PS5 or PS4 controller does not charge: What to do?

A long day at work is coming to an end and you are happy to finally sit down on the couch to enjoy the evening after work. For many gaming fans, a well-groomed evening of gaming with the PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 5 is the order of the day. You then find yourself in a real nightmare when the console remains switched off after tapping the PS button on the controller. But this doesn’t necessarily mean that your console is defective. It is much more likely that the battery of your controller is empty. You have to charge it at regular intervals. But what if that doesn’t work without further ado? It is really annoying when you realize that the PS4 controller is no longer charging: The PS4 controller no longer charges. We have a few tips for you on how you can fix the problem.

PS4 controller doesn’t charge: our tips

Before you throw the DualShock into the corner in frustration and possibly cause serious damage, you should follow a few tips from us. If your controller doesn’t want to charge, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the battery is defective. We give you four possible sources of error that you should investigate.

1. Is the cable defective?

With the help of Bluetooth, the Dualshock establishes a wireless connection to your console. But if the battery is empty, this is no longer possible. Then a connection between the input device and the PS4 is only possible with the help of a cable. More precisely, this is a USB-A to micro-USB cable. Since the manufacturer, Sony, is on the safe side, it includes a suitable cable directly in the scope of delivery. But cables are a typical wear-and-tear product. Many months of rolling up and plugging into the ports of the console and controller simply leave their mark and can cause a defect. But what is the best way to check whether the cable is defective or not?

For this, you simply test out the functionality of the USB cable. Of course, it’s not advisable to do this while charging the PS4 controller. Instead, you should connect it in a completely different context. For example, can your PC’s wireless mouse be charged using the cable on the computer? Or are there problems here as well? If the cable doesn’t work with other connections either, it’s likely that it’s broken. Then you should try it with another cable. The only important thing is that it is a cable that can not only charge gadgets. Data transfer must also be possible. Should your PS4 controller charge with the new cable, you have found the error.

2. Charge controller on PC

With the years of use, it can also come to wear on the connectors of the PS4. In particular, dust and other fine-pored dirt likes to find its way into the USB-A ports. This can lead to the console not sending an adequate signal to the controller and also not being able to charge it. To check if the console ports are defective, you can easily test out other charging options. The PlayStation 4 controller can also be charged via your PC without any problems. If that succeeds, you can be sure that the USB ports of the PlayStation are the problem.

3. PS4 Controller Reset

If the controller worked flawlessly when you first unboxed the PlayStation, it may be helpful to reset it to that factory state. Fortunately, a PS4 controller reset can be done without any problems. There is a dedicated reset button on the back of the controller. Sony has made it extremely small and inserted it into the casing so that it does not accidentally reset the device. You need a thin object like a paper clip or needle to press it.

Now press the button for just under three to five seconds. If everything has worked, it is now back in the factory settings. This is followed by the initial setup of the input device. Connect the controller to the console again with the USB cable and start it. Now press the PS button on the controller and observe whether it charges. You can see this by the light on the front. If this slowly pulses in the color orange, the DualShock is in charging mode.

4. Reset console

If none of this helps, you’ll have to take a closer look at your PlayStation. For example, check whether the console is up to date in terms of software. If this is not the case, this could be the reason for the loading problems. If the software is up to date, you will have to reload the device.

PS5 controller does not charge

The tips for the PS4 can also be applied to the latest generation of Sony’s home console. Here there are only small but subtle differences. For example, it is a USB-A to USB-C cable. That means you should check for PS5 ports in case of problems. Resetting the PS5 controller can also be a good solution to the problem.

If you follow the instructions, chances are very high that you will be able to load the PS5 controller. If you still find that the PS5 controller does not connect, you should also check the console for possible software updates. At worst, it is advisable to reset the PS5 to factory settings.

PS5 or PS4 controller does not charge? Warranty Check!

It may be really annoying when the PS5 controller won’t connect or the PS4 controller won’t charge. If our tips above don’t help, you might try another controller. If this one works without any problems, you can probably be sure that it is a defect of the DualShock or DualSense controller. In this case, it is advisable to look for the corresponding receipt. You might still have a warranty. In this case, contact your seller and report the presumed warranty case to them.