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

I remember back in the day when the PS1 DualShock controller was one of the first controllers to have vibration.

This is now a common feature, but you might be having a hard time making your PS4 controller vibrate.

Don’t worry, because we’ll work on this together.

Assuming you have an official PS4 controller, turn on the PS4 and go to “Settings.” Select “Device” and then choose the controller from the menu. Select “Enable Vibration” and the controller will be able to vibrate. This will let you know if the controller’s vibration functionality is working.

Enabling your PS4 controller’s vibration functionality is very easy.

This is a good first step to troubleshooting your controller if vibrations aren’t working while playing a game.

There are also some other ways to check the vibration that you may want to know about.

Enabling Vibration

Maybe your PS4 DualShock controller isn’t vibrating, or maybe you’re just curious about checking the vibration settings.

This is incredibly easy and it should only take a few seconds to turn it on.

This will explain the most common way to enable vibration.

I also included other sections below for troubleshooting vibration problems.

Initial Steps

The very first thing you need to do of course is turn on the PS4.

We won’t be able to access settings unless the console is on.

You also need to connect your controller.

If you have a wired controlled, then simply plug it into the controller port on the console.

If you have a wireless controller, then start by turning on the controller. If the two are already paired, then it will automatically connect.

If this is the first time you’re using the controller, then press the “PlayStation” and “Share” buttons simultaneously on the controller.

Do this for five seconds and the two will connect.

Access Settings

Many people never access the PS4 settings.

I rarely find myself doing it unless I’m checking functions like this or playing around with the different PS4 features. The good news is that accessing settings only takes a few seconds.

You should be greeted by a blue menu when you turn on the PS4.

This shows all of your games and apps.

Press the “Up” button on your controller and you’ll be taken to a new menu with smaller icons.

The Settings menu is accessed from the icon that looks like a toolbox. It should be the second from the right, but your icons might be in another order.

It will also say the word “Settings” under it, so you can’t miss it.

Enable Vibration

You will see a lot of options here. It’s easy to get lost in them, but let’s save that for another time.

Today we’re only focused on enabling the vibration on your controller.

Select the option labeled “Device.” This will bring up all the devices connected to your PS4.

Some people have lots of devices connected to their console while others only have the controllers. In either case, make sure you select the controller from this menu.

This will bring up several new options. The one we’re concerned about is “Enable Vibration.” Make sure this setting is active.

If not, then select it to activate the setting.

Selecting From Games

Turning on the vibration from the console is simple enough. Try playing a game and see if the vibration is working now.

Sometimes you might notice that the console settings can make the controller vibrate, but it’s still not working while playing a game.

There are two possible explanations. Sometimes this is a software error and the game hasn’t been patched.

See if there are any available updates for the game.

You can’t do much more than this except wait for the developers to correct the issue.

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

Each game is different, so I can’t give specific instructions here, but you can normally find this by pausing the game and looking for “Settings” in the available menu.

There are often controller settings where you can change the controller’s vibration sensitivity as well as disable it.

Troubleshooting Steps

The above steps should be enough to make your PS4 controller vibrate, but there will be times where there are other issues at play.

I’ll cover some of the troubleshooting steps so you can fix this.

If these steps don’t work, then the controller itself might be broken.

Consider replacing your controller if none of these steps resolve the issue.

Charge the Controller

Most PS4 controllers are now wireless, so chances are that this is what you have. While wireless controllers are amazing, their one downfall is that they need to be charged.

Not only that, but some features simply don’t work if the PS4 controller battery is low.

Charge the battery. While a half charge should be fine, I recommend fully charging it if it isn’t vibrating.

Just let it charge all the way and then try enabling vibration again. This will fix the issue in most cases.

Restart the Controller

Restarting the controller often corrects errors with vibration and connecting to the console.

This is simple. Just push and hold the PlayStation button for about five seconds. You’ll see the controller’s light go out.

Wait a minute and then push the button again to turn it back on.

Resetting the Controller

This is a little more involved. It’s similar to a restart, but it returns the controller to default settings.

You will need a toothpick, paperclip or something similar.

Turn the controller around and you’ll see a hole in the upper-right corner. Insert the object and you’ll feel a button being pushed. Hold the button for five seconds and then release

Turn the controller back on.

You will need to restore the connection between the controller and console.

Replace the Vibration Motor

This is very advanced and I honestly recommend just replacing the controller rather than doing this.

If you’re set on fixing the controller yourself though, then be aware that you can replace the vibration motor.

This involves removing the screws from the back of the controller, removing the solder from the vibration motor, soldering in a new one and so on. The steps are very involved and require numerous tools. Not only that, but it might fail anyway.

Due to those reasons, I don’t recommend changing the motor yourself.

If nothing else works, then just buy a new controller.

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