want to intervene more effectively on the accumulated dirt, but you must be sure of what you are doing and does everything well (a solution that is too “aggressive” could damage some components).

How about the final result? I am sure that after following these tips of mine your gamepad will look new to you! You just have to try the controller: if the controls seem responsive and you are satisfied with the result, you can stop here.

How to clean PS4 controller inside

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Is cleaning the external body of the controller not enough and the controls still don’t respond as well as you would like? Then let’s move on to a more thorough cleaning of the controller.

Since the internal cleaning of the PS4 controller is quite complex, I suggest you carefully consider whether to try or not. Ideally, you should give it a try with an old damaged PS4 controller that you no longer use, so you can try the procedure with peace of mind and familiarize yourself with the various steps.

Please note that PS4 controllers contain very delicate components inside, then read the various steps carefully. Before proceeding, I suggest you try reset the PS4 controller following the tutorial I just listed for you. Resetting the controller may fix some command-related issues, so it’s worth a try.

Read more: How to enable TPM 2.0 on the PC

So, to start this little intervention, first of all, you have to remove the 6mm screws located on the back of the controller, using a precision screwdriver. I recommend that you use a container to keep the screws tidy, as they are very small and therefore easy to lose!

I also suggest that you do not use a screwdriver of a different size or shape, as you would risk blocking the screws in their seat or damaging them. Remove the screws, you will have to open the controller. Grasp it firmly with one hand lower body and with the other the upper body, then it begins to separate them little by little. You may have to make several attempts, but do not lose patience and above all do not exert too much force, because otherwise, you could break the flat cable which connects the two bodies.

If you can’t open the controller with your bare hands, pry it up a bit with a flat-blade screwdriver, or any thin-tipped plastic object. In this step I suggest you to be as gentle as possible in order to avoid damaging the controller.

The side buttons L2 and R2 could prevent opening: in this case press them letting the gum out of their compartment, then try again. Once you have passed this step, extract Gently the Flat from the connector by taking it with your fingers or pliers, then divide the two parts.

OK, now take the front shell of the gamepad e to clean it with the cloth or with the cotton swab to remove dust. Once this is done, you can concentrate on the rear case that contains the various components of the controller.

The first thing you will see inside the gamepad will be their battery, connected to the motherboard through a connector. With attention and precision, unplug the connector using your hands or tweezers, then remove the battery.

The next step is the split the two internal parts of the controller. To do this you will have to unscrew the screw in the center of the black part, i.e. the battery holder, in order to remove it.

Afterward, detach the side triggers of the controller, then hold the body in place with one hand and use the other to remove the part containing the motherboard. If you find dust on the motherboard, use the compressed air for safe cleaning.

Now let’s move on to cleaning the keys using the brush or the cotton swab. You will see that the buttons and directional keys are covered with a piece of rubber: remove it always using your hands or tweezers.

This way you will remove the buttons by simply flipping the controller body, then clean them one by one using the cotton swab and the alcohol, then dry them with the microfiber cloth. In case the rubber covering the buttons and the directional sticks is dirty, you can use the cotton swab to clean it.

Now take the part with the motherboard and remove the rubber pads of the analog sticks, then clean them using a dry cotton swab. You can also wipe the cotton swab on mechanisms and sprinkle some compressed air inside them to eliminate dust. If you notice that the analog sticks are damaged, you can consider replacing them by following this guide.

Once the cleaning is complete, you will need to reassemble the controller. Reposition the part of the motherboard on that of the keys, then screw the black housing again e position us the battery as you found it.

Subsequently, connect the battery to the motherboard via the connector, and then the two controller shells via the Flat cable.

We are almost there! All you have to do is join the two parts of the controller And screw in the four screws. If the cleaning was successful you will see that you will be more responsive.

If the PS4 controller still doesn’t work as it should, then the problem is likely related to components like the motherboard or battery. In this case, I suggest you read my guide on how to fix the PS4 controller to try to get over the situation and resolve it (independently or with the support of official assistance, if there is still warranty coverage).

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