The DualSense is a great controller, but unfortunately, it can still suffer from its fair share of hardware issues. Whether it’s a faulty connection, a controller that simply doesn’t switch on or is unresponsive, or problems with buttons and analog sticks, issues with the DualSense may not be common, but they certainly do happen. Sometimes, the only recourse is to send the controller to Sony’s support division, but most of the time, you can fix the issue yourself without needing to resort to such drastic measures.
One of the most common issues that afflicts DualSense controllers (and many other kinds of controllers) is constant vibration. If you’ve ever found that your controller won’t stop vibrating, you’re far from alone. This can sometimes happen after a particularly violent bout of vibration in a game, and it can also happen apropos of nothing; sometimes, your controller will simply start to vibrate on its own with no prompting from you. Here’s how you can fix a PS5 controller that won’t stop vibrating.
Close the game you’re playing
If you’ve noticed that your PS5 controller’s constant vibration has happened after a scene in a game during which the controller vibrated, then your first port of call should be to close that game down. Make sure you’ve saved your progress and you’re ready to stop (although, if everything goes well, it’ll just be a temporary break). After this, simply head out of the game with the PlayStation button and close it. Hopefully, this should stop the PS5 controller vibrating. Just remember to actually close the game rather than just suspending it!
Restart your PS5 controller
As with anything else controller-related, restarting your PS5 controller is a good option if you’re experiencing constant controller vibration. There are a couple of ways you can do this.
Restart the controller
Before you try a hard reset, you should simply try switching your controller off and switching it on again. To do this, simply bring up the menu with your PlayStation button, then navigate to Accessories and turn the controller off. After this, just turn the controller back on again with the PlayStation button. This should fix any vibration issues you’re having.
Reset the controller
If you find that restarting the controller doesn’t fix your problem, then you may need to try a hard reset. Don’t worry, though – this is much less difficult and invasive than it might sound! On the back of your DualSense, you’ll find a small hole. Grab a pin, a paperclip, or something else very small and thin, and push it into the hole. Hold it there for a few seconds, then release. Your controller should reset itself, and that should put paid to the vibration.
Restart the PS5
Closing the game and resetting the controller haven’t worked, and now you’re at your wits’ end. Don’t worry – your next step should be to try restarting your console. There might be some kind of connection issue between your controller and your console, and if there is, then restarting it should help.
Press the PlayStation button, then navigate to the Power menu and turn the console off. Once you’ve done this, and you’re sure the PS5 is switched off and not simply in rest mode, switch the console off at the wall as well. Wait a minute or two, then switch the console’s wall socket back on and power the machine on using your controller or the button on the PS5’s face.
Update your controller’s firmware
Sometimes, constant PS5 controller vibration is caused by having out-of-date controller firmware. If this is the case, you can force a controller update (even if your console isn’t telling you that you need one) by heading to the Settings menu, then Accessories, then Controller. There, you should see the option to update your DualSense. You may or may not need to connect your controller to your PS5 via USB to do this, so make sure you’ve got a cable handy.
Once the controller is updated, simply try connecting it to the PS5 again. In many cases, this will fix the constant vibration issue; if it’s a firmware bug that’s causing the problem, then it stands to reason that updating the firmware would fix it as well, right?
Try a different controller
If nothing on this list has worked so far, then it’s a good idea to try a different DualSense controller, if you have one. If the problem replicates itself on the second controller, then the fault is likely with your console or with the game you’re currently playing. If you can recreate the conditions under which the vibration occurred with another controller and it doesn’t happen on that second unit, then it’s probably the first DualSense that’s at fault, unfortunately.
Send your controller to Sony
When all else fails, you may need to wave goodbye to your precious DualSense and send it to the Sony repair centre. Make sure to contact Sony support ahead of time so that they know you’re doing this and can advise accordingly. Sony will likely try to walk you through many of the steps we’ve already discussed here; even if you tell them you’ve already tried everything, they may insist on you repeating those steps, so be prepared to try everything we’ve outlined again. When these steps don’t work, Sony will hopefully accept your repair and will provide you with further information regarding what to do next.
