How Do You Make a PS4 Controller Vibrate? [Explained!]

I recall back in the day when the DualShock controller for the PlayStation 1 was one of the first controllers to incorporate vibration.

Despite the fact that this is now a standard feature, you may be having trouble getting your PS4 controller to vibrate.

Don’t be concerned, because we’ll tackle this problem together.

What is the best way to make a PlayStation 4 controller vibrate? [Explained!]

Turn on your PlayStation 4 and select “Settings,” assuming you’re using an official PS4 controller. Select “Device” from the drop-down menu, and then select the controller from the list. Vibration will be enabled if the “Enable Vibration” option is selected on the controller. When you do this, you will know whether or not the controller’s vibration functionality is operational.

It is very simple to enable the vibration functionality on your PS4 controller.

If the vibrations on your controller aren’t working while you’re playing a game, this is a good first step in troubleshooting your controller.

There are a couple of other ways to check for vibration that you might want to be aware of as well.

Including Vibration in the Design

Your DualShock controller on your PlayStation 4 may not be vibrating, or perhaps you’re simply curious about how to adjust its vibrating settings.

This is extremely simple, and it should only take a few seconds to get it up and running.

This section will cover the most common method of enabling vibration.

I’ve also included additional sections below that will assist you in troubleshooting vibration issues.

The First Steps

The very first thing you must do is, of course, turn on your PlayStation 4.

Without turning on the console, we will be unable to access any settings.

You’ll also need to connect your controller to the computer.

If you have a wired controller, all you have to do is plug it into the controller port on your console.

If you’re using a wireless controller, start by turning it on and connecting it to your computer. If the two devices are already paired, the connection will be made automatically.

The first time you use the controller, press the “PlayStation” and “Share” buttons on the controller at the same time to get it to recognise the system.

Do this for five seconds, and the two will be able to communicate with one another.

Obtaining Access to Settings

Many people never look into the PS4’s configuration options.

I rarely find myself doing it unless I’m checking out a feature like this or experimenting with the various features of the PlayStation 4. The good news is that navigating to the settings menu takes only a couple of seconds.

When you turn on your PlayStation 4, you should be greeted by a blue menu.

This displays a list of all of your games and applications.

You’ll be taken to a new menu by pressing the “Up” button on your controller. This menu contains smaller icons.

The Settings menu can be accessed by selecting the icon that resembles a toolbox. If your icons are in a different order than the default, it should be the second from the right.

It will also have the word “Settings” written underneath it, so you will not be able to miss it.

Vibration should be enabled.

There are numerous options available to you here. You could easily get lost in them, but let’s leave that for another time.

For the time being, we’ll only be concerned with turning on the vibration feature on your controller.

Select the “Device” option from the drop-down menu. This will display a list of all the devices that are connected to your PS4.

There are some people who have a plethora of devices connected to their console, while others have only the controllers. In either case, make sure to select the controller from the drop-down selection menu.

The selection of this option will open up several new options. “Enable Vibration” is the one that we’re most concerned about. Check to see if this option is enabled.

If it isn’t already selected, click it to make the setting active.

Choosing From a Variety of Games

The process of activating the vibration from the console is straightforward. Try to play a game and see if the vibration is working properly this time.

When playing a game, you may notice that the controller vibrates when the console settings are enabled, but that it does not work when the game is not enabled.

There are two possible explanations for this phenomenon. Occasionally, this is due to a software error, and the game has not yet been patched.

Check to see if there are any new game updates available for you to download.

There isn’t much else you can do except wait for the developers to correct the problem.

The other possible explanation is that the in-game vibration setting has been turned off in the game.

Although I can’t give specific instructions because every game is different, you can usually find this by pausing the game and looking for “Settings” in the available menu when you return to it.

There are frequently controller settings where you can adjust the sensitivity of the controller’s vibration as well as turn it off completely.

Troubleshooting Procedures

The steps outlined above should be sufficient to cause your PS4 controller to vibrate, but there will be occasions when there are other factors at play.

I’ll walk you through some of the troubleshooting steps so you can figure out what’s wrong.

If none of these steps are successful, it is possible that the controller is faulty.

If none of the steps above resolves the problem, you should consider replacing your controller.

Charge the Controller’s batteries.

The majority of PS4 controllers are now wireless, so it’s likely that you’re using one of these. While wireless controllers are fantastic, they do have one drawback: they must be recharged after each use.

Not only that, but some features of the PS4 controller are inaccessible if the controller’s battery is running low.

Fill the battery with water. While a half charge should be sufficient, if the phone is not vibrating, I recommend charging it completely.

Simply allow it to charge completely before attempting to enable vibration once more. In the vast majority of cases, this will resolve the problem.

Restart the controller if necessary.

In many cases, restarting the controller will resolve issues with vibration and connecting to the console.

This is a straightforward procedure. Simply press and hold the PlayStation button for approximately five seconds to complete the task. You’ll notice that the controller’s light has turned off.

Wait a minute, and then press the button once more to turn it back on if necessary.

Setting the Controller to its default settings

This one is a little more complicated. It works in a similar way to a restart, except that it resets the controller to its default settings.

You’ll need a toothpick, a paperclip, or something similar to complete this task.

As soon as you turn the controller around, you’ll notice a small hole in the upper right corner. Once you’ve inserted the object, you’ll notice that a button has been pressed. Hold the button down for five seconds before releasing it.

Restart the game by turning the controller back on.

You’ll have to reconnect the controller and the console to make it work properly again.

Replace the Vibration Motor with a new one.

This is extremely advanced, and I would recommend simply replacing the controller rather than going through the trouble of doing this.

Nonetheless, if you are determined to repair the controller yourself, you should be aware that the vibration motor can be replaced.

There are several steps involved, including removing the screws from the controller’s back, removing the solder from the vibration motor, soldering in a new one, and so on. The procedures are time-consuming and necessitate the use of numerous tools. Not only that, but it is possible that it will fail.

As a result of these considerations, I do not recommend changing the motor yourself.

If nothing else works, you can always purchase a new game controller.